Some see Wilton Gregory’s appointment by Pope Francis — after a summer of racial reckoning in the United States — as « a statement of the Church to say, ‘We stand with you.’ »
When Pope Francis on Sunday elevated Chicago native Wilton Gregory to cardinal — the first African American to get the appointment — the joy was shared by local Catholics. “Gregory deserves the role with his work in the Church,” said Dr. Michael Murphy, the director of Catholic studies at Loyola University of Chicago, who was “overjoyed” when he heard Sunday’s news. He said he’s met Gregory on several occasions and believes the cardinal-elect is “deeply talented” and “very holy.” “He’s the right choice no matter what his background is,” said Murphy, the director for Loyola’s Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage. The 72-year-old Gregory, who was born in Chicago and ordained a priest here in 1973, was one of 13 new cardinals named by Pope Francis in a surprise announcement from his studio window that overlooks St. Peter’s Square in Rome. “With a very grateful and humble heart, I thank Pope Francis for this appointment which will allow me to work more closely with him in caring for Christ’s Church,” Gregory said in a statement following the news from the Vatican.
