Chapter 11

Suppression Notice

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Cardinal Ordains Four to Priesthood

A person in red headwear sits in a chair on a tile floor while another kneels before them, holding a book. Four other people in white robes stand nearby with hands clasped, and a congregation observes in the background.

Cardinal Robert W. McElroy ordained four men to the priesthood at Good Shepherd Church, where more than 1,600 witnessed the joyous afternoon Mass on June 2.

Cardinal McElroy Issues Statement about LA Dodgers’ Recognition of Anti-Catholic Organization

Cardinal McElroy Issues Statement about LA Dodgers’ Recognition of Anti-Catholic Organization (SAN DIEGO) – Cardinal Robert W. McElroy today released the following statement concerning the Dodgers’ decision to recognize an anti-Catholic political group for its community efforts. “The decision of the Los Angeles Dodgers to reinstate their plans to honor the ‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’ […]

The Vision of Pope Francis for the Church Today

A clergymember stands at a podium, gesturing with one hand, in front of a screen displaying a presentation title. They are wearing a black robe with a large cross necklace. A bottle of water is placed on the podium.

Cardinal McElroy offered this hopeful message at the 2023 Re-Imagining the World: Pope Francis and Saint Francis conference, hosted by the Franciscan School of Theology at the University of San Diego.

Cardinal McElroy on the Voices of Synodal Dialogue

Discerning a pathway for the Church we love Last year, the Catholic community in the United States undertook the largest non-governmental process of interpersonal dialogue and consultation ever held in our nation’s history. More than five hundred thousand men and women gathered together in prayer and discernment in their parishes, schools, cultural communities and service […]

Cardinal McElroy on sexual sin, the Eucharist, and LGBT and divorced / remarried Catholics

In January, America published an article I wrote on the theme of inclusion in the life of the church. Since that time, the positions I presented have received both substantial support and significant opposition. The majority of those criticizing my article focused on its treatment of the exclusion of those who are divorced and remarried and members of […]

El Cardinal Concede Dispensa para el Día de San Patricio

SAN DIEGO, (March 1, 2023) — The Catholic Diocese of San Diego issued this statement: Cardinal McElroy dispenses the Catholic community of the Diocese of San Diego from the obligation to abstain from eating meat on Friday, March 17, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

Cardinal McElroy Addresses Catholic Teaching on War and Peace

NOTRE DAME, Ind. (March 1, 2023) — Cardinal Robert McElroy, Bishop of the Diocese of San Diego, led a panel discussion on the moral challenges of war and nuclear arms at the University of Notre Dame today. The event was titled “New and Old Wars, New and Old Challenges to Peace.” The panel included two […]

Diocese Responds to Lawsuit

(SAN DIEGO, Feb. 22, 2023) —The Catholic Diocese of San Diego released a statement today regarding a lawsuit alleging that parish property really belongs to the diocese, and therefore should be used to satisfy any judgment in claims filed against the diocese. The statement points out that under canon law, parish property has been kept […]

Diocese Considering Bankruptcy in Light of Pending Abuse Claims

(SAN DIEGO, Feb. 10, 2023) – Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of San Diego, announced that the Diocese may consider filing for bankruptcy to provide a pathway for ensuring that the assets of the Diocese will be used equitably to compensate all victims of sexual abuse. The announcement came Thursday night […]

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 combines the Diocese of San Diego’s coat of arms on the left side, and his on the right. On his, a red boat on a blue ocean sits on 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 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, 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 communities.

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.

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