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4d ago

Pope Leo XIV Appoints Michael Pham as San Diego’s First Vietnamese American Bishop

Pham, a former refugee and current auxiliary bishop, will lead a diocese of 1.3 million Catholics starting July 17, marking a milestone in U.S. Catholic Church diversity.

Pope Leo XIV holds his first weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Pope Leo XIV waves as he leaves after his first weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Pope Leo XIV Thursday appointed Michael Pham, previously auxiliary bishop of San Diego and diocesan administrator, as the Bishop of San Diego.
Auxiliary Bishop Michael Pham holds a press conference Thursday May 22, 205 in San Diego, California, after it was announced that he has been appointed by Pope Leo XIV as the new bishop of the San Diego Catholic Diocese. He’s the first Vietnamese American bishop in the United States. Howard Lipin / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Overview

  • Michael Pham, 58, becomes the first Vietnamese American to oversee an entire U.S. diocese, following his appointment by Pope Leo XIV on May 22, 2025.
  • Pham’s life journey spans fleeing post-war Vietnam as a child refugee, resettling in the U.S., and rising through the ranks of the Catholic Church in San Diego.
  • He succeeds Cardinal Robert McElroy, who was named archbishop of Washington, D.C., earlier this year, and will be formally installed on July 17, 2025.
  • Pham has pledged to prioritize synodality, multicultural outreach, and addressing past abuse claims within the diocese of 1.3 million Catholics.
  • His appointment reflects the Vatican’s broader push for diversity and inclusion in church leadership under the guidance of Pope Leo XIV.