Pope Francis on Friday named Cardinal Wilton Gregory, archbishop of the Washington archdiocese, as a member of the Catholic Church’s upcoming Synod of Bishops.
Delegates at the Vatican meeting, which starts in October, will consider input from a range of Catholic dioceses and church thinkers on the future of the church. The meetings are consultative and not legislative, church officials said, and the pope is free to accept or reject any proposals.
Cardinal Gregory is one of seven U.S. clerics tapped by the pope as delegates to attend the Rome meetings, which will continue into 2024, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said. Cardinals Blase J. Cupich of Chicago; Robert W. McElroy of San Diego; Sean P. O’Malley of Boston and James W. Tobin of Neward, New Jersey, were appointed, as was Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle and the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest in New York City.
The papal appointments join five prelates designated by the USCCB to attend: Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York City; Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Military Services archdiocese and current USCCB president; Archbishop William C. Skurla of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana; and Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, who chairs the USCCB Committee on Doctrine, has been named a “president-delegate” to the Synod, which means he can preside over the assembly on behalf of the pope.
Cardinal Tobin was appointed to the “ordinary council” of the Synod.
According to the National Catholic Reporter newspaper, the papal appointments are “a clear sign” Francis wants a delegation that balances the voices of his critics with those of his supporters, including Father Martin, noted for his LGBTQ advocacy which the pope has lauded.
The papal selections “mark a stark contrast to the members elected by the broader U.S. church hierarchy,” the newspaper said, pointing out that some U.S. Catholic leaders have “been at odds” with a more welcoming stance voiced by Francis.
In April, the Vatican announced women and lay members would be included as voting delegates to the Synod, which one cardinal called “not a revolution, but an important change.”
The USCCB said Friday the American voting members would be Cynthia Baily Manns, adult learning director at Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Community in Minneapolis; Richard Coll, executive director of the department of justice, peace and human development at the USCCB; Rev. Ivan Montelongo, a priest in the Diocese of El Paso, Texas; students Wyatt Olivas of Wyoming and Julia Osęka of Philadelphia; and Sister Leticia Salazar from the Diocese of San Bernardino, California.
“The moment is a joyful one, as bishop delegates and non-bishop delegates now begin their proximate preparations for the Assembly. This will involve prayer and study, and a deep reading of the Instrumentum Laboris. All the delegates express gratitude to the Holy Father for the invitation to serve together for the good of the Universal Church,” Bishop Flores said in a statement.
The Archdiocese of Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
• Mark A. Kellner can be reached at mkellner@washingtontimes.com.