Washington (CNN) Pope Francis has tapped Archbishop Wilton Gregory to lead the embattled Archdiocese of Washington, giving the nation's capitol its first African-American archbishop and a veteran leader who guided the Catholic Church through its clergy sexual abuse crisis in the early 2000s. Gregory, 71, will replace Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who resigned in October 2018 amid pressure from Washington Catholics angry over his role in the clergy sexual abuse crisis. "I am deeply grateful to Pope Francis for this appointment to serve the Archdiocese of Washington and to work with all of the members of this faith community," said Gregory. The archbishop of Washington is traditionally elevated by the Pope to the college of cardinals, meaning that Gregory eventually could be the highest-ranking African-American ever to serve in the Catholic Church in the United States. Currently the only African-American archbishop in the United States, Gregory has led the Archdiocese of Atlanta since 2005.

Source: CNN April 04, 2019 10:41 UTC