Pope Francis’ legacy is particularly evident in Washington, D.C., during his tenure as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church over the past 12 years.
Two cardinals whom Pope Francis appointed are participating in the papal conclave from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Washington, which is made up of Washington, D.C., and six neighboring Maryland counties: Montgomery, Prince George’s, St. Mary’s, Calvert, and Charles.
Here is some info about the two cardinals from Washington, D.C., who could potentially be the next pope:
Robert Walter McElroy, 71
Appointed the archbishop of Washington by Pope Francis in January 2025, McElroy has been a cardinal since 2022.
0Originally from California, McElroy was born in San Francisco and raised in San Mateo County of the Bay Area.
Cardinal McElroy is considered among the more liberal members of the Catholic Church leadership, sharing similar sentiments on many issues to Pope Francis.
He has also openly advocated for the support of LGBTQ+ youth and spoken out against aggressive immigration policies.
McElroy also has two very impressive degrees from secular colleges, first from Harvard in 1976, and a master’s degree in history from Stanford.
Wilton Gregory, 77
Cardinal Wilton Gregory was the archbishop of Washington before McElroy, but stepped down from the role in January.
He is the first and only African-American to become a cardinal when he was appointed by Pope Francis in 2020.
A Chicago native born in 1947, Gregory has represented the Roman Catholic Church as bishop of Chicago, bishop of Belleville, Illinois, archbishop of Atlanta, and archbishop of Washington.
He has also been touted as a progressive amongst church leadership, publicly advocating for the catholic church to broaden its concept of “pro-life” and also apologizing for the church’s past anti-LGBTQ+ stances.