SAN DIEGO — Still elated over his appointment as Cardinal by Pope Francis over the weekend, 68-year-old Robert McElroy says he's stunned but has some insight on why he was chosen.
"I believe the pope wanted to have a cardinal on the West Coast since there is no cardinal now west of Houston. I'm deeply honored by this appointment, and I am particularly pleased that I am remaining here in San Diego,” said Cardinal-designate Robert McElroy.
McElroy says San Diego being a border community also helps as Pope Francis is very concerned about migrants and refugees. As the only U.S. cardinal selected this year in a group of 21, McElroy says his primary role will be to help elect a new pope when that comes.
"The Cardinals meet from time to time as a group to advise the pope on various issues,” McElroy said.
McElroy became the 6th bishop in San Diego in 2015. He says he had four blocked arteries and had a successful quadruple bypass surgery last November. Amid declining church membership globally, one of McElroy's top priorities is getting more young people involved in the Catholic Church.
One of the things we have to face is handing over the faith to the next generation that is in a critical stage for us,” McElroy said.
In his choice for Cardinal, the Pope passed over a high-ranking Archbishop in San Francisco who recently excluded pro-choice politicians like President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from Holy Communion over their stances on abortion. McElroy is outspoken about inclusion of differing opinions.
“It is destructive in my view to prohibit political leaders from receiving communion based on their actions and public policy,” McElroy said.
On the topic of longtime abuse within the Catholic Church, McElroy says he recently hosted forums on the issue.
"People are very angry about the way this was handled for all these years, so to say can we change that? We can't change it by putting it behind us, that is, we need to always remember what happened and how we got into a very bad pattern. The pattern consisted of reassigning priests after they had done the abuse,” McElroy said.
McElroy says the church is progressing and breaking those sinful patterns and even discussing the possibility of allowing women as deacons and married priests. But as for McElroy becoming a future Pope?
He doesn't think it will ever happen.
“I don't think that an American should be Pope. In the universal community, the United States still has so much power on so many levels economically, politically and internationally, to have the Pope be American too, seems to be a counterpoint to the witness that the church has to continually be giving, so I would oppose any American to be elected Pope, I don't think it is going to happen,” McElroy said.
McElroy and 20 other leaders will be installed as Cardinals on Aug. 27 at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego Bishop chosen as Cardinal by Pope Francis speaks (May 2022)