Pope Francis Names America’s First Black Cardinal

In this 2019 file photo, Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory poses for a portrait following mass at St. Augustine Church in Washington. Pope Francis has named Gregory among 13 new cardinals.

Andrew Harnik / AP

Updated at 2:24 p.m. ET

Catholics in the United States will get their first African-American cardinal next month. In a surprise announcement Sunday from his window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis named Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., among 13 new cardinals.

Gregory will be elevated to the position in a ceremony at the Vatican on Nov. 28.