Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
The Gloria Purvis PodcastFebruary 22, 2022
Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre speaks to members of the media Feb. 8, 2022, at the Archdiocese of Louisville Pastoral Center about his appointment as the fifth archbishop of Louisville. (CNS photo/Ruby Thomas, The Record)

Pope Francis has appointed the Most. Rev. Shelton Fabre as the next archbishop of Louisville, Ky. Archbishop Fabre is one of two Black U.S. Catholics serving as archbishop, along with Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, D.C. He comes to Louisville with years of pastoral experience, first as the auxiliary bishop of New Orleans from 2006 to 2013 and then the bishop of Houma-Thibodaux in Louisiana from 2013 to 2022.

Gloria Purvis welcomes Archbishop Fabre to the podcast to discuss a range of issues affecting the church and Black Catholics today, most notably the sin of racism. Archbishop Fabre calls this “a watershed moment for our country [and] our church” and encourages those Catholics who don’t know how to have courageous conversations on race to visit their pastor first and share their desires to help and learn.

They also discuss the importance of listening sessions for Black Catholics who are experiencing prophetic anger in response to the evils of racism today. The archbishop believes that both the work of justice and prayer have equal roles to play in the transformation of our society. “Laws have an important role to play in overcoming racism,” Archbishop Fabre says, paraphrasing the Pontifical Council for Peace and Justice, “but laws alone will not change the human heart.”

Finally, Gloria and Archbishop Fabre talk about what’s next for the U.S. Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, which the archbishop chairs.

Support “The Gloria Purvis Podcast” by getting a digital subscription to America magazine.

Show Links:

The latest from america

Pope Leo XIV has appointed the French archbishop of Chambéry, Thibault Verny, as the new president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. He succeeds Cardinal Seán O’Malley, 81, the emeritus archbishop of Boston.
Gerard O’ConnellJuly 05, 2025
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks with other members of the House July 3, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington after final passage of U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping spending and tax bill. (OSV News photo/Jonathan Ernst, Reuters)
“Deep cuts” to SNAP and Medicaid will “inflict real suffering on these families…. SNAP and Medicaid are not luxuries, they are lifelines for millions of children across our country.”
Kevin ClarkeJuly 03, 2025
It was one of the first times Leo has spoken unscripted at length in public, responding to questions posed to him by the children.
The Vatican has named the judges that will preside over the trial of disgraced Father Marko Rupnik.