A white cross icon with pointed ends and a central diamond shape against a black background.

Protection of Life

Shepherd Advocates for Life at Every Turn

At every opportunity, Bishop Robert McElroy advocates for the sacredness of life, from conception to natural death.

 

He’s led every one of the San Diego Diocese’s Walks for Life since arriving in 2015, in rain or shine.

 

Before COVID-19, attendance at this event had gone up every year, numbering several thousands, including a greater participation of young people.

 

The bishop called for this public testimony to continue as a car caravan in 2021, during the teeth of the pandemic, instead of canceling the event altogether.

 

“Those who say life in the womb is not human life are testifying to a lie,” Bishop McElroy declared at the 2018 Walk for Life, “and we are here because we want to be witnesses testifying to the truth of God’s grace in the womb, and from conception until natural death.”

 

When he was president of the California Catholic Conference, Bishop McElroy promoted the Whole Person Care Initiative. Developed in partnership with the state’s Catholic health care systems, the initiative aims to create an environment where the ill and dying feel loved, worthy and cared for. This project calls for parishes to receive information about the Catholic teaching on the end of life and how to better support their members who are chronically ill or face terminal diagnoses and their families.

A group of people stand on a sidewalk holding a large banner that reads "PRAY TO END ABORTION." In the background, there is a Planned Parenthood building.

On Jan. 15, 2022, Bishop McElroy led the annual San Diego Walk for Life. Though the U.S. Supreme Court had not yet overturned Roe v. Wade, he predicted it would happen and called on the faithful redouble their efforts to protect the unborn:

 

“This is a great moment of hope, and it is a moment to give thanks to God and all of those who have worked this past half-century to bring this about.

 

“I was in college when the Supreme Court first issued its decision in Roe v. Wade. I remember being tremendously saddened by it and wondered: Would we ever see a day when the rights of the unborn were affirmed by the court again? …

 

“In California (where no change will occur), this is a moment not to downsize our efforts but to re-double them.

 

“We have to convince the people in this state — and I believe we have the capacity to do that over time — that the unborn child in the womb is precious and that, as we know, God is the author of all life, and we’re merely stewards of life on this earth.

 

“We have to continue to educate and to convert minds and hearts, to point to the unborn child and help others see the preciousness of that life. 

 

“In an ultrasound, parents see their child and know that it’s a human life. We need to bring home that sense, and the implications for it, in terms of how our laws can protect the unborn.”

Four people stand under a canopy outdoors. Three are wearing bright orange shirts with "Walk for Life" printed on them. They are smiling and have lanyards around their necks. A grassy area and other people are visible in the background.

Topics

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pulido’s coat of arms is divided into four quarters with wavy horizontal lines from top to bottom. The blue and white lines represent the Blessed Virgin Mary. They also suggest water, which alludes to Jesus washing the feet of His disciples and to the waters of baptism. The red and gold lines represent the Holy Spirit and fire. The colors also can be seen as referring to the Blood that (along with water) poured from Jesus’ side at His crucifixion, as well as to the bread (gold) and wine (red) transformed into the Eucharist. At the center is a roundel featuring a symbolic representation of the “mandatum” (washing of the feet), which he believes exemplifies service to all humanity. The roundel’s outer edge is a line composed of small humps; it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Diocese of Yakima, where Bishop Pulido served as a priest before being named a bishop.

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pham’s coat of arms depicts a red boat on a blue ocean, which is crisscrossed by diagonal lines suggesting a fisherman’s net. This symbolizes his ministry as a “fisher of men,” as well as how his own father had been a fisherman. The boat is also a symbol of the Church, which is often referred to as the “barque of Peter.” At the center of the sail is a red beehive (a symbol of the bishop’s baptismal patron saint, St. John Chrysostom, who was known as a “honey-tongued” preacher). The beehive is surrounded by two green palm branches (an ancient symbol of martyrdom; the bishop’s ancestors were among Vietnam’s first martyrs). The eight red tongues of fire around the boat are a symbol of the Holy Spirit and a representation of the diversity of ethnic and cultural communities. The red of the boat, the beehive and the tongues of fire allude to the blood of the martyrs.

About the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms combines symbols that reflect Bishop Bejarano’s spiritual life and priestly ministry. The main part of the shield shows four wavy vertical lines on a gold background. These represent flowing waters. This alludes to his chosen motto and also symbolizes the graces that come from the Divine life to quench our thirst for God. The upper third of the shield is red because it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Order of Mercy, of which the Bishop’s patron saint, Raymond Nonnatus, was a member. The central symbol resembles a monstrance because St. Raymond is often depicted holding one. The Eucharist is Bishop Bejarano’s inspiration for his vocation. It was through the Eucharist that he received his call to the priesthood at age seven and which keeps his faith and his ministry going. It represents the call to offer oneself as a living sacrifice. The monstrance is flanked on either side by an image of the Sacred Heart, alluding to the mercy of God and echoing the idea of a sacrificial offering of oneself united to the sacrifice of Christ, and of a rose for Our Lady. It is an allusion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, and highlights the bishop’s Hispanic heritage.