The Catholic News Agency reported this afternoon that Pope Francis is expected to appoint Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta to the currently open Archdiocese of Washington DC, vacated after the resignation of Cardinal Wuerl last year.
CNA made it abundantly clear that there has been no formal announcement, so anything can happen until a formal announcement is made in the near future.
Who would succeed Cardinal Wuerl has caused tremendous anticipation in the Catholic world of the United States. There is a need for a shepherd who will bring much needed healing, and at the same time provide impeccable leadership as Washington continues to deal with last year’s revelations about both former Cardinal McCarrick and Cardinal Wuerl.
The thought of Archbishop Gregory leaving my neighboring diocese to the north creates great anticipation as to who will succeed him in Atlanta. The Archdiocese of Atlanta, though smaller than my Diocese of Savannah in territory, has twelve times the number of Catholics. With 1.2 million Catholics, the Archdiocese is quite a diverse and large See.
Currently seventy-one years old, Archbishop Gregory was ordained a bishop in 1983, so he brings a tremendous amount of experience to everything that he does. He led the U.S. Catholic Church as President of the Bishop’s Conference in 2002 during the sex abuse scandals, and is known for his effective administrative abilities.
Now we wait, hopefully until next Tuesday, when hopefully an announcement will be made.
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