There was a time when archbishops and popes wielded tremendous power, even
against kings and emperors. Although political leaders may not stand in the snow as did Henry IV, they still must take note of the stand of religious leaders speaking on the moral issues of the day.
Cardinal Robert McElroy, Bishop of San Diego, has been appointed the new Archbishop for Washington, D.C. Known as a fierce defender of immigrant rights and a critic of the draconian policies of family separation, he is expected to continue to speak for justice against the threats of mass deportation.
Calling proposed immigration policies “incompatible” with Catholic theology, Cardinal McElroy reminds us all that Jesus himself was a refugee. Known also for taking a pastoral approach towards the LGBTQ community, Cardinal McElroy has also called for its “radical inclusion” within the Church.
Prayer for the Day
Holy Love, who graces our lives with love, open our hearts,
Showing us the possibilities of your infinite love for all beings,
Move us beyond a sense of duty into an ever widening circle of love,
Opening us to possibilities we never even imagined;
Enlarge the boundaries of our thought and imagination,
Confronting us with love's demand for justice and mercy,
As did the One who lived for others,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
McElroy’s nomination is a very clear message. It is a high-profile response to the [current] political situation in America, there is no denying it.
Massimo Faggioli, Catholic theologian, Villanova University
For there is a profound sickness in the soul in American political life. This sickness tears at the fabric of our nation’s unity, undermining the core democratic consensus that is the foundation for our identity as Americans. It is our responsibility to heal our nation through actions of civic engagement which lie beyond the boundaries of party structures, and indeed of government itself.
Cardinal Robert McElroy, speaking in 2016
I am the Lord, I have called you to righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations,
To open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners form the dungeon,
From the prison those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42: 6-7