For Immediate Release March 29, 2019
Catholic Laity for Orthodox Bishops and Reform Contact: catholiclaitydc@gmail.com. Catholic Laity for Orthodox Bishops and Reform (Catholic Laity) has grave reservations about the appointment of Archbishop Wilton Gregory as Archbishop of Washington.
We urge the Holy See to seek out a worthy candidate who is without ties to Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Mr. Theodore McCarrick, or Donald Cardinal Wuerl. Archbishop Gregory was a protégé of Cardinal Bernardin in Chicago, where he first became an auxiliary bishop. Cardinal Bernardin left a legacy of dilution of Catholic teaching and subversion of the fight to protect unborn babies and their mothers.
In 2004, then-Bishop Gregory, as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, collaborated with then-Cardinal McCarrick in deceiving the Bishops of the United States about the contents of a letter from Cardinal Ratzinger, then-Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The letter said that politicians who support legal abortion should not be admitted to Holy Communion, but they did not reveal that to the other Bishops. The Democrat candidate for President that year was a Catholic, John Kerry, who supported abortion.
The Archdiocese of Washington has suffered through nearly 20 years of failed leadership, first under a Cardinal Archbishop who has finally been expelled from the clerical state for his predation on minors and adults under his jurisdiction, then under a Cardinal Archbishop who last October had to plead with Pope Francis to accept his resignation because of his failure to protect minors from priests who were sexual predators and his prevarications and evasions regarding his predecessor in Washington. These two men, ex-Cardinal McCarrick and Cardinal Wuerl, have brought untold damage to our Archdiocese. They caused scandal repeatedly, especially by their public refusal to defend the unborn and to prevent sacrilegious reception of Holy Communion. Who can say what unseen damage they caused in loss of faith, loss of converts, loss of vocations?
Another appointment from the same clique of prelates who have done so much damage to the many souls entrusted to their care would be devastating and would only confirm that the Holy See does not take the current sexual abuse scandals seriously and intends to continue with business as usual – a slap in the face to victims, their families, and beleaguered faithful.
The Archdiocese of Washington needs a worthy shepherd with a proven record of teaching and practicing the fullness of the Catholic Faith. We need a robust leader for Catholicism, with the Heart of Christ, focused on the Gospel message, not liberal politics.
More particulars about Archbishop Gregory and his ties can be found in these sources:
https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2019/03/washington-dc-gets-liberal-archbishop.html
https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/mccarrick-collaborator-abp.-wilton-gregory-toget-washington-d.c.
About Catholic Laity for Orthodox Bishops and Reform
Catholic Laity has two purposes: the appointment of a worthy shepherd for Washington and establishing a means of communicating effectively with the U.S. hierarchy and the Holy See about Catholic life in the United States.
The Archdiocese of Washington has been without an Archbishop for nearly six months. It is important for the life of the Archdiocese and even the Catholic Church in the United States that a worthy, robustly Catholic shepherd be provided. We are ready to help if given the chance.
As Catholic Laity’s purposes have national impact, we invite interested laity from across the country to email us at catholiclaitydc@gmail.com to participate and contribute to these efforts. Our website is www.catholiclaity.us and our Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/pg/Catholic-Laity-for-Orthodox-Bishops-and-Reform-497416804114795/. The restoration of the Catholic clergy to holiness will require the prayers, persistence, and example of the laity.
St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us.