After reporting January 4 that multiple U.S. bishops had said that the appointment was imminent, The Pillar has separately confirmed that Pope Francis has selected McElroy to succeed Cardinal Wilton Gregory in the capital see.

The announcement is expected Monday, according to sources close to the process.

McElroy’s appointment follows a lengthy and contentious process to find a successor for the Washington archdiocese, which involved a protracted standoff between some American cardinals and the apostolic nunciature.

The Pillar has previously reported that following a meeting in October in which McElroy joined Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago and Joseph Tobin of Newark to meet with Pope Francis during the synod on synodality in October, Francis was said to have decided against appointing McElroy.