Pope Francis elevated the bishop of San Diego to cardinal on Saturday, espousing the pope’s more liberal stance on the LGBTQ community, the role of women in the church and other hot political and cultural issues, putting him in line with some of the more conservative American Bishop.
Cardinal-designate Robert McElroy, who was appointed bishop of San Diego by Francis in 2015, will also receive a red cap, the emblem of the cardinal’s office, but he has never been an archbishop, a traditional step forward. footstone. Become a cardinal.
In an interview with NBC’s Annie Thompson ahead of the Vatican ceremony, McElroy sought to downplay his differences with more conservative American bishops on “abortion, climate change, poverty, immigration, race” and more.
“On substance, there is not much disagreement between the bishops,” McElroy said. “The difference is in the priority area. That’s where the conflict comes from.”
Still, McElroy has repeatedly publicly criticized his fellow U.S. bishops for not fully embracing Francis’ pastoral priorities, calling then-President Donald Trump in 2017 thesubversive candidate. “
In addition, McElroy is being promoted, while Archbishop Jose Gomez, the leader of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, has been re-elected as a cardinal.
Gomez offended Black Catholics and others last year, branding social justice movements like Black Lives Matter “Pseudo-religion.”
McElroy, 68, is likely to be one of the cardinals to pick Pope’s successor, and he will continue the reforms the Argentine-born pope is trying to push despite opposition. American Conference of Catholic Bishops and other conservative Catholic clergy.
Asked if he would refuse to communicate with pro-choice Democratic politicians, as the archbishop of San Francisco recently did with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, McElroy said no.
“I think it’s an attack on the Eucharist,” McElroy said. “It takes the symbol of unity in the church, which makes us a sacrament in Jesus Christ, and makes it a sign of division.”
McElroy acknowledged that there is a “huge tension” between Catholics who agree with Francis and traditional Catholics who fear “giving up too much traditional Catholic teaching”.
McElroy, who supports female deaconesses, said the ordination of women was an example of the tension at play between traditional Catholics and more progressive Catholics in a cultural conflict.
“I don’t think the main obstacle to appointing women is not entirely doctrinal,” he said. “I think that’s a reality, and it’s going to be very painful in the life of the church.”
Still, McElroy said he agreed with the Pope that one of the biggest challenges facing the Roman Catholic Church is “the fact that young people are leaving the church in large numbers”. “
“We have to figure out a way to address this and make Christ’s message more appealing to young people,” McElroy said.
McElroy also said he doesn’t think the world is ready for the U.S. pope.
“The United States already has such a great power in the world — economic, military, cultural, political,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a good thing to have an American pope — that is, it’s just symbolic for the world, it’s just another power buildup in America.”
McElroy, a San Francisco native who grew up in San Mateo County, told Thompson that he wanted to be a pastor as early as age 7.
“I don’t really remember a time when I didn’t want to be a pastor,” he said.
But after high school, McElroy attended Harvard, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 1975 and a taste of “the wider world.”
“I grew up in a Catholic culture, a very Catholic, faith-filled family,” McElroy said. “I went to Catholic school and grammar school. So it was a different experience.”
Among his classmates was future Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. “I know him, for example, because we’re all in American history,” McElroy said.
After Harvard, McElroy earned a master’s degree in history at Stanford and then attended seminary. He was ordained in April 1980 and began serving as parish priest in suburban San Francisco.
“My life is more interesting now, but happier then,” McElroy said with a laugh. “I don’t want to be a bishop. I don’t want to be a cardinal. I want to be a parish priest. I have to do this for years.”
McElroy said his 97-year-old mother was “very happy” with his promotion to cardinal.
