San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy was one of 21 new cardinals named by Pope Francis and the only one chosen from the United States.
The San Diego diocese said McElroy, 68, will formally receive the prestigious red cardinal’s hat from Pope Francis in a consistory ceremony at the Vatican on Aug.27 at the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. As cardinal, he would be eligible to vote for Francis' eventual successor if a conclave were to be held.
He's been San Diego's bishop since 2015 and is also president of the California Catholic Conference, the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in California.
“When I was growing up, my family would come to San Diego for our summer vacation, and I was captivated by the beauty and vitality of this graced region,'' McElroy said when he learned of his selection as bishop in 2015.
McElroy has been harshly criticized for the campaign to exclude Catholic politicians who support abortion rights from Communion, the Associated Press reported.
“It will bring tremendously destructive consequences,” McElroy wrote in a statement released in May 2021. “The Eucharist is being weaponized and deployed as a tool in political warfare. This must not happen.”
Pope Francis announced at the end of his weekly Angelus prayers from the Papal Palace. In a statement, McElroy said he was “stunned and deeply surprised” by the news of his appointment. He is the fifth American to be named a Cardinal by Pope Francis.
“My prayer is that in this ministry I might be of additional service to the God who has graced me on so many levels in my life. And I pray also that I can assist the Holy Father in his pastoral renewal of the Church,” McElroy wrote in a statement.
McElroy was born in San Francisco and attended Harvard College, where he earned a degree in American history, and Stanford University, where he earned a master's degree in the same subject.
“During my years as a priest and bishop, I have continually been struck by this same beauty and vitality in the life of the local church — proclaiming the Gospel, embracing the poor and the marginalized, strengthening family life, forging unity in faith and solidarity amidst great cultural diversity. Now I have the privilege of becoming a member and a leader in this magnificent Catholic community and the society which surrounds it. There are no words to describe the tremendous joy and gratitude to God that I feel at
this moment.''
All cardinals under 80 years of age are voting members, able to serve in the Conclave that elects the Pope.
Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said that “By naming Bishop Robert McElroy as a cardinal, Pope Francis has shown his pastoral care for the Church in the United States.”
“ I have known and have had the privilege of working with Cardinal-designate McElroy for many years. As brother bishops, we’ve worked together on many issues and initiatives in service to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as the California Catholic Conference. His strong faith and the pastoral concern for the faithful he has shown in his diocese will serve the global Church well. Please join me in praying for the continued ministry of Bishop McElroy.”
