Pope’s Wise Appointment Sharply Contrasts with Trump’s Odious Pick, Brian Burch, for U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican
New Washington Archbishop Robert McElroy
Delray Beach, FL — Truth Wins Out (TWO), a nonprofit organization committed to combating extremism and advocating for LGBTQ equality, today praised Pope Francis for his wise and compassionate pick of San Diego bishop Robert McElroy for the influential position of archbishop of Washington. McElroy is a strong voice for the fair and kind treatment of immigrants and supports the concept of “radical inclusion”, which welcomes LGBTQ people into the Catholic church.
The Pope’s smart choice is in stark contrast to President-Elect Donald Trump’s wildly offensive pick of Brian Burch, who leads the extreme right wing organization Catholic Vote, to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican. Trump’s brazen move is a slap in the face to the Pope and an ominous signal that the incoming administration is itching to pick divisive culture war fights with the Vatican. The MAGA movement and Project 2025, the right’s sinister plan to remake America in its image, is filled with radicalized right wing Catholics, many of whom are tied to the fringe group Opus Dei.
“We are grateful Pope Francis wisely chose a compassionate and politically astute leader such as Robert McElroy for archbishop of Washington,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen. “He will be a formidable voice for morality and decency to counter Trump’s harder-edged, cruel policies targeting immigrants and minorities.”
Besen continued, “Trump’s selection of extremist Brian Burch to represent the U.S. at the Vatican signals that the incoming administration is courting division and confrontation with the Pope. In this brewing battle, McElroy is expected to be a powerful bulwark against Trump’s baser instincts.”
Catholic Vote’s Brian Burch
The New York Times reported:
Cardinal McElroy, 70, is a longtime supporter of the pope’s pastoral agenda, and is known for regularly speaking out on the inclusion of migrants, women and L.G.B.T.Q. people in the Catholic church and in the United States.
In December, as Mr. Trump promised to crack down on immigration once again, Cardinal McElroy and 11 other bishops from California issued a statement in support of “our migrant brothers and sisters.”
His presence in Washington will stand in contrast to that of JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019 and advanced a hard-line anti-immigrant agenda on the campaign trail last year.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump reached into his grab-bag of deplorables to audaciously go out of his way to offend Pope Francis. The choice of Catholic Vote’s Brian Burch was a declaration that Trump is courting dissension rather than diplomacy. Metro Weekly reported on the nomination:
Catholic Vote endorsed Trump’s presidential bids in both 2020 and 2024. It has been immensely critical of President Joe Biden for identifying as Catholic while supporting abortion and LGBTQ rights, which the organization sees as incompatible with Catholic teaching.
Following Pope Francis’ 2023 decision to allow priests to offer limited blessings to individuals in same-sex relationships, Burch appeared on the right-wing channel Newsmax and blasted him for creating “massive confusion” within the Catholic Church — which officially opposes and prohibits marriages between same-sex individuals.
Burch is not the first MAGA figure to attack Pope Francis. Right wing podcaster Steve Bannon has long detested the Pope.
“He’s the administrator of the church, and he’s also a politician,” said Bannon, a former adviser to President Donald Trump. “This is the problem. … He’s constantly putting all the faults in the world on the populist nationalist movement.”
TWO’s Besen noted the incredible arrogance of these radicalized MAGA extremists: “They are holier-than-thou and think they are more Catholic than the Pope.”
