Cardinal Robert McElroy, the bishop of San Diego, will become the next archbishop of Washington, D.C., with his inauguration set for March 11, the Vatican announced Jan. 6.
McElroy’s appointment replaces the retiring Cardinal Wilton Gregory. Pope Francis’ choice to name McElroy the Archbishop of D.C. garnered national attention in light of President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming presidential inauguration due to McElroy’s progressive views and outspoken social advocacy.
McElroy said he is excited to engage with D.C.’s diverse community.
“The Catholic community in the District and the five counties is truly sacramental in the rich diversity of its traditions and perspectives on key issues in how to bring the church to its fullness and to bring the church into the world,” McElroy said at a Jan. 6 press conference. “I seek to manifest deep respect for that diversity in undertaking my new ministry.”
Georgetown University Interim President Robert Groves said he looks forward to working with McElroy.
“We are honored to welcome Cardinal Robert McElroy as the next leader of the Archdiocese of Washington,” Groves said in a statement released Jan. 6. “Through his leadership, pastoral care and scholarship, Cardinal McElroy has lived out the principles of Catholic social thought and advocated for them in the national arena. We are grateful for his leadership and look forward to working with him in the coming years.”
McElroy previously visited Georgetown in 2014, 2017 and 2021 to participate in events hosted by the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, which hosts events to promote socially aware Catholic leadership, and the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, a forum for engagement with religious cooperation. He has also authored two books about Catholic theology and U.S. politics.
McElroy said he wants the church to serve as a safe haven given the potential mass deportations proposed by the incoming Trump administration.
“I want to send some words to the Hispanic community of this archdiocese,” McElroy said in Spanish at the press conference. “I want to be a good pastor, and I want to constantly declare that the church is the mother of all, especially in difficult times and with suffering.”
In addition to his advocacy in support of immigrants, McElroy supported Catholic public officials who have supported legalized abortion and has written against sexuality-based discrimination in the Catholic Church.
Fr. Mark Bosco, S.J., the vice president for Mission & Ministry at Georgetown, said McElroy’s commitment to social justice aligns with Georgetown’s values and that he believes Pope Francis’ appointment of McElroy was not a political statement.
“I think Cardinal McElroy has been more articulate about political polarization,” Bosco told The Hoya. “I think he’s more vocal about being a witness to migrants, refugees, the marginalized in our society. That really fits, I think, with Georgetown’s sense of service to the common good. But I don’t think Pope Francis was making a political point. I think he wanted a very strong new archbishop to come here.”
Bosco added that he thinks the new archbishop will strengthen the shared Jesuit values among all Georgetown students, whether they are Catholic or not.
“Our Jesuit values are resourced out of Catholic tradition, but they’re universal values that are shared with many faith traditions,” Bosco said. “I think that the appointment should only encourage students who are not Catholic to see that Georgetown really invites others into the conversation and that we are in a deep relationship, especially because of our Jesuit Catholic heritage, with the Archbishop of D.C.”
Kimberly Mazyck (SFS ’90), the associate director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, said she plans to invite McElroy to campus soon.
“I’ve been encouraged when I’ve heard Cardinal McElroy defend the most vulnerable members of the community, especially people experiencing homelessness as well as his work to address racist rhetoric,” Mazyck wrote to The Hoya. “The Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life has welcomed Cardinal McElroy as a participant in past dialogues held here on the Hilltop, and we look forward to future opportunities to involve him in our work.”
Bosco said McElroy’s new position offers an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the archdiocese and Georgetown.
“I think Cardinal McElroy can help deepen the Catholic commitment to those who are marginalized,” Bosco said. “We’re looking forward to inviting him to Georgetown and working with him in ways we can. We have a lot of centers on immigration here and we have a lot of professors who are Catholic and non-Catholic working in that area. We could see collaborating with the diocese when needed to help further that agenda.”
