WASHINGTON - Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington has been diagnosed with well-differentiated liposarcoma, a non-aggressive form of cancer, and is scheduled to undergo surgery November 13, the Archdiocese of Washington announced november 5.
The 71-year-old cardinal was informed of the diagnosis and shared the news with priests of the archdiocese during their annual convocation the evening of November 4. Liposarcoma is a rare cancer originating in fat cells, typically found in the arms, legs, and midsection, affecting approximately 1 in 100,000 people in the U.S. annually,and is more common in men between the ages of 50 and 65.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, well-differentiated liposarcoma grows slowly and is not typically life-threatening, with cells appearing more like normal cells under microscopic examination. The archdiocese stated that Cardinal McElroy’s doctors are optimistic about his prognosis.
“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,” Cardinal McElroy told the priests, requesting their ”prayers and support” and stating his intention to “resume full duties two weeks after the surgery.”
Cardinal McElroy was installed as the eighth archbishop of Washington on March 11, having previously served as the bishop of San Diego from 2015. He was appointed by pope Francis to succeed Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, who retired in 2019. during his installation Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the immaculate Conception, Cardinal McElroy called on the faithful to be “pilgrims of hope in a wounded world,” urging them to see others as “beloved children, sisters and brothers.”
