Wilton Gregory, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., has become the Catholic Church’s first African American cardinal following a ceremony on Saturday at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Pope Francis confirmed 13 new cardinals—the church’s highest rank—by giving them their ring and traditional red hat, known as a biretta. Gregory said that his appointment was “an affirmation of Black Catholics in the United States, the heritage of faith and fidelity that we represent.” Gregory is a renowned civil rights advocate who made headlines during the Black Lives Matter protests over summer when he criticized President Trump for planning to visit a Catholic shrine.
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