In a city with one of the largest gay communities, the Vatican on Friday named San Francisco's newest archbishop: a man who is a strong opponent of same-sex marriage.

The central governing body of the Roman Catholic Church picked Bishop Salvatore Cordileone, who is currently the bishop in the Diocese of Oakland, Calif. Cordileone, who will soon govern more than 432,000 Catholics in San Francisco under his new title, has publicly backed bans for same-sex marriage.

Cordileone, 56, supported California's controversial Proposition 8, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. During the state's November 2008 election, Proposition 8 barely passed with a 52 percent vote and contradicted the California Supreme Court's ruling that had legalized same-sex marriage just five months before.

When interviewed by the Catholic Radio Network around that time, Cordileone characterized same-sex marriage as a plot by "the evil one" to destroy morality in the modern world, according to the Chronicle.

Friday's appointment comes after the resignation of San Francisco's current Archdiocese, 76-year-old George H. Niederauer, who held the position since late 2005.

"I look forward to assuming my new pastoral responsibilities with and for the priests and people of the Archdiocese of San Francisco," Cordileone said in a press conference statement.

"This isn't a marriage made in heaven," Tom Ammiano, a gay state assemblyman who represents San Francisco, told the Chronicle. Ammiano did say he's willing to discuss gay marriage with Cordileone.

In February, a federal appeals court found Prop 8 unconstitutional, but the U.S. Supreme Court will probably have the final say in its constitutionality.

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