On Friday, the Holy Father announced a major promotion that is both respectful and well-earned. He named Rev. Evelio Menijar-Ayala, a Salvadoran immigrant, as West Virginia’s only Catholic bishop.
Evelio came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant at 18 from El Salvador.
He was smuggled across the border hidden in the trunk of a car. He later applied for and received asylum, a work permit, and eventually a green card. He started his career as a receptionist at a law firm and worked his way up to becoming a priest. Now he is being named bishop.
While he has definitely earned this promotion, it’s hard to imagine this appointment isn’t also politically symbolic.
Pope Leo has been very against Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant policies, and there are many Trump supporters in West Virginia.
The Pope said, “Immigrants are human beings, and we have to treat human beings in a humanitarian way and not treat them worse than house pets or animals,” in response to Trump’s harsh deportation policies.
Now, the Catholic people in West Virginia who support Trump have to think seriously about what’s more important to them: their faith or their support for Donald Trump.
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