I really hate to have to report anything on my own local ordinary, but this made it on to Drudge, reported from the Times Online (out of the UK).

The election of Barack Obama as the first African-American US President could pave the way for the election of the first black Pope, according to a leading black American Catholic.

Wilton Daniel Gregory, 60, the Archbishop of Atlanta, said that in the past Pope Benedict XVI had himself suggested that the election of a black pontiff would “send a splendid signal to the world” about the universal Church.

And apparently we’re applying the same criteria to the election of popes now as we do to American presidents. Experience and qualifications don’t matter, no, it’s about “sending a signal to the world.”

It appears that Gregory is not only not thinking clearly about the purpose of a pope, but he’s also not thinking clearly about the implications of FOCA:

…said that the election of Mr Obama was “a great step forward for humanity and a sign that in the United States the problem of racial discrimination has been overcome”.  [emphasis added]

How in the heck could anyone in Church leadership think that Obama’s election is a step forward for humanity?  I can imagine several good things a flaming liberal Catholic could say about Obama, but no one in their right mind could think it’s a step forward for humanity.  Humanity devalues itself when free and unfettered access to abortion is actively promoted.

It gets worse, next he sounds like some sort of self-important guy:

“My own election as head of the US Bishops Conference was an important signal. In 2001 the American bishops elected someone they respected regardless of his race, and the same thing could happen with the election of a Pope.”

To him every time a black man is elected to anything, it’s a “signal.”  I don’t know, perhaps they thought he would be a good leader?  Maybe?  Did that group of Bishops sit there and think to themselves, “we should elect the black man because it is an important signal” ? Do we have affirmative action in the Church now?

Now, I would have no problem with Arinze being the next pope.  Not because of his skin color, but rather because he’s an orthodox, faithful shepherd of his people and the entire Church through his media ministries.

Yeesh.  What a way to start my day.

Full article

UPDATE! Read my letter to the editor of the Georgia Bulletin (diocesan paper) here.

ANOTHER UPDATE! Looking at the site stats for today, I found out that this article landed your humble blogger on the front page of Google.  If you Google “archbishop gregory obama” this blog post is the fourth result.  If you search “wilton gregory obama,” this post is the last result on the page.  Also from the site stats – greetings to the seminarians at Mount St. Mary’s!