Speaking of the recent election of Joe Biden as the next president of the United States, Cardinal-designate Wilton Gregory of Washington, who will get a … As a result, he will be seen as a de facto Biden … Archbishop Gregory is not a member of that committee, but the Cardinal Archbishop of Washington is nonetheless a player: As the hometown cardinal, he may well receive a more ready audience from the president than, for example, the Archbishop of Los Angeles; especially so if he has publicly pledged to strike a balance in conversations between the Church’s support for areas of agreement with Biden, like comprehensive immigration reform, and points of opposition, like the immorality of killing unborn children. Last week, USCCB president Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles announced the formation of a special committee, tasked with coordinating the U.S. bishops’ response to, and work with, the incoming Biden administration. DC’s Wilton Gregory, first African American cardinal, on Joe Biden, race and COVID-19 Asked why he won't deny Communion to a president-elect who … In November, Cardinal Gregory said that in dialogue with the Biden administration, he hoped he wouldn’t “highlight” one issue “over the other.” While he did not appear alongside Biden as the president was sworn into office on Jan. 20, the cardinal stood near Biden on the evening before while offering a prayer for COVID-19 victims at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. On the eve of Wednesday’s upcoming presidential inauguration, Catholic Washington Archbishop, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, is scheduled to take the stage with the incoming president, Joe Biden, for a “Nationwide COVID-19 Memorial” on the National Mall to honor those who died from the virus. Whether he is or isn’t close to Biden, Gregory be linked to him given geography and the power that comes with running the D.C., archdiocese. An article in the Washington Post observed that in late April 2004 Sen. John Kerry had had a 45-minute private meeting with Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, despite the fact that McCarrick was not his own bishop. Gregory said in a November 24th interview with America Magazine that he hopes to collaborate with the president-elect while pointing out where Biden policy contradicts with Catholic teaching. Actions and statements by the newly-minted Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., will be crucial. Archbishop Naumann suggested there is “similar moral gravity” between performing an abortion or assisting someone to get an abortion and some pro-abortion Biden policy, like ending the Hyde Amendment. “But there will be moments when I will be able to speak to him about faith, about the works that he’s trying to accomplish that we can be supportive of, but also areas where we’re not going to agree,” Gregory said. VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As Washington’s new cardinal and with a Catholic soon to be living in the White House, Cardinal-designate Wilton D. Gregory said he … The Archbishop of Washington thought the U.S. bishops’ statement for President Biden’s inauguration “ill-timed,” according to NBC’s “Today” co-host Al Roker on Monday. Archbishop Gregory’s public statement could be seen by some as circumvention of efforts to work together in dealing with Biden and his administration. by George Neumayr. WASHINGTON — Archbishop Wilton Gregory announced in an interview yesterday that he will not deny Holy Communion to Joe Biden, and committed himself to working with the president-elect’s administration. monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. While Archbishop Gregory has every proper right to “dialogue” with an individual Catholic in his diocese, it is less clear that the Archbishop of Washington is ex officio empowered to bargain with the head of state on behalf of the Church across the country. Biden, the second Catholic president in American history, ... Gillespie checked with Gregory to make sure he had the cardinal’s backing, and both men are … Following a year of pandemic-induced disruption, Irish lay Catholics speak. Cardinal Gregory has previously said he would dialogue directly with the Biden administration, and would not deny Communion to Biden despite the president’s support for legal abortion and same-sex marriage. While Archbishop Gregory is Biden’s local bishop and has personal concern for Biden’s personal situation, it is the bishops’ conference that is charged with articulating the corporate voice of the hierarchy on Biden’s stances abortion, the Equality Act, and the HHS mandate as policy. “It’s not a matter of confusion,” Gregory said. Throughout his campaign, Biden touted himself as a devout Catholic who cares about the most vulnerable in society. Raymond Cardinal Burke’s position is the very opposite. Many of his brother bishops would likely point out to Archbishop Gregory that the confusion among “informed Catholics” like Biden is not about what the Church teaches, but whether it matters when they publicly and consistently dissent from it – and how the bishops should respond when a Catholic uses the machinery of government to threaten Catholic institutions and values, and the broader common good. Cardinal Gregory also addressed the topic of racism in his interview with Roker. “I hope that I don’t highlight one over the other,” Archbishop Gregory said Tuesday. Washington archbishop Cardinal Wilton Gregory already declared that he would not deny Biden any Communion. Cardinal Gregory’s NBC interview aired on Monday as part of Today’s “Changemakers” series, and in honor of Black History Month. Gregory was the first African-American president of the USCCB in 2001, and became the first African-American cardinal in 2020. The USCCB then released it around the same time that Pope Francis issued his statement on the inauguration. But if Biden doesn’t like what he hears, Archbishop Gregory’s is another number he might call. The Jan. 20 USCCB statement on Biden’s inauguration was initially withheld by the conference on the morning of the inauguration. Contact us between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Mountain Time Zone), Then-Archbishop Wilton Gregory at the 2020 Youth Rally and Mass for Life Credit: Peter Zelasko/CNA, After investigation, priest who presided at Biden inaugural Mass resigns as Santa Clara U president, Full text: Pope Francis’ homily on Pentecost Sunday, Pope Francis: ‘Open your heart to the Holy Spirit’, Pope Francis: Pray for China’s Christians, A cannonball that changed the world: Pope Francis marks 500 years since St. Ignatius’ conversion, As S.C. Catholics challenge state’s Blaine Amendment, scholars argue it was ‘born of bigotry’. Cardinal Gregory offers a prayer during CNN's evening program Feb. 22, 2021, remembering over 500,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19. Other U.S. bishops stated their support for Archbishop Gomez in their statements on Biden’s inauguration. “In November, Wilton Cardinal Gregory became the first African-American ever appointed as cardinal in the Catholic Church,” Roker explained at the top of the segment. When the Rev. When asked why it took so long for an African-American bishop to be made a cardinal, Gregory responded that “we’re still grappling with racism and with exclusion. The Catholic Church teaches (Code of Canon Law, can. President Biden is only the second Catholic president in U.S. history. The Archdiocese of Washington did not immediately respond to CNA’s request for comment on Roker’s report. During his NBC interview on Monday, Cardinal Gregory said he would actively dialogue with President Biden on his policies that both align with and contradict Church teaching. Some other Catholic leaders, such as Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory of Washington, D.C., have stated that they will give Holy Communion to Biden. The cardinal said he would do so respectfully. But, of course, as president, Biden will be more than just a local Catholic, and his actions and example are a national concern for the Catholic bishops. Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Washington D.C. will make history on Saturday when Pope Francis formally adds him to the College of Cardinals — the first Black American to hold that rank. President Biden is only the second Catholic president in U.S. history. At the end of an interview segment with Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C. that aired Monday morning on NBC’s “Today,” Roker noted “areas of disagreement” between the Catholic Church and the new Biden administration, including on the issue of abortion. Throughout his campaign, Biden touted himself as a devout Catholic who cares about the most vulnerable in society. Washington, D.C., Archbishop Wilton Gregory expects being able to dialogue with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, only the second Catholic to be elected to … WASHINGTON (CNS)—During a Feb. 22 evening program on CNN, Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory offered a prayer for those who have died from Covid-19 asking God to … EIN 27-4581132 As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. Cardinal Gregory would Biden’s local bishop, and he called the issue of denial a “confusion” over Church teaching. His stated aim of not “highlighting” one over the other itself appears to be at odds with the U.S. bishops’ official position that ending legal abortion is the “preeminent” social concern of Catholics, underlining the likely tension between Archbishop Gregory’s personal contact with the incoming president and the conference’s efforts to represent to position of the bishops and Church at a national level. On the “preeminent” issue of abortion and on other matters such as marriage and gender ideology, Biden has proposed policies “that would advance moral evils,” Gomez’ statement read. Gregory said in a November 24th interview with America Magazine that he hopes to collaborate with the president-elect while pointing out where Biden policy contradicts with Catholic teaching. While Archbishop Gregory has every proper right to “dialogue” with an individual Catholic in his diocese about his individual status, it is less clear that the Archbishop of Washington is ex officio empowered to bargain with the head of state on behalf of the Church across the country. In an unprecedented move later that day, Cardinal Blasé Cupich of Chicago tweeted his criticism of the USCCB statement. Tom Basile is the host of ‘America Right Now’ on Newsmax Television, Saturday’s from 11:00 am- 1:00 pm eastern. “On my part, it’s a matter of the responsibility that I have as the archbishop to be engaged and to be in dialogue with him, even in those areas where we obviously have some differences.”. But the soon-to-be cardinal’s pledge could put him in tension with the work of the U.S. bishops’ conference, as it tries to speak to the White House with a unified voice. "This is also recognition of soon-to-be-Cardinal Gregory’s significant role in the clergy abuse crisis." In November, Cardinal Gregory said that in dialogue with the Biden administration, he hoped he wouldn’t “highlight” one issue “over the other.” While he did not appear alongside Biden as the president was sworn into office on Jan. 20, the cardinal stood near Biden on the evening before while offering a prayer for COVID-19 victims at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. (Screen capture/Jaclyn Lippelmann) This tension is nothing new. Actions and statements by the newly-minted Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., will be crucial. The Post said the reason … Cardinal Gregory’s NBC interview aired on Monday as part of Today’s “Changemakers” series, and in honor of Black History Month. Joe Biden and other pro-abort politicians attending today’s pre- inauguration Mass, presumably with blessing of Cardinal Wilton Gregory. The cardinal discussed facing racism as an archbishop, and outlined how he would dialogue with the new Biden administration. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. In his interview, the cardinal dismissed the possible “confusion” over Church teaching caused by a Catholic president promoting unrestricted access to abortion. Will Warnock get the Biden treatment from Cardinal Gregory? As Joe Biden is inaugurated Wednesday as president of the United States, the U.S. bishops had prepared a statement saying they planned to engage the new administration on issues including abortion, religious freedom, racism, and poverty. “It’s not a matter of confusion,” Archbishop Gregory said. Cardinal Wilton Gregory has been tapped to lead the invocation at President-elect Biden’s national (and virtual) COVID-19 memorial service.. Washington, D.C., Archbishop Wilton Gregory expects being able to dialogue with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, only the second Catholic to be elected to … Actions and statements by the newly-minted Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., will be crucial. Last fall, Wilton Gregory, now McCarrick’s successor as the archbishop of Washington, has confirmed his intentions to continue following the McCarrick Doctrine with regard to Holy Communion for pro-abortion Catholic politicians such as Joe Biden, saying he will not “veer” from prior practice in the archdiocese. Biden and Cardinal Wilton Gregory share a mandate for healing divisions Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory leads Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle on Feb. 26 at … Among other things, it creates confusion among the faithful about what the Church actually teaches on these questions.”. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time. As … In spite of these actions and positions, Pope Francis decided to make Gregory a cardinal. Gomez noted the unusual circumstance of a Catholic occupying the White House for only the second time in U.S. history, and outlined policy areas of agreement and disagreement between Biden and the bishops. Cardinal Gregory needs to be asked if he has spoken to President Biden about his actions in office. Copyright © 2021 EWTN News, Inc. All rights reserved. At center are President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden, and at left are Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff. Archbishop Naumann: Biden's Contradictory Catholicism is Misleading and Confusing, White House: Joe Biden Will Reverse the Mexico City Policy, Archbishop Chaput: Denying Biden Communion is ‘Pastoral’ Not ‘Political’, Joe Biden's Catholic Radio Ads Tout Catholic Faith, Stay Silent on Abortion, Full Text: Pope Francis’ Homily on Pentecost Sunday, St. Joseph Shrine Is a ‘Sacred Place of Pilgrimage’, Pentecost and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, Ireland Returns to Worship After Months Away From the Mass, What Liturgy Should Look Like in Your Domestic Church, Defenders of Pope Pius XII Pay Tribute to Sister Margherita Marchione. SubscribeStart your Register subscription today. At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. As the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Gregory would be Biden’s local bishop when he arrived in the White House. Basile has been part of the American political landscape from Presidential campaigns to local politics for more than two decades. … Archbishop Gregory, however, struck a markedly different tone yesterday, saying that there was no confusion among “informed Catholics” about the Church’s teaching on life issues. While clearly referring to Gregory there and throughout, the piece does not mention him by name. Why Did Pope Francis Give a Pay Cut to the Vatican, the Battle Against Satan, Prayers for Healing, and More Great Links! Archbishop Wilton Gregory has committed himself to working with the president-elect’s administration. Raphael Warnock arrives in the nation’s capital to take his Senate seat, he is likely to be welcomed by a collaborator from his home state of Georgia in the person of the city’s Catholic archbishop, Cardinal Wilton Gregory. SCRIPTURES & ART: Without Pentecost, the Church would not exist, because the only reason the Church is the Church is because she is alive with the Spirit of Christ. Christians believe in the power of redemption, but if Cardinal Gregory doesn’t step up, Biden won’t be the only one in need of penance. EWTN News, Inc. is the world’s largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, Gregory said that while he is treated with respect in his clerical garb, “if I take off my clerics to go out, I’m in the pool of every other African-American man in Washington.”. Cardinal Burke Says No Communion for Biden. Catholic News Agency reports Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, who Pope Francis recently appointed to the position, made the statement Tuesday amid concerns about Biden’s Catholic faith and his pro-abortion proposals.. Washington, D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory said he would not deny pro-abortion President-elect Joe Biden communion at Mass. In the USCCB statement, conference president Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles offered prayers for Biden and said the bishops spoke not as partisans but with the aim of guiding consciences. On Tuesday of this week, Wilton Gregory, now McCarrick’s successor as the archbishop of Washington and cardinal-designate, has confirmed his intentions to continue following the McCarrick Doctrine with regard to Holy Communion for pro-abortion Catholic politicians such as Joe Biden, saying he will not “veer” from prior practice in the archdiocese. Cardinal Gregory has previously said he would dialogue directly with the Biden administration, and … Renew or manage your subscription here. Washington D.C., Feb 15, 2021 / 11:30 am MT (CNA).- The Archbishop of Washington thought the U.S. bishops’ statement for President Biden’s inauguration “ill-timed,” according to NBC’s “Today” co-host Al Roker on Monday. Wilton Gregory, Biden’s Kind of Bishop . “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Blasphemy is defined as a sin against the virtue of religion by which we render to God the honour due to Him as our first beginning and last end.. Sacrilege is the irreverent treatment of sacred things as distinguished from places and persons. The cardinal discussed facing racism as an archbishop, and outlined how he would dialogue with the new Biden administration. The tribute, which will include contributions from different groups around the country, will be Biden's first public event following his arrival in … print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in light of the Gospel and the Gregory, whom Francis has named a cardinal and will assume the rank Saturday, added that "informed" Catholics will be able to tell where Biden … The Archbishop of Washington thought the U.S. bishops’ statement for President Biden’s inauguration “ill-timed,” according to NBC’s “Today” co-host Al Roker on Monday. “These policies pose a serious threat to the common good, whenever any politician supports them,” conference president Archbishop Jose Gomez told the U.S. bishops on Nov. 17. During a Zoom interview Nov. 24, Cardinal-designate Wilton D. Gregory said he hopes to work with the Biden administration where there is common ground. Those tensions have caused confusion. Will Warnock get the Biden treatment from Cardinal Gregory? The policy, first instituted by President Reagan in 1984, is traditionally rescinded or reinstated by new presidents upon entering office. Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization Cardinal Gregory would Biden’s local bishop, and he called the issue of denial a “confusion” over Church teaching. Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. Archbishop Gregory, who will be made a cardinal on Saturday, will be Biden’s diocesan bishop once the President-elect moves into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The Catholic Archbishop of Washington DC says he hopes to have a positive relationship with President-elect Joe Biden. The radio ads are expected to run in Wisconsin and Florida, two states Biden’s opponent, President Donald Trump, won narrowly in 2016. UPDATED: US bishops release prepared statement on Biden inauguration, In unprecedented move, Cardinal Cupich criticizes USCCB statement on Biden. Whether he is or isn’t close to Biden, Gregory be linked to him given geography and the power that comes with running the D.C., archdiocese. (CNS … Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church. Catholics should demand as vocal a response from Gregory during this administration as he summoned for the previous occupant of the Oval Office. November 29, 2020, 12:01 AM . Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or Cardinal Burke Says No Communion for Biden. Cardinal Gregory told a reporter that he would not deny Holy Communion to Mr. Biden in his diocese despite the candidate’s campaign pledge to enshrine access to abortion in federal law and permit federal funding of abortions. Those two bishops were Wilton Gregory, now the cardinal archbishop of Washington D.C., and Theodore McCarrick, who held the same post from 2001 to 2006. In his interview Tuesday, Archbishop Gregory said he hopes to “discover areas where [he and Biden] can cooperate that reflect the social teachings of the Church, knowing full well that there are some areas where we won’t agree,” the very work the committee set up by Archbishop Gomez intends to do. As Archbishop Gomez noted last week, a Catholic president committed to opposing Church teaching on a range of issues on the national stage presents a “difficult and complex situation.” It was for this reason that the conference formed its committee, to ensure coherence collegiality in the bishops’ response, and it is for this reason that many may not warm to the idea of a soon-to-be Cardinal Gregory dialoguing on their behalf with a soon-to-be President Biden. But the soon-to-be cardinal’s pledge could put him in tension with the work of the U.S. bishops’ conference, as it tries to speak to the White House with a unified voice. WASHINGTON (CNS) — Saying the nation “reverently pauses in supplication to remember and to pray for the many thousands of people who have died from the coronavirus during this past year,” Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory offered the invocation at a pre-inauguration memorial service Jan. 19 to honor and remember the more than 400,000 Americans who have succumbed to COVID-19. Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, used Twitter to issue a scathing criticism of the USCCB’s official statement on the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., has made clear that Biden is welcome to receive Communion at churches in the archdiocese. Catholic News Agency reports Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, who Pope Francis recently appointed to the position, made the statement Tuesday amid concerns about Biden’s Catholic faith and his pro-abortion proposals.. At the end of an interview segment with Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C. that aired Monday morning on NBC’s “Today,” Roker […] Raymond Cardinal Burke’s position is the very opposite. Sign up for 6 Free IssuesTry us out with a free trial subscription. Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., has made clear that Biden is welcome to receive Communion at churches in the archdiocese. He called it “ill-considered” and claimed it circumvented the normal administrative procedure of the conference on issuing statements. Despite Biden’s positions on abortion, religious liberty and LGBTQ issues, we can expect favorable coverage compared with that seen by Trump and religious conservatives. Roker cited the Jan. 20 statement of the U.S. bishops’ conference (USCCB) on Biden’s inauguration, which had warned that some of Biden’s proposed policies would “advance moral evils.” Roker then reported Gregory’s take on the USCCB statement. In theory, if the White House wants to “speak to the Catholic Church” it could – arguably should – call Archbishop Gomez, who is the bishops’ elected president. At the height of the Cold War, Henry Kissinger pointedly asked “Who do I call if I want to speak to Europe?” to highlight the confusion that results from the absence of a common voice. Analysis: Will Gregory’s ‘dialogue’ with Biden undermine USCCB? Washington’s archbishop, who will be made a cardinal this weekend, told a journalist Tuesday that in his diocese, he will not deny Holy Communion to a … Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., is basking in the praise of the mainstream media after his elevation to cardinal. Give a Gift SubscriptionBless friends, family or clergy with a gift of the Register. Bishops who were mentioned by Chaput include the disgraced Theodore McCarrick and retired Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the latter of whom Gregory cited as a precedent for his decision to offer Biden Communion during his presidency. Joe Biden will become the second baptized Catholic to be sworn in as U.S. president. No "gun on the table" Jim Holman 2021-01-08T10:40:59-08:00 January 8th, 2021 | Warnock said he believes abortion is a “human right.” (Photo from N.Y.Times) When the Rev. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news. That’s still a part of the world in which we live.”. The USCCB has in the past run into similar tensions with Washington’s archbishops over the White House. Celebrating Pentecost Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica May 23, the pope said that people could find true consolation by invoking the third Person of the Holy Trinity. “Cardinal Gregory told me he felt the statement was quote ‘ill-timed,’ and reiterated that the Church and the President agree on many other things,” Roker said, emphasizing Gregory’s message of “dialogue” with the new administration. But yesterday Archbishop Gregory suggested he planned to dialogue directly with Biden on issues, without reference to the USCCB, raising the question: who will speak for the U.S. bishops at the White House, and with whom will President Biden choose to deal? Catholic Church. Cardinal Gregory told a reporter that he would not deny Holy Communion to Mr. Biden in his diocese despite the candidate’s campaign pledge to enshrine access to abortion in federal law and permit federal funding of abortions.