With Ceremony At The Vatican, Wilton Gregory Becomes 1st Black American Cardinal

Kneeling before Pope Francis, 72-year-old Wilton Gregory received the red hat and ring Saturday, becoming the first Black American cardinal in the history of Catholicism.

Gregory, the archbishop of Washington since 2019, is one of 13 bishops and priests elevated to the College of Cardinals at the Vatican on Saturday. With the ceremony, Francis has appointed 73 of the 128 cardinals who can elect the next pope.

Before the ceremony, Wilton told The Associated Press he viewed his appointment as "an affirmation of Black Catholics in the United States, the heritage of faith and fidelity that we represent."

The ceremony, known as a consistory, was subdued compared with years past as the pandemic put a damper on what would normally be a day of pomp and circumstance. Although St. Peter's Basilica normally holds thousands, each cardinal was limited to 10 guests, and the basilica was mostly empty.

Guests and new cardinals alike were wearing masks. As a precaution, the cardinal candidates who traveled to Rome from abroad had been in quarantine at the Vatican for 10 days before the ceremony.