Spokane WA bishop to succeed Cardinal George as Chicago archbishop

The Vatican on Saturday is expected to name a successor to the ailing Cardinal Francis George, choosing a relative moderate from Washington state who has been outspoken on society’s need to care more for the poor but also had a leading role in the battle against same-sex marriage, according to reports.

The Associated Press and the National Catholic Reporter said the choice to succeed George is Blase Cupich, bishop of Spokane.

The 65-year-old Cupich has been in Spokane since September 2010, following a dozen years as bishop of Rapid City, S.D. If he is indeed named to lead the Roman Catholic Church in Chicago, he will be an archbishop when he arrives, as was George when he came back to his hometown in 1997.

In an unusual move, the Archdiocese of Chicago set a news conference for Saturday morning but did not divulged the subject, leading to reports that George’s successor would be officially appointed.

Cupich is considered more pragmatic than focused on dogma. He has been outspoken that society needs to make more of a priority of caring for the poor and dispossessed, while also leading the battle against same-sex marriage in Washington state, said Michael Budde, chair of the Catholic Studies Department at DePaul University.
continue at Chicago Tribune


2 comments:

Scott Woltze said...

He's no mushy moderate, he knows when to lay down the law. Like that time he banned his priests and seminarians from praying outside 40 Days for Life. Oh, wait...nevermind.

Anonymous said...

Or when he had doors of a church in Spokane padlocked so the FSSP wouldn't be able hold their Holy Week ceremonies....nice...very pastoral. I'm sorry for Catholics in Chicago, the ICK and St. John Cantius.

SG