He became San Diego’s first cardinal, leading nearly 1.4 million Catholics in the Diocese of San Diego. Next month, Cardinal Robert McElroy will become Archbishop of the Archdiocese in Washington, D.C.
On Thursday, he held a final news conference with San Diego media.
"It has been a great grace for me being here, and part of my heart will always be here, in San Diego. When I'm in Washington or wherever I am," he said.
McElroy is getting ready to change jobs at a time when the world is focused on the health of Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized since Feb. 14.
"Throughout the world, people are raising their voices in prayer for the pope and praying that God will be with him, help him in the suffering, give him peace and give him strength and give him healing," he said.
McElroy shared that Francis appears to be making a recovery.
"I'm very happy for that, personally," he said. "And I know that so many people who have looked upon this pope as a man who has brought a sense of real pastoral commitment and depth to the life of the church."
And he said he hopes Francis will be leader of the church for some time to come.
"To continue to give that message to the world, which is in so much tumult and conflict now," McElroy said. "That the Pope Francis message of love and compassion and care, and considering everyone equal, is especially needed in our world at this time, throughout the world."
McElroy is considered one of the pope's most progressively like-minded allies, especially on topics of the environment and immigration. In the past, McElroy has called President Trump’s threats of mass deportations of immigrants “incompatible with Catholic doctrine.”
"The question of coming into churches, and other places of worship, and frankly, coming to schools in the same way .... it is a deeply moral question," he said. "And the reason it hasn't been done is because when when those places become targets of ICE raids, it makes everyone uneasy. It strikes fear in everybody's heart."
He says the threats act as a deterrent to people going to church and worshiping.
McElroy hopes to continue his message of compassion with the Catholic community in Washington and the world.
He will remain in the San Diego post until March 11 when he will be installed as the Archbishop of Washington.
