If you walk into the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, you’re standing in the spiritual heart of the largest Catholic community in the United States. It’s massive. We are talking about five million Catholics. Historically, the man leading this powerhouse—the Archbishop of Los Angeles—is a "lock" for a red hat. It’s just how things worked for decades.
But Archbishop José H. Gomez still isn't a cardinal.
It’s weird, right? He’s a former president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). He’s a soft-spoken, widely respected leader who has championed immigrant rights for years—a topic Pope Francis literally obsesses over. Yet, year after year, consistory after consistory, the call from Rome never comes.
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Why? Honestly, it’s a mix of Vatican "musical chairs," a radical shift in how popes pick their inner circle, and some prickly internal church politics that most people outside of Rome never see.
The End of the "Cardinalatial See"
For a long time, the Church had these unwritten rules. Certain cities were basically guaranteed a cardinal. If you were the guy in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles, you eventually got the red hat. It was almost like a promotion that came with the zip code.
Pope Francis hated that. He basically took that rulebook and tossed it into the Tiber.
Since he was elected, Francis has gone out of his way to pick cardinals from the "peripheries." He’s looking at places like Tonga, Brunei, or Haiti—places that have never had a cardinal. In his mind, a bishop in a tiny, impoverished diocese has just as much to offer the universal Church as the guy running a massive American metropolis.
By skipping Los Angeles, he’s sending a message: No one is entitled to the red hat based on their geography. It’s not just Gomez, either. Look at Milan or Paris. Those were legendary "cardinal sees," and right now? No red hats there either.
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The "One Cardinal Per City" Custom
There is also a very practical, boring reason that often gets overlooked. There’s a general custom that a city shouldn't have two living cardinals under the age of 80.
Archbishop Gomez’s predecessor, Cardinal Roger Mahony, is still alive. While Mahony turned 80 back in 2016 (which means he can no longer vote for a new pope), his presence in Los Angeles still creates a bit of a "crowded room" in the eyes of some Vatican traditionalists.
Now, popes break this rule all the time. They broke it for Chicago when Cardinal Cupich was appointed while Cardinal George was still active. But with Gomez, Francis hasn't felt the need to rush. It’s a convenient excuse to stick to his "periphery" strategy.
The Tension Between Rome and the U.S. Bishops
Let’s get into the slightly uncomfortable stuff. It is no secret that the relationship between Pope Francis and the American hierarchy has been, well, "tense" is a polite way to put it.
Archbishop Gomez served as the president of the USCCB from 2019 to 2022. During that time, the U.S. bishops were often seen as being at odds with the Pope's priorities. Remember the whole "Eucharistic coherence" debate? The U.S. bishops were pushing hard on the issue of pro-choice politicians receiving Communion.
Rome wasn't thrilled. They saw it as polarizing and overly political.
As the face of the U.S. bishops during that era, Gomez was the guy in the hot seat. While he personally is known for being quite gentle and pastoral, he represented a body of bishops that Francis viewed as too "culture-war" focused.
The Opus Dei Factor
Then there is the Opus Dei connection. Archbishop Gomez is a priest of the Opus Dei Prelature.
While Opus Dei members are everywhere in the Church, they are often associated with a more traditional, doctrinally rigorous wing of Catholicism. Francis, meanwhile, has been restructuring how Opus Dei operates, moving it under the Dicastery for the Clergy and dialing back some of its independence.
Does the Pope have a "thing" against Opus Dei? Not necessarily. But Gomez’s theological profile is much more "John Paul II" than "Francis." In a world where a pope picks cardinals who share his specific vision for the future, Gomez just doesn't quite fit the mold Francis is looking for.
The McElroy Surprise
The real "ouch" moment for many in L.A. came in 2022.
Pope Francis named Robert McElroy, the Bishop of San Diego, as a cardinal.
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Think about that for a second. San Diego is a "suffragan" diocese of Los Angeles. In church hierarchy terms, San Diego is under the umbrella of L.A. By picking McElroy—a man known for being a staunch ideological ally of Francis—the Pope essentially skipped over the boss to pick the subordinate.
It was a clear signal. The Pope isn't looking for the biggest diocese; he’s looking for the loudest advocates for his specific style of leadership. McElroy is that. Gomez, who is much more of a "middle-of-the-road" institutionalist, is not.
Does It Actually Matter?
Here’s the thing: Not being a cardinal doesn't change what Gomez does on a Tuesday morning. He’s still the Archbishop of Los Angeles. He still runs the schools, the charities, and the parishes.
In fact, some people argue that Gomez is more effective without the hat. He’s not jetting off to Rome every few months for meetings. He’s in California. He’s focused on his people.
But for the five million Catholics in L.A., it feels like a snub. They are the biggest group of Catholics in the country, largely Latino, and they don't have a seat at the table when it’s time to elect the next pope. That stings.
What Happens Next?
Is it possible Gomez gets the hat in 2026 or later? Sure. Popes are unpredictable. But as we move further into this papacy, it looks less and less likely.
If you want to understand the situation, don't look for one single "scandal" or "fight." It’s a perfect storm of:
- A Pope who wants to de-emphasize American power.
- A shift toward picking ideological allies over institutional leaders.
- A lingering tension between the Vatican and the U.S. Catholic leadership.
Actionable Insights for Following This Story:
- Watch the Consistories: Pay attention to the next time the Pope announces new cardinals. If he continues to pick from small countries in the Global South, you know the "Gomez Snub" isn't personal—it's a policy.
- Look at the USCCB Leadership: The current leadership of the U.S. bishops is even more "traditional" than Gomez was. If none of them get red hats, it confirms the "Rome vs. U.S." divide is still wide.
- Follow the "Periphery" Trend: See if other major U.S. cities like Philadelphia or San Francisco continue to be passed over. If they are, it means the era of the "American Cardinal" in major cities might be over for a long time.
At the end of the day, Archbishop Gomez is doing the job he was sent to do. He just might be doing it in a purple hat instead of a red one for the rest of his tenure.