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Pope Francis named 21 new cardinals on Sunday and in doing so sent a message to some US bishops.
The only US bishop named is Robert W McElroy (68), bishop of San Diego, California, who is considered one of Francis’s ideological allies.
Known often to spar with more conservative US bishops, McElroy is outspoken about the campaign to exclude Catholic politicians who support abortion rights from Communion.
“It will bring tremendously destructive consequences,” McElroy says.
“The Eucharist is being weaponised and deployed as a tool in political warfare. This must not happen.”
McElroy questions why the US bishops’ conference insisted on identifying abortion as its “preeminent” priority.
Other issues like LGBTQ youth suicide, racism, poverty, immigration and climate change also need attention, he says.
“The death toll from abortion is more immediate, but the long-term death toll from unchecked climate change is larger and threatens the very future of humanity.”
Last year, he was among a small group of bishops signing a statement expressing support for LGBTQ youth and denouncing the bullying often directed at them.
The bishops’ statement said LGBTQ youth attempt suicide at much higher rates, are often homeless because of families who reject them and “are the target of violent acts at alarming rates”.
“We take this opportunity to say to our LGBT friends, especially young people, that we stand with you and oppose any form of violence, bullying or harassment directed at you,” it read.
“Most of all, know that God created you, God loves you and God is on your side”.
McElroy has a BA from Harvard University, a PhD in political science from Stanford University, a STL from the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University and a STD in moral theology from the Gregorian University in Rome.
In selecting McElroy, Francis passed over the higher-ranking archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone.
Earlier this month, Cordileone said he would no longer allow US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to receive Communion because of her support for abortion rights.
Cordilone has also recently instituted a traditional monthly Latin Mass.
A key function of a Cardinal is to elect a new pope and 16 of the 21 are under the age of 80 – the cutoff point for voting in a papal conclave.
Once Francis installs them in August, the total number of red hats eligible to vote will rise to 131. The number of cardinals too old to vote will rise to 96.
Among the diverse new group are two prelates from India and one each from Ghana, Nigeria, Singapore, East Timor, Paraguay and Brazil.
Their selection is in keeping with the pope’s vision of a church with leaders who reflect its global face.
With 6 of the cardinals coming from Asia, Francis’ selection also acknowledges the Church’s steady growth in this region of the Church.
The 16 new cardinals under 80
- Jean-Marc Aveline, France
- Peter Okpaleke, Nigeria
- Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, Brazil
- Filipe Neri Antonio Sebastao di Rosario Ferrao, India
- Robert Walter McElroy, United States
- Virgilio Do Carmo Da Silva, East Timor
- Oscar Cantoni, Italy
- Anthony Poola, India
- Paulo Cezar Costa, Brazil
- Richard Kuuia Baawobr, Ghana
- William Goh Seng Chye, Singapore
- Adalberto Martinez Flores, Paraquay
- Giorgio Marengo, Mongolia
- Arthur Roche of Britain, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments
- Lazzarro You Heung-sik of South Korea, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy
- Fernando Vergez Alzaga of Spain, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and president of the Vatican City State’s Governorate
The five new cardinals over 80
- Jorge Enrique Jimenez Carvajal, Colombia
- Lucas Van Looy, Belgium
- Arrigo Miglio, Sardinia
- Rev. Gianfranco Ghirlanda, Jesuit professor of theology
- Fortunato Frezza, canon of St Peter’s Basilica.
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