April 4, 2019 — New York
American Jewish Committee (AJC) welcomes Pope Francis’s appointment of Archbishop Wilton Gregory to head the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. He will be the first African American Archbishop of Washington.
“The Catholic Church has long been a key interfaith partner. We look forward to continuing to deepen and advance this relationship with Archbishop Gregory,” said Alan Ronkin, Director of AJC Washington Region. Gregory will be installed on May 17.
Gregory has served as Archbishop of Atlanta for the past 14 years. He also served as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2001–2004.
“Archbishop Gregory is a great friend to the Jewish community of Atlanta and a true leader in the wider Atlanta community,” said AJC Atlanta Region Director Dov Wilker. “He has been a tremendous partner, working to educate the Catholic community on the importance of interfaith relations, especially with the Jewish community. Together we have spoken out on immigration reform, racism, antisemitism and the need to strengthen unity within our community.”
AJC, the global Jewish advocacy organization, is a pioneer in advancing Catholic-Jewish relations over many decades. A national AJC delegation met with Pope Francis at the Vatican last month.
