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Leo nominated Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which covers all of West Virginia. Menjivar-Ayala originally arrived in San Ysidro, California, smuggled in a car trunk after making several prior attempts as a teenager to flee guerrilla war-torn El Salvador.
The bishop has also been critical of increased immigration enforcement measures, calling them a human rights concern and responding directly to critiques of the church from fellow Catholics in the Trump administration like border czar Thomas Homan.
After commentary piled up on social media Friday, Wheeling diocese spokesman Tim Bishop told Fox News Digital Menjivar-Ayala’s appointment is a blessing to West Virginians, praising the clergyman’s pastoral work and service.
"Bishop Evelio came [to America] some time ago looking for a better life and better opportunities, and thank God he did because he will shepherd the faith of our diocese," Bishop said.
"Any insinuation that the Holy Father made this or any other appointment in any way to increase vitriol or insinuate that it gets back at the president of the United States is absurd," Bishop added, noting he was not speaking for Leo.
The Roman Catholic Church "worries about the lamb, not the elephant or the donkey," he said.
Meanwhile, "Letters from Leo" publisher and former DNC delegate Christopher Hale tweeted the bishop is a "remarkable choice" by Leo to lead a "state that is over 90% White and voted for President Trump by 42 points."
Media outlets in the United States and France highlighted the appointment in light of Leo’s reported aversion to Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.
At a 2025 forum, Menjivar-Ayala said criticism of the Catholic Church’s stance toward immigration enforcement is not a question for him to answer but for those officials to discern how they are living the Gospel after he was asked about Homan's comments that bishops at a national conference in Baltimore were "wrong" in rebuking illegal immigration enforcement.
