SAN DIEGO — San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy was one of 21 new cardinals named by Pope Francis Sunday, the only one chosen from the United States.
McElroy, 68, 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.
He's been San Diego's bishop since 2015, and is also president of California Catholic Conference, the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in California.
McElroy said in a statement,
“I am stunned and deeply surprised by the news that Pope Francis has appointed me to the College of Cardinals. 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. In this moment, I give thanks for those who have contributed profoundly to my life and priesthood: my family, the priests and women religious who helped to form me, and the Catholic community of San Diego and Imperial Counties, whom it is my privilege to lead.”
McElroy will formally receive the prestigious red cardinal's hat from Pope Francis in a consistory ceremony at the Vatican on Aug. 27. As a cardinal, he would be eligible to vote for Francis' eventual successor if a conclave were to be held.
"By naming Bishop Robert McElroy as a cardinal, Pope Francis has shown his pastoral care for the Church in the United States," said Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"I have known and have had the privilege of working with Cardinal- designate McElroy for many years," Gomez continued. "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."
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