A number of fellow prelates are offering their congratulations to Cardinal Robert W. McElroy on his appointment to the Archdiocese of Washington, an influential see that is home to the White House, Congress, and numerous lobbying and nonprofit organizations.
The cardinal led the Diocese of San Diego from 2015 until now, and succeeds 77-year-old Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, the nation’s first African American cardinal, who had served two years longer than the canonical retirement age of 75.
The Vatican issued a Jan. 6 announcement that Pope Francis had accepted Cardinal Gregory’s resignation and had named Cardinal McElroy to the Washington Archdiocese.
In a statement that same day, Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, archbishop emeritus of Washington, said Cardinal McElroy’s appointment was “welcome news.
“In his long ministerial service, he has demonstrated generous pastoral ability and engaging leadership,” said Cardinal Wuerl. “It is a joy to join in greeting our new archbishop and asking God’s blessings on him and the beloved Church of Washington.”
Echoing that sentiment were the Washington archdiocese’s three auxiliary bishops, whose Jan. 6 statements, along with that of Cardinal Wuerl, were published by the Catholic Standard, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington.
“Cardinal McElroy brings the pastoral, spiritual, intellectual and political gifts necessary to shepherd the people of God in the Church of Washington, where the seat of government of the United States of America also comes under his pastoral care,” said Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr., noting that he had received news of the appointment “with great joy and anticipation.”
Bishop Campbell, who also serves as president of the National Black Catholic Congress, said he was “anxious to share my knowledge of this community that I grew up in with Cardinal McElroy as he comes to know the people of God in the Archdiocese of Washington, its clergy and the archdiocesan pastoral staff.”
He noted that “Cardinal McElroy is no stranger to a large and diverse diocese,” having overseen that of San Diego, “and his pastoral gifts and leadership will serve him and the Archdiocese of Washington very well.”
Fellow Auxiliary Bishop Juan R. Esposito said that, as with Cardinal Gregory’s 2019 appointment, the naming of Cardinal McElroy to the Washington archdiocese was “yet another expression of our Holy Father Pope Francis’ loving concern for this portion of the People of God.”
“Cardinal McElroy’s inspiring leadership, wealth of pastoral experience and clear articulation of the Holy Father’s Magisterium will be a source of abundant blessings for the Archdiocese of Washington,” said Bishop Esposito.
“With much joy I offer my prayers and support to our new shepherd Cardinal McElroy, and I look forward to assisting him in meeting the pastoral needs of our archdiocese.”
Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar said that “Cardinal McElroy is widely recognized for his inclusive pastoral approaches, his bold advocacy for immigrants, and his support of Pope Francis’ vision for the renewal of the Church.”
In addition, said Bishop Menjivar, the cardinal “brings to Washington his extensive experience of serving a multicultural church as it is in San Diego.”
Peter Kilpatrick, president of The Catholic University of America — of which Cardinal McElroy will now become chancellor, by virtue of his appointment to the Archdiocese of Washington — welcomed the cardinal in a Jan. 6 statement, noting that Cardinal McElroy had “served as a Fellow and member of the University’s Board of Trustees since 2022.”
“He is known for a pastoral approach that focuses on synodality and solidarity,” said Kilpatrick, adding that the cardinal “recently spoke of solidarity as not only a sense of common purpose and mission, reminding us we are all beneficiaries of our society and have an obligation to each other.”
Kilpatrick also thanked Cardinal Gregory as a “pastoral and thoughtful shepherd” who had demonstrated “compassionate leadership and steadfast commitment to the mission of the Church.”
“Your legacy will continue to resonate for years to come,” said Kilpatrick.
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, also welcomed his new episcopal neighbor, and thanked Cardinal Gregory for “his dedicated service” while assuring the retired prelate of his “continued prayers.”
In a Jan. 6 statement, Bishop Burbidge said he had “experienced firsthand the vital and distinctive roles that the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Arlington serve for the nation through the proclamation of the truth and joy of the Gospel.
“Cardinal McElroy’s arrival as Archbishop of Washington in the Holy Year 2025 is an opportunity to implore God’s grace to strengthen all of us in the virtue of hope, and renew our commitment to be witnesses and messengers of hope for our nation and all our brothers and sisters, especially those in need,” said Bishop Burbidge.
In a Jan. 6 statement, the California Catholic Conference said that Cardinal McElroy “is known for his pastoral care for the Church in San Diego,” which “actively ministers to large numbers of migrants through the exemplary work of their Catholic Charities.”
In addition, said the California bishops, “Cardinal McElroy’s commitment to environmental justice is demonstrated in his numerous energy and ecology programs throughout the diocese.”
They also highlighted the cardinal’s commitment, in his diocese and beyond, to synodality in the Church, bringing together under-represented voices seeking to build unity.”
The cardinal — who holds degrees from, among other institutions, Harvard College and Stanford University — possesses a background in political science and public policy that “has allowed him to bring wise counsel to the work of the California Catholic Conference,” said that state’s bishops.
California’s bishops lauded the work of the cardinal, while serving as conference president, in guiding the state’s Catholic schools amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference also described the cardinal as “instrumental in reorganizing the CCC’s focus on policies supporting women, children, and families” following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v Wade and reverted the issue of abortion to the state, rather than federal, level.
“We look forward to the leadership of Cardinal McElroy in our nation’s capital and invite all California Catholics to join us in praying for him as he takes on a new role in the Church in the United States,” said the conference.
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