Cardinal Wilton Gregory

Photo: Archdiocese of Washington

Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, USA

Dioceses/Religious Orders: Archdiocese of Chicago, Diocese of Belleville, Archdiocese of Atlanta, Archdiocese of Washington, Diocese of St.Thomas

As bishop of Belleville, Gregory was found in contempt of court in 2004 for refusing to turn over records of an accused priest named in two civil lawsuits. In a sworn deposition, a Belleville diocese official testified that Gregory failed to turn over key documents and personnel files to the diocesan review board. In 2018, Gregory wrote to Catholics of Atlanta asking them to lobby against a bill that would extend the civil statute of limitations for clergy abuse victims. As archbishop of Washington, Gregory challenged the constitutionality of the Maryland Child Victims Act in a motion to throw out a class-action lawsuit brought by three victims. Gregory was recently cleared by the Vatican in a Vos Estis complaint made against him for an allegation of assault by a Washington priest.

SNAP filed a complaint against Gregory under the pope’s 2023 decree Vos estis lux mundi on April 15, 2025

Vos estis lux mundi, Pope Francis’ 2023 decree, allows any bishop, cardinal, or religious superior to be reported and investigated for abuse or cover-up. These complaints, submitted to the Vatican, are not verdicts of guilt. They are evidence-based calls for investigation—each meeting the church’s own standard of “serious indications” that a violation occurred. In civil terms, this is equivalent to probable cause or reasonable grounds to investigate.

Every filing draws from a solid foundation of survivor and eyewitness testimony, public records and church statements, independent investigations by media and legal experts, official church documents and canonical proceedings, testimony, depositions, and court-ordered documents from criminal and civil cases.