Speaking at a news conference at the Diocese of San Diego, where he has served as bishop for over a decade, McElroy acknowledged that he will head the Catholic Church in the nation’s capital as the country grapples with what it means to be a compassionate society.

The church's role in the nation's capital is not to steer policy but to give witness to those affected by national initiatives, Cardinal Robert McElroy said Feb. 27 in his final news conference as San Diego archbishop.

Cardinal Robert McElroy held his final news conference Thursday as leader of the San Diego Diocese, reflecting on his decade of service before his departure to become Archbishop of Washington. "It has been a great grace for me being here,