Cardinal Robert McElroy is preparing for surgery on Nov. 13 to remove a cancerous growth, but his prognosis is positive.
“I am at peace with this challenge and hope and believe that in God’s grace I will be Archbishop of Washington for many years to come,” the former San Diego Bishop said, according to a Wednesday statement from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, his home since March.
“I ask your prayers and support in these days and plan to resume full duties two weeks after the surgery.”
McElroy first made the announcement to fellow priests on Tuesday during an annual convocation in Washington D.C.
His doctors say his prognosis is good, according to the Archdiocese. He has well-differentiated liposarcoma, a type of soft tissue cancer that is rare, slow growing and made up of fat cells.
While sarcomas are rare and more often diagnosed in children than adults, liposarcoma is the most common form of soft tissue tumors found in older adults, according to the Sarcoma Oncology Center. Most diagnoses are in adults over 40; the cancer is found in the thigh or other extremities.
The fact that McElroy’s liposarcoma is well-differentiated – meaning it looks similar to normal fat – is a positive, according to Dr. Frank Chiarappa, Chief of Orthopedic Oncology at UC San Diego Health. The tumors, he added, are usually painless.
“This type of liposarcoma has the potential to spread (metastasize) or transform into an aggressive life-threatening cancer, although thankfully this is rare,” Chiarappa said. “Surgery usually results in a cure, and patients are monitored for several years to ensure it does not come back. Most patients with well-differentiated liposarcoma have a good prognosis.”
Bishop Michael Pham, who followed McElroy as leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, could not be reached for comment.
McElroy served as bishop in San Diego from 2015 until 2025 with a focus on saving the planet from climate change, immigrant rights and not stressing abortion as the pre-eminent matter of the church.
Updated 6:10 p.m. Nov. 5, 2025
