Pope Francis’s appointment of Cardinal Robert McElroy as the highly visible prelate of the church in Washington is already being interpreted as a shot across the bow of the Trump administration, given the new archbishop’s outspoken views on immigrants’ rights.

Robert McElroy, 70, is expected to be named to the high-profile Roman Catholic post in the nation's capital, according to the National Catholic Reporter, followed by other sources.

Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy as Archbishop of Washington. This choice carries undeniable political weight, reflecting the profound opposition between the Californian cleric and the incoming Republican President Donald Trump.

The appointment of Robert W. McElroy is a signal of the pope’s priorities, two weeks before Donald J. Trump’s term begins.

Cardinal Walter McElroy of San Diego is named by Pope Francis to replace the retiring Cardinal Wilton Gregory leading the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

(OSV News) -- Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of San Diego has been appointed the next archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, following Pope Francis' acceptance of the resignation of Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, the first African American cardinal, the Vatican announced Jan. 6.

McElroy’s appointment comes at a time of heightened conflict between moderate and progressive U.S. Catholics and an increasingly politicized traditionalist faction, which has deepened its alliance with Republicans and Trump.

Pope Francis on Monday named Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego as the archbishop of Washington, tapping one of his most progressively like-minded allies to head the Catholic Church in the U.S. capital at the start of Donald Trump ’s second administration.

Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of San Diego, was named by Pope Francis on Jan. 6, 2025 as the new archbishop of Washington, succeeding Cardinal Wilton Gregory. (Photo from the Diocese of San Diego)