On Sun., Pope Francis announced to crowds gathered at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican that he plans to appoint 21 new cardinals, only eight of whom will be from European countries.
The rest of the appointees hail from around the world, including developing nations like Ghana and Nigeria, marking a deliberate shift away from a Eurocentric and towards a more global outlook.
This is terrible news for Catholics who actually believe in the church's teachings. Appointing a pro-gay, ultra-progressive supporter of abortion like McElroy undermines fundamental truths of Catholicism and shows once again that Pope Francis is letting a political agenda supersede theological beliefs.
It's about time the leadership of the Catholic church reflected the diversity of the congregation in terms of geographics, culture and ideological beliefs. Bishop McElroy is a breath of fresh air with his welcoming of LGBTQ people into the church and refusal to "politicize" Communion by excluding pro-choice politicians. This is a step in the right direction for the Catholic church.