1 month ago
Pope Leo XIV has appointed a man who had erstwhile entered nan United States arsenic an undocumented immigrant, hidden successful nan trunk of a car, arsenic nan caller bishop of West Virginia.
The pope approved nan resignation of Bishop Mark E Brennan of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, and selected Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, 55, of Washington to return his place, reported OSV News.
Bishop Menjivar-Ayala moved to nan US successful 1990. In 2023, he became nan first Salvadorian bishop successful nan country, serving arsenic an auxiliary bishop successful nan archdiocese of Washington. Considered among nan first US bishops calved successful Central America, he has spoken publically urging Catholics to reason Donald Trump’s fierce policies toward immigrants, according to nan Washington Post.
Menjivar-Ayala said he accepted his caller domiciled “with awesome joyousness and humility” astatine a Friday-morning news conference.
Born connected 14 August 1970, successful Chalatenango, El Salvador, Menjivar-Ayala’s travel to nan priesthood began successful nan unit of nan Salvadorian civilian war, wherever he and his family narrowly survived being fired upon by soldiers while fleeing their home, he antecedently told nan Catholic Standard. After 2 grounded attempts to scope nan US, hindered by deportation and a guideline who deserted nan migrant group, he yet succeeded connected his 3rd try, contempt a little imprisonment successful Mexico and a grueling godforsaken crossing.
Recalling his voyage to nan US, he described bringing “a backpack pinch only 1 alteration of clothes, but it was afloat of dreams, of illusions that sometimes we do not understand. That dream is simply a ray that guides you and, though you don’t understand nan plan, you motorboat yourself pinch assurance successful God.”
Once settled, Menjivar-Ayala prioritized his acquisition by learning English and earning a GED. He worked janitorial and building jobs earlier answering a belief calling astatine a section parish successful Silver Spring, Maryland, to statesman his studies for nan priesthood.
“We are partners successful mission,” he told Catholics astatine nan property conference, adding he besides wanted to perceive to nan ideas of young group – “you are not only nan early of nan church, you are nan coming of nan church,” he said – and to nan poor, workers and immigrants. He besides expressed his gratitude towards nan “first American pope” for his appointment.
Pope Leo has antecedently voiced criticism of nan Trump administration’s handling of migrants.
“How did you person nan foreigner, did you person him and invited him, aliases not? I deliberation location is simply a heavy reflection that needs to beryllium made astir what is happening,” Pope Leo told reporters erstwhile asked astir existent US migration policies, adding he believed that foreigners successful nan US were being treated successful an “extremely disrespectful way”.
In a Truth Social station past month, Trump described Pope Leo arsenic “WEAK connected Crime, and unspeakable for Foreign Policy”.
