WASHINGTON — Cardinal Robert McElroy, the 71-year-old Archbishop of Washington, has been diagnosed with cancer, the archdiocese announced on Wednesday.

The cardinal will undergo surgery on Nov. 13 to remove a well-differentiated liposarcoma, which doctors described as a "non-aggressive cancer" that tends not to spread to other parts of the body.

"The cardinal's doctors are in consensus that his prognosis is very good," the archdiocese told WUSA9.

McElroy announced his diagnosis to priests in the archdiocese on Tuesday night, where he asked for prayers.

"I am at peace with this challenge and hope and believe that in God's grace, I will be Archbishop of Washington for many years to come," McElroy said.

The cardinal said that he plans on resuming full duties two weeks after his surger

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