Pope Francis Names New Archbishop Of Washington

WASHINGTON, DC -- Pope Francis chose a new Archbishop of Washington on Thursday: Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta.

Gregory, 71, has been archbishop of Atlanta for the past 14 years, and he will take over his new role in D.C. on May 21, according to the Washington Post.

Gregory, the only living African-American U.S. archbishop, could become the first black American to be elevated to cardinal due to this appointment.

Gregory will take over an archdiocese tainted by scandal in recent years. His two predecessors, Cardinal Donald Wuerl and former cardinal Theodore McCarrick were embroiled in controversies. Wuerl resigned last year amid criticism of how he handled abuse controversies, while McCarrick was defrocked earlier this year after a church proceeding deemed he was guilty of sexual abuse, the Post reported.

"Archbishop Gregory has served in many leading roles in the U.S. church," the Archdiocese of Washington said in a statement. "In November 2001, he was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) following three years as vice president under Bishop Joseph Fiorenza of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston. During his tenure in office, the crisis of sex abuse by Catholic clergy escalated; and under his leadership, the bishops implemented the 'Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.'"