Pope Names Catholic Priest Who Criticized Trump As West Virginia Bishop

The Catholic Church has appointed an El Salvador-born advocator for immigrants, who has openly opposed nan Trump administration's migration crackdown policies, arsenic nan adjacent bishop for West Virginia. Pope Leo XIV announced connected Friday nan elevation of nan Most Rev. Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, presently an auxiliary bishop successful Washington, D.C., to lead nan Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which encompasses West Virginia, 1 of nan United States' slightest racially divers states.

Bishop Menjivar-Ayala, 55, brings a profoundly individual position to his caller role. He fled El Salvador's civilian warfare arsenic a teen successful nan precocious 1980s, yet crossing illegally into nan United States successful 1990. Within weeks, he secured humanitarian protection, later obtained a visa arsenic a belief worker, and became a US national 2 decades ago.

His ain travel fuels his beardown empathy for those caught successful migration raids. Referring to national rule enforcement surges, specified arsenic 1 past twelvemonth successful Washington, he stated, "that could person been me."

The Catholic Church has consistently championed nan humane curen of migrants and refugees globally. Bishop Menjivar-Ayala, alongside different US religion leaders, has been a vocal professional of nan Trump administration’s wide deportation policies, while besides acknowledging a nation's correct to unafraid its borders and advocating for reconciliation.

Menjivar-Ayala did not mention migration policies nor Trump is his reside Friday, alternatively focusing connected his desire to beryllium accepted by West Virginians and his willingness to perceive to nan community. A information of his reside was successful Spanish.

“I person overmuch to learn, but my bosom is fresh and wide-open,” he said. “Above all, I want to perceive to nan poor. Those successful nan margins of nan religion and society. To workers, to nan immigrants, because arsenic Matthew 25 says, nan measurement we dainty nan slightest is nan measurement we dainty Jesus.”

In nan Washington archdiocese, which includes nan District of Columbia and parts of Maryland, much than 40% of parishioners are Latino. In West Virginia — each of which is covered by nan Wheeling-Charleston diocese — only 2.4% of nan organization is Latino and 92.6% of its 1.77 cardinal residents place arsenic white, according to nan U.S. Census.

Menjivar-Ayala replaces nan Most Rev. Mark Brennan, 79, who has served arsenic West Virginia’s bishop since 2019. Brennan had taken complete aft a ungraded complete a erstwhile bishop’s intersexual harassment of adults and lavish spending of religion money. In a shared news convention successful Wheeling connected Friday, Brennan reminded West Virginians that galore successful America travel from location else.

“But he loves each nan group here. He’s not going to beryllium bishop conscionable for 1 group wrong nan diocese. He’ll beryllium bishop for each nan people. I tin guarantee you of that.”

The caller bishop, who has spent his ministerial profession successful nan nation's superior and surrounding communities, will activity successful a little Catholic and much agrarian region, overseeing nan diocese’s 61,000 Catholics and 92 parishes passim West Virginia.

While acknowledging nan beauty of West Virginia mountains and earthy resources, he said galore group successful 1 of nan nation’s poorest states “continue to strengthen hardship, marginalization and inequality.”

Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington praised Menjivar-Ayala’s defense for migrants during his tenure successful nan capital, saying successful a connection that “his passion for justness and delicate attraction for nan Hispanic and migrant communities of our Archdiocese person planted seeds of grace that will output a harvest present for decades to come.”

In an article he wrote past twelvemonth for nan Catholic Standard, nan charismatic newspaper of nan Washington archdiocese, Menjivar-Ayala said retired against nan curen of immigrants by Trump’s administration.

“Each time this business is getting worse and much ominous,” Menjivar-Ayala wrote. “For weeks now, nan national authorities has pursued a ‘shock and awe’ run of fierce threats and highly visible operations of questionable legality that spell acold beyond specified migration ‘enforcement.’”

Menjivar-Ayala, whose assignment comes a fewer weeks aft nan pope’s disagreement pinch Trump complete nan U.S. warfare against Iran, will beryllium installed arsenic bishop astatine a ceremonial connected July 2. The White House didn’t instantly respond to a petition for remark connected Menjivar-Ayala’s appointment.

Another Latin America-born leader was besides named a U.S. bishop connected Friday. The Rev. John Gomez will commencement his tenure successful nan Diocese of Laredo, Texas, connected June 30. Gomez was calved successful Colombia, came to nan United States connected a student visa successful 2002 and became a U.S. national successful 2021, according to his existent diocese successful Tyler, Texas. In a statement, Bishop Gregory Kelly of Tyler praised his “commitment to Hispanic Ministry.”

Pope Leo’s first American bishop appointment, 2 weeks aft his ain predetermination successful May 2025, was a erstwhile refugee: Michael Pham, who was calved successful Vietnam and became bishop of San Diego, California.

The number of priestly ordinations successful nan United States has been declining for decades, making foreign-born clergy basal to galore parishes nationwide.