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.

ROME — Pope Francis on Monday named Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego as the archbishop of Washington, tapping one of his most progressively like-minded allies to head the Catholic Church in the U.S. capital at the start of Donald Trump ’s second administration.

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

In opening remarks as archbishop-elect of Washington, Cardinal Robert McElroy said he prays for the success of President-elect Donald Trump, while also acknowledging his concern for the potential plans for “indiscriminate,

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.

Pope Francis has named like-minded San Francisco native Cardinal Robert McElroy as the archbishop of Washington, D.C.

In his annual speech to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, Pope Francis condemned what he said was a universal growth in fake news, pointing to United States President-elect Donald Trump as a victim.

Pope Francis has named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, tapping Sister Simona Brambilla to become prefect of the Vatican department responsible for all the world’s religious orders. (AP video by Paolo Lucariello,

Pope Francis’ decision to appoint a liberal cardinal to the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. was reportedly done in response to the person President-elect Donald Trump selected as Vatican ambassador. The Pope on Monday announced his appointment of Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego,

In a latest development it has been known that Pope Francis pretty recently appointed a major sharp critic of US President- elect Donald Trump to become the next archbishop of Washington DC. This development actually came just somedays prior of the inauguration of US President- elect Donald Trump.