Pope Francis Names Far-Left, Anti-Trump Activist as Cardinal in Washington – Will Oppose ‘Unthinkable’ Mass Deportation Efforts
Pope Francis has named a far-left anti-Trump activist as his cardinal in Washington.
In a statement on Monday, Francis announced that Cardinal Robert W. McElroy will serve as the next Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington.
He will replace Cardinal Wilton Gregory, 77, the first African-American to be made a cardinal, a member of the church’s highest governing body that chooses the next pontiff.
McElroy, who is currently a bishop in San Diego, is a notorious political troublemaker who shares the Pope’s left-wing worldview.
According to The New York Times, McElroy 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.”
The report explains:
As bishop of the San Diego diocese, along the border with Mexico, Cardinal McElroy has a history of standing with immigrants, who represent a significant constituency for the Catholic church both globally and in the U.S.
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As other Catholic bishops sought to make abortion their pre-eminent issue, Cardinal McElroy often argued that abortion was only one of several critical priorities of Catholic moral teaching.
When conservative bishops targeted President Biden, America’s second Catholic president, with a proposal in 2021 to deny politicians communion because of their support of abortion rights, he pushed back, saying that under such a proposal, the sacrament, “which seeks to make us one, will become for millions of Catholics a sign of division.”
Cardinal McElroy has made a case for the “radical inclusion” of women and L.G.B.T.Q. people in church life and leadership, to the exasperation of conservatives. In 2022, Pope Francis made him a cardinal, and therefore eligible to vote on the pontiff’s successor.
Having previously described Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportations as “unthinkable,” last month McElroy released a statement promising to stand in solidarity with those at risk of being sent back home:
We realize that the calls for mass deportations and raids on undocumented individuals and migrant families have created genuine fear for so many we shepherd in our dioceses.
Rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the sacred dignity of every person, we commit to accompanying and walking in solidarity with you, our migrant brothers, sisters, and families through this uncertain time. We will shepherd you spiritually, gather information and resources, and continue to advocate for your dignity and family unity.
The Times notes that the appointment is a particular rebuke to J.D. Vance, who converted to Catholicism back in 2018 but who aligns himself with the traditionalist wing of the church.
While McElroy will not hold any political power, his leadership of an archdiocese of over 300,000 gives him significant influence within the Catholic community.
He will also have the opportunity to vote on who will be the next Pope, meaning it is more likely to be another liberal in the mold of Pope Francis.
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