Pope Francis’s appointment of Cardinal Robert McElroy as the highly visible prelate of the church in Washington is already being interpreted as a shot across the bow of the Trump administration, given the new archbishop’s outspoken views on immigrants’ rights.

Pope Francis, 88, still has some tricks up his sleeve. The pontiff has appointed a sharp critic of Donald Trump to be the next archbishop of the nation’s capital—just in time for the president-elect’s return to office.

Pope Francis on Monday named a Catholic cardinal who has criticized Donald Trump's political agenda as the new leader for the Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., days before Trump is set to be inaugurated as U.

Cardinal Robert McElroy has supported migrants and said the church should be more inclusive to women and LGBT people.

Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy as Archbishop of Washington. This choice carries undeniable political weight, reflecting the profound opposition between the Californian cleric and the incoming Republican President Donald Trump.

The appointment of Robert W. McElroy is a signal of the pope’s priorities, two weeks before Donald J. Trump’s term begins.

Outspokenly progressive, Cardinal McElroy is now poised to take over the ecclesiastical territory of the nation’s capital just as Donald Trump is sworn in for a second term as president of the United States.

During Trump's first administration, Cardinal McElroy sharply criticised his plan to launch a mass deportation campaign targeting millions of immigrants living in the United States.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Catholic community in our nation's capital and for the confidence His Holiness has placed in me, but I have truly loved the last ten years I've spent as bishop of San Diego,