politics1 d ago
Pope Leo places former illegal immigrant in charge of red state diocese
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Pope Leo places former illegal immigrant in charge of red state diocese
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A large Roman Catholic diocese pushed back on criticism Friday after Pope Leo XIV appointed a former illegal immigrant as bishop amid heightened tensions between the Vatican and Washington over refugees and ICE enforcement.Leo nominated Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which covers all of West Virginia. Menjivar-Ayala originally arrived in San Ysidro, California, smuggled in a car trunk after making several prior attempts as a teenager to flee guerrilla-war-torn El Salvador.The bishop has also been critical of the increased immigration enforcement measures, calling them a human rights concern and responding directly to critiques of the Church from fellow Catholics in the Trump administration like border czar Thomas Homan.After commentary piled up on social media Friday, Wheeling diocesan spokesman Tim Bishop told Fox News Digital that Menjivar-Ayala’s appointment is a blessing to West Virginians, praising the clergyman’s pastoral work and service.POPE LEO SAYS COUNTRIES HAVE RIGHT TO CONTROL THEIR BORDERS, ADVOCATES FOR HUMANE TREATMENT OF MIGRANTS Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala walks at the front of the procession of the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees in Washington. (Sarah Voisin/Getty Images)"Bishop Evelio came [to America] some time ago looking
Pope Leo names priest who criticized Trump's immigration crackdown as West Virginia bishop
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The next bishop for West Virginia Catholics will be an El Salvador-born advocate for immigrants who has opposed U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown policies. Pope Leo XIV announced Friday the appointment of the Most Rev. Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, an auxiliary bishop in Washington, D.C., as the new leader of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which comprises West Virginia, one of the nation's least racially diverse states. READ MORE: Pope Leo XIV prays with Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally in historic encounter Menjivar-Ayala, 55, fled El Salvador's civil war as a teen in the late 1980s, eventually crossing illegally into the United States in 1990, he told The Associated Press in an interview last year. But within "a couple of weeks" he gained humanitarian protection, later was granted a visa as a religious worker, and became a U.S. citizen two decades ago. Nonetheless, he feels close to immigrants who have been caught up by raids, including last year's federal law enforcement surge in Washington, because "that could have been me," he said in 2025. WATCH: Vance says Pope Leo should 'be careful' when talking about religion The Catholic Church has long advocated for humane treatment of migrants and
Catholic priest who criticized Trump immigration crackdown named West Virginia bishop
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The next bishop for West Virginia Catholics will be an El Salvador-born advocate for immigrants who has opposed President Trump’s immigration crackdown policies. Pope Leo XIV announced Friday the appointment of the Most Rev. Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, an auxiliary bishop in Washington, D.C., as the new leader of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which comprises West Virginia, one of the nation’s least racially diverse states. Menjivar-Ayala, 55, fled El Salvador’s civil war as a teen in the late 1980s, eventually crossing illegally into the United States in 1990, he told The Associated Press in an interview last year. But within “a couple of weeks” he gained humanitarian protection, later was granted a visa as a religious worker, and became a U.S. citizen two decades ago. Nonetheless, he feels close to immigrants who have been caught up by raids, including last year’s federal law enforcement surge in Washington, because “that could have been me,” he said in 2025. The Catholic Church has long advocated for humane treatment of migrants and refugees in the United States and around the world. Menjivar-Ayala and other U.S. church leaders have strongly condemned the Trump administration’s mass deportation policies while also affirming a nation’s right
Trump critic who fled El Salvador as a teen named West Virginia Roman Catholic bishop | AP News
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The next bishop for West Virginia Catholics will be an El Salvador-born advocate for immigrants who has opposed U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown policies.Pope Leo XIV announced Friday the appointment of the Most Rev. Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, an auxiliary bishop in Washington, D.C., as the new leader of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which comprises West Virginia, one of the nation’s least racially diverse states.Menjivar-Ayala, 55, fled El Salvador’s civil war as a teen in the late 1980s, eventually crossing illegally into the United States in 1990, he told The Associated Press in an interview last year. But within “a couple of weeks” he gained humanitarian protection, later was granted a visa as a religious worker, and became a U.S. citizen two decades ago.Nonetheless, he feels close to immigrants who have been caught up by raids, including last year’s federal law enforcement surge in Washington, because “that could have been me,” he said in 2025. The Catholic Church has long advocated for humane treatment of migrants and refugees in the United States and around the world. Menjivar-Ayala and other U.S. church leaders have strongly condemned the Trump administration’s mass deportation policies while also affirming a nation’s right
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