Pope Names Vocal Supporter of Migrants as Next Cardinal in Washington
The appointment of Robert W. McElroy is a signal of the pope’s priorities, two weeks before Donald J. Trump’s term begins.
Cardinal Robert W. McElroy received a biretta from Pope Francis when he was installed as a new cardinal in 2022 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis, via Getty Image
Pope Francis on Monday named Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, bishop of San Diego, to be the next Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington, moving one of his most vocal allies on immigration to one of the most prominent posts in the American church.
The move, announced in the Vatican’s daily bulletin, comes at a critical moment two weeks before President-elect Donald J. Trump is inaugurated and signals that Pope Francis is establishing his own priorities in the face of the incoming administration. Many powerful American Catholics, including Vice President-elect JD Vance, have aligned themselves with Mr. Trump’s efforts against immigration and abortion.
Cardinal McElroy, 70, is a longtime supporter of the pope’s pastoral agenda, and is known for regularly speaking out on the inclusion of migrants, women and L.G.B.T.Q. people in the Catholic church and in the United States.
He will succeed Cardinal Wilton Gregory, 77, the first African-American to be made a cardinal, a member of the church’s highest governing body.
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