In a move that underscores the Vatican’s long-running stance on compassionate immigration policy, Pope Leo XIV announced Friday the nomination of Evelio Menjivar-Ayala — a former undocumented migrant who fled civil conflict in El Salvador — to lead the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in West Virginia. The appointment comes just weeks after a high-profile public dispute between the U.S.-born pontiff and former President Donald Trump, deepening a rift over immigration and global conflict that has defined their tense relationship.
Menjivar-Ayala, 56, currently serves as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Washington, and his life story tracks closely with the migration issues that have placed the Vatican at odds with hardline U.S. immigration policy. Born into poverty in El Salvador amid the country’s brutal 1980s civil war, he first attempted to cross into the United States in 1990, only to be detained by authorities in Mexico. In a 2023 interview, he recalled paying a bribe to secure his release before successfully crossing the border through Tijuana, entering the U.S. as an undocumented refugee fleeing violence. After decades of religious service, he was ordained as a priest in 2004 and elevated to auxiliary bishop in 2023.
The Vatican officially confirmed the nomination in a public statement earlier this week, marking a historic milestone for a U.S. diocese: Menjivar-Ayala is believed to be one of the first former undocumented migrants to be appointed a U.S. diocesan bishop. For Pope Leo, who leads the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, the appointment aligns with his repeated calls for humane treatment of migrants, a stance that has put him directly in conflict with Trump.
Last month, the pontiff drew fierce pushback from Trump after condemning the former president’s threat to “destroy Iran” as “unacceptable.” Pope Leo urged U.S. voters to pressure congressional representatives to prioritize diplomatic peace over escalation, a comment that sparked a scathing retaliation from Trump. The former president took to social media to slam the pope, labeling him “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”
Beyond the Middle East conflict, immigration has been the primary flashpoint between the two leaders. Pope Leo has repeatedly decried the treatment of migrants in U.S. detention systems as “extremely disrespectful,” arguing that global governments have a moral obligation to pursue humane, welcoming policies for people fleeing violence and poverty. “We have to look for ways of treating people humanely,” he has said of migration, a message that the appointment of Menjivar-Ayala brings tangible, public form.
Church observers note that the nomination is far more than a routine personnel change: it is a deliberate reaffirmation of the Catholic Church’s commitment to migrant advocacy at a time when immigration remains one of the most divisive political issues in the United States ahead of the 2024 presidential election.