In the process of creating the new dicastery, the Pope devised new statutes by which the dicastery would function, further revising them in 2018. The dicastery promotes ‘responsible procreation.’
Life Site News: December 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Historically anti-life and left-wing Wilton D. Cardinal Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, has again been appointed to the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life by Pope Francis. The Pope has assigned a further nine of the cardinals he created at a recent consistory to various positions within the Roman Curia.
The D.C. bishop, who made headlines in June after excoriating the administrators of the John Paul II National Shrine for “allowing” Trump to visit and pray, had already been a member of the dicastery since 2016. The appointment of Gregory to an office with “life” and “family” in its name might come as a shock, given his record on both topics.
While Bishop of Atlanta, Georgia, Gregory backed a campaign to outlaw abortion that made exceptions for rape and incest, despite the fact that the legislature was in a strongly pro-life position. Following Gregory’s affiliation with the compromised “pro-life” group, the legislature capitulated. Georgia Right to Life’s Dan Becker told LifeSiteNews in June that as “soon as Archbishop Gregory backed a compromised position on life, which he did, the politicians took the easy route.”
Gregory has even been quoted as saying that “birth is only the first moment of a person’s human dignity,” contravening the Catholic teaching on the nature and sanctity of human life being from conception onwards.
- Gregory has publicly announced that he will not be denying presidential hopeful Joe Biden Holy Communion.
- The newly appointed cardinal has also been at odds with the Church’s teaching on homosexuality. Read More …
Opinion: In December 2004, Gregory was appointed archbishop of Atlanta by Pope John Paul II. In 2014 Gregory faced criticism from conservative Catholics for building a $2.2 million dollar personal residence.
In 2019 Gregory became Archbishop of Washington DC caused controversy again among conservative Catholics when speaking to a trans-gender person: “You belong to the heart of this church. There is nothing that you may do, may say, that will rip you from the heart of this church.”
On November 26, 2020 Archbishop Gregory was appointed to Cardinal after being openly critical of President Donald Trump.
Gregory is popular in the LGBTQ community:
LGBTQ Catholics familiar with Gregory said he spoke out on a number of occasions in support of the LGBTQ community during his tenure as archbishop of Atlanta. In a development reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper, Gregory defended a decision by the pastor of an LGBTQ-supportive Catholic church to invite Jesuit priest and noted author, Father James Martin, to speak at the church about one of Martin’s books.
The book, “Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity,” has been hailed by LGBTQ Catholic activists but condemned by conservative Catholic leaders who consider it a breach of church teachings on homosexuality. source
As a Cardinal, Wilton Gregory is one of 229 members of the College of Cardinals, the group who votes on the next Pope. Francis has appointed 73 of the 229 giving a 33% chance that the next pope will be a progressive. Although Gregory is not on the short list, he, or someone like him, could be the next pontiff.
The final church of this age will bring a new form of false Christianity that is neither Catholic nor Protestant but one that bends to, and is ruled by, the will of the people (the Greek translation of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22).
And it will necessarily be led by a different kind of pontiff:
“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon” Revelation 13:11.
