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(CNN) – Last year, Wilton Gregory made history as the first African-American Archbishop of Washington DC.
On Sunday, speaking after the Angelus prayer from St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Pope Francis chose Gregory to become America’s first black cardinal.
Archbishop Gregory is one of 13 to be elevated to rank in a surprise session or ceremony.
In fact, Archbishop Gregory is the only black Archbishop in the United States.
The leader is known for leading the Catholic Church through its clergy sexual abuse crisis in the early 2000s.
Since 2005, he led the Archdiocese of Atlanta, before being named Archbishop of Washington, DC in 2019.
The veteran leader replaced Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who resigned in October 2018, bowing to public anger over his role in the sexual abuse crisis.
The cardinals’ primary responsibility is to elect a new pope, whether he resigns or dies, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Pope Francis confirmed that nine of the 13 new cardinals are under the age of 80, which means they would be eligible to choose their successor.
According to Vatican News, the official news agency of the Holy See, the cardinals wear the distinctive red garment to indicate their willingness to sacrifice themselves to the point of shedding “their own blood in the service of the Successor of Peter.”
Pope Francis announced that the installation ceremony for the new cardinals will take place on November 28.
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