Wilton D. Gregory
Encyclopedia
Wilton Daniel Gregory is an African American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is the sixth and current Archbishop of Atlanta, having previously served as Bishop of Belleville (1993–2004) and Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago
(1983–1993). He was president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
(USCCB) from 2001 to 2004.
, Illinois
, to Wilton and Ethel (née Duncan) Gregory. One of three children, he has two sisters: Elaine and Claudia. Gregory's parents divorced when he was quite young, and his grandmother, Etta Mae Duncan, subsequently moved in with the family at their home on the South Side
. In 1958, he was enrolled at St. Carthage Grammar School, where he decided to become a priest
before even converting to Catholicism
. He was baptized
and received his First Communion
in 1959, and was confirmed
by Bishop Raymond P. Hillinger
later that year.
Gregory graduated from St. Carthage in 1961, and then attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary South
and Niles College
in Chicago, and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary
in Mundelein
. At the age of 25, he was ordained
to the priesthood by Cardinal John Cody on May 9, 1973.
He continued his studies at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute
in Rome
, where he earned a doctorate in Sacred Liturgy
in 1980. He did pastoral
work in Glenview
at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, taught at Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary, and served as a Master of Ceremonies
under Cardinals Cody and Bernardin. On October 31, 1983 he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Chicago and Titular Bishop
of Oliva. Gregory received his episcopal consecration
on the following December 13 from Cardinal Bernardin, with Bishops Alfred Abramowicz
and Nevin Hayes, O. Carm, serving as co-consecrators
.
From 2001 to 2004, Gregory served as the President of the USCCB, the first African American ever to head an episcopal conference, having previously served as Vice President and also Chairman of several committees. During his presidency, the American bishops issued the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" in response to Roman Catholic sex abuse cases
. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees
at The Catholic University of America
. In 2002, in recognition of his handling of the sex abuse scandal
with repeated apologies and the defrocking of priests, he was chosen as Time's Person of the Week.
"The terrible history recorded here is history," Gregory said on the subject of sexual abuse in the Church in 2004. His 2004 statement was noted in a 2011 report as the history, as it were, continued to be written, specifically in Philadelphia
, Ireland
, Germany and other locales. In the 2011 report, Gregory's 2004 comment was put in the context of statements by other senior Catholic figures who had decried the history but then declared the problem to be in the past. "That's over with!" Archbishop Timothy Dolan
of New York was quoted as declaring on 60 Minutes
. And a USCCB, $1.8 million study's lead author was quoted as concluding, "The abuse crisis is over." The 2011 report opined that Gregory's statement expressed the position "more eloquently" than the other two did. One possible indication of whether Gregory considers the history to be closed is that the word "sex" did not appear in the page of article-openings (weekly-to-monthly in frequency) back to the beginning on February 24, 2005 of his Georgia Bulletin column. Another view of Gregory's position on the sex-abuse issue came from Barbara Blaine, president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
. Blaine reviewed the possible replacements to Archbishop Justin Francis Rigali of Philadelphia in 2011. "None of the men who are alleged to be candidates to fill Rigali's role in Philadelphia are much better on abuse and cover ups. Archbishop Wilton Gregory may be the best of a very sorry lot but he too has mishandled clergy sex cases," wrote Blaine, citing specific cases. Charles Chaput, who was subsequently named as Rigali's replacement, was "the worst of the candidates" according to Blaine.
, in one of his last episcopal appointments before his death, named Bishop Gregory the seventh Archbishop of Atlanta on December 9, 2004, and his installation took place on January 17, 2005.
Before deciding to elevate Archbishop Daniel DiNardo
of Houston to the Sacred College of Cardinals in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI
had reportedly considered Archbishop Gregory for that honor. If he eventually receives the red hat
in a future consistory, he will become the first African-American prelate (and first Archbishop of Atlanta) to do so.
In late October 2007 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer
, and had surgery in November of that same year.
He writes a bi-weekly column for the Georgia Bulletin titled "What I have Seen and Heard".
from Spring Hill College
in Mobile
, Xavier University
in Cincinnati
, and McKendree University in Lebanon
, and doctorates in humanities
from Lewis University
in Romeoville
and Saint Louis University
in St. Louis
.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He is the sixth and current Archbishop of Atlanta, having previously served as Bishop of Belleville (1993–2004) and Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
(1983–1993). He was president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
(USCCB) from 2001 to 2004.
Early life and ministry
Wilton Gregory was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, to Wilton and Ethel (née Duncan) Gregory. One of three children, he has two sisters: Elaine and Claudia. Gregory's parents divorced when he was quite young, and his grandmother, Etta Mae Duncan, subsequently moved in with the family at their home on the South Side
South Side (Chicago)
The South Side is a major part of the City of Chicago, which is located in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Much of it has evolved from the city's incorporation of independent townships, such as Hyde Park Township which voted along with several other townships to be annexed in the June 29,...
. In 1958, he was enrolled at St. Carthage Grammar School, where he decided to become a priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
before even converting to Catholicism
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He was baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
and received his First Communion
First Communion
The First Communion, or First Holy Communion, is a Catholic Church ceremony. It is the colloquial name for a person's first reception of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Catholics believe this event to be very important, as the Eucharist is one of the central focuses of the Catholic Church...
in 1959, and was confirmed
Confirmation (Catholic Church)
Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments through which Catholics pass in the process of their religious upbringing. According to Catholic doctrine, in this sacrament they receive the Holy Spirit and become adult members of the Catholic Church....
by Bishop Raymond P. Hillinger
Raymond Peter Hillinger
Raymond Peter Hillinger was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Rockford and Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago .-Biography:...
later that year.
Gregory graduated from St. Carthage in 1961, and then attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary South
Quigley South
Quigley Preparatory Seminary South was a United States high school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago from 1961 through 1990...
and Niles College
Saint Joseph College Seminary
Saint Joseph College Seminary is a college of Loyola University Chicago and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.Saint Joseph College Seminary, formerly Niles College Seminary at Loyola University, is the undergraduate or college seminary for the Archdiocese of Chicago...
in Chicago, and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary
University of Saint Mary of the Lake
University of Saint Mary of the Lake, also called Mundelein Seminary, is the principal seminary and school of theology for the formation of priests in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, governed from Chicago, Illinois in the United States. It is recognized as the first institution of higher...
in Mundelein
Mundelein, Illinois
Mundelein is a village in Lake County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 31,064.-History:The community now known as Mundelein has been inhabited since at least 1650, when the Potowatami Indians were known to have been trading with French fur traders....
. At the age of 25, he was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood by Cardinal John Cody on May 9, 1973.
He continued his studies at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute
Pontifical Liturgical Institute
The Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome, located at Sant'Anselmo on the Aventine Hill, promotes the study of the Sacred Liturgy. It is entrusted to the Benedictine Confederation, and has the role of training professors of liturgy and liturgical experts to advance the study and teaching of the...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he earned a doctorate in Sacred Liturgy
Christian liturgy
A liturgy is a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship. Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used by a Christian congregation or denomination on a regular basis....
in 1980. He did pastoral
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
work in Glenview
Glenview, Cook County, Illinois
Glenview is a suburban village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 41,847...
at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, taught at Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary, and served as a Master of Ceremonies
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
under Cardinals Cody and Bernardin. On October 31, 1983 he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Chicago and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Oliva. Gregory received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following December 13 from Cardinal Bernardin, with Bishops Alfred Abramowicz
Alfred Leo Abramowicz
Alfred Leo Abramowicz was a Roman Catholic Chicago auxiliary bishop who served as Director of the Catholic League for Religious Assistance to Poland from 1960–1995, working as a principal US fund-raising and organizational contact for the Catholic Church in Poland and for the Polish Solidarity...
and Nevin Hayes, O. Carm, serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
.
Bishop of Belleville
Gregory remained in Chicago until December 29, 1993, when he was appointed the seventh Bishop of Belleville; he was installed on February 10, 1994.From 2001 to 2004, Gregory served as the President of the USCCB, the first African American ever to head an episcopal conference, having previously served as Vice President and also Chairman of several committees. During his presidency, the American bishops issued the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" in response to Roman Catholic sex abuse cases
Roman Catholic sex abuse cases
The Catholic sex abuse cases are a series of convictions, trials and ongoing investigations into allegations of sex crimes committed by Catholic priests and members of religious orders. These cases began receiving public attention beginning in the mid-1980s...
. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees of The Catholic University of America
As of May 2010, the Board of Trustees at The Catholic University of America was composed of:*Carl A. Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus*Richard D. Banziger, B.A. 1981, Managing Director, Salomon Smith Barney...
at The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
. In 2002, in recognition of his handling of the sex abuse scandal
Roman Catholic sex abuse cases
The Catholic sex abuse cases are a series of convictions, trials and ongoing investigations into allegations of sex crimes committed by Catholic priests and members of religious orders. These cases began receiving public attention beginning in the mid-1980s...
with repeated apologies and the defrocking of priests, he was chosen as Time's Person of the Week.
"The terrible history recorded here is history," Gregory said on the subject of sexual abuse in the Church in 2004. His 2004 statement was noted in a 2011 report as the history, as it were, continued to be written, specifically in Philadelphia
Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Philadelphia
The sexual abuse scandal in Philadelphia archdiocese in 2005 was a significant episode in the series of Catholic sex abuse cases in the United States, Ireland and elsewhere. The Philadelphia circumstances were substantially revealed through a grand jury investigation that year...
, Ireland
Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland
The Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland is a major chapter in the worldwide Catholic sexual abuse scandal. Unlike the Catholic sexual abuse scandal in the United States, the scandal in Ireland included cases of high-profile Catholic clerics involved in illicit heterosexual relations as well as...
, Germany and other locales. In the 2011 report, Gregory's 2004 comment was put in the context of statements by other senior Catholic figures who had decried the history but then declared the problem to be in the past. "That's over with!" Archbishop Timothy Dolan
Timothy Dolan
Timothy Michael Dolan is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the tenth and current Archbishop of New York, having previously served as Archbishop of Milwaukee and Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis ....
of New York was quoted as declaring on 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
. And a USCCB, $1.8 million study's lead author was quoted as concluding, "The abuse crisis is over." The 2011 report opined that Gregory's statement expressed the position "more eloquently" than the other two did. One possible indication of whether Gregory considers the history to be closed is that the word "sex" did not appear in the page of article-openings (weekly-to-monthly in frequency) back to the beginning on February 24, 2005 of his Georgia Bulletin column. Another view of Gregory's position on the sex-abuse issue came from Barbara Blaine, president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP, established in 1989, is the oldest and most active support group of survivors of clergy sexual abuse and their supporters in the United States...
. Blaine reviewed the possible replacements to Archbishop Justin Francis Rigali of Philadelphia in 2011. "None of the men who are alleged to be candidates to fill Rigali's role in Philadelphia are much better on abuse and cover ups. Archbishop Wilton Gregory may be the best of a very sorry lot but he too has mishandled clergy sex cases," wrote Blaine, citing specific cases. Charles Chaput, who was subsequently named as Rigali's replacement, was "the worst of the candidates" according to Blaine.
Archbishop of Atlanta
Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, in one of his last episcopal appointments before his death, named Bishop Gregory the seventh Archbishop of Atlanta on December 9, 2004, and his installation took place on January 17, 2005.
Before deciding to elevate Archbishop Daniel DiNardo
Daniel DiNardo
Daniel Nicholas DiNardo is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He is the second and current Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, serving since 2006. He previously served as Bishop of Sioux City from 1998 to 2004....
of Houston to the Sacred College of Cardinals in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
had reportedly considered Archbishop Gregory for that honor. If he eventually receives the red hat
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in a future consistory, he will become the first African-American prelate (and first Archbishop of Atlanta) to do so.
In late October 2007 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
, and had surgery in November of that same year.
He writes a bi-weekly column for the Georgia Bulletin titled "What I have Seen and Heard".
Recognition
He has been awarded honorary doctorates of humane lettersDoctor of Humane Letters
The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters is always conferred as an honorary degree, usually to those who have distinguished themselves in areas other than science, government, literature or religion, which are awarded degrees of Doctor of Science, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, or Doctor of...
from Spring Hill College
Spring Hill College
Spring Hill College is a private, Roman Catholic Jesuit liberal arts college in the United States. It was founded in 1830 on the Gulf Coast in Mobile, Alabama, by Most Rev. Michael Portier, Bishop of Mobile, Alabama...
in Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, Xavier University
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, and McKendree University in Lebanon
Lebanon, Illinois
Lebanon is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,523 at the 2000 census. Like many other places in "Little Egypt" or Southern Illinois, Lebanon was named after the Middle Eastern country of the same name. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St...
, and doctorates in humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
from Lewis University
Lewis University
Lewis University is a private Roman Catholic and Lasallian university located in Romeoville, Illinois, United States . The enrollment is currently around 6,800 students...
in Romeoville
Romeoville, Illinois
Romeoville is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,153 at the 2000 census. As of 2006 the population has grown to 36,837. It is located in the southwest suburban area of Chicago near the newly constructed I-355 extension south from the Stevenson Expressway to I-80...
and Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
External links
- Biography of Archbishop Gregory from the Archdiocese of Atlanta
- National Black Catholic Congress biography of Wilton Gregory
- National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus biography of Wilton Gregory