A native of San Francisco, California, Bishop Robert McElroy is the only American of 20 newly appointed cardinals by Pope Francis.
He felt a calling to the priesthood at a very young age. After being ordained in 1980, he later became auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of San Francisco and has served as bishop of the Diocese of San Diego since 2015.
Cardinal McElroy served as the President of the California Catholic Conference and is known for his stances in the “eucharistic coherence” debate and outspokenness on issues such as racism and immigration.
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