Sneed: Cupich cut from same cloth as Pope Francis

By Michael Sneed
Chicago Sun-Times
September 20, 2014

http://www.suntimes.com/news/sneed/29992669-452/sneed-cupich-cut-from-same-cloth-as-pope-francis.html#.VB2CTvldWSo

Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane Wash., is greeted following a news conference by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops releasing the findings of a study to analyze the pattern of clergy sex abuse during at USCCB headquarters, Wednesday, May 18, 2011 in Washington. The study, commissioned by the nation's Roman Catholic bishops, from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, concluded that homosexuality, celibacy and an all-male priesthood did not cause the scandal.

The pope’s pick . . .

The new leader of Chicago’s Roman Catholic flock, Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane, Washington, is being likened to the man who chose him.

“ln a pastoral sense, Cupich is like Pope Francis,” said Mark Rowlands, a former Roman Catholic seminarian from Columbus, Ohio, where Cupich had been president-rector of the Pontifical Josephinum College years ago.

“He is a humble man. Spiritual. Not pompous,” Rowlands said. “You never got the feeling you were watching a play about a guy getting dressed up in clerical frippery.

“He was approachable, a good listener . . . not an episcopal thinker who wore French cufflinks and thought himself a prince of the church . . . and certainly not into the trappings of office,” added Rowlands, who described the selection of Cupich as a “left-field choice.”

Sneed, who reported in February that Bishop Cupich was on a short list to replace Cardinal Francis George, hears Pope Francis is picking people who are infuriating old Vatican insiders chosen by Pope Benedict XVI, the first pope to retire . . . which opened the door for the succession of Pope Francis.

“The conservative church blogs call him a liberal, but I think he is a pastorally progressive church leader,” Rowlands said.

“l don’t think he is a firebrand liberal, but he has a pastoral sensibility,” Rowlands said. “He was always available to talk to you on a one-on-one basis — not the guy who works the room.

◆ Backshot: Bishop Cupich banned priests and religious leaders from picketing at abortion centers in the Spokane Diocese; enjoys, likes the pope, being with small groups of people; drives a Toyota, doesn’t have a driver; permitted women to hold top leadership positions in the Spokane chancery, claiming they stopped him from making bad decisions; and is chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on the protection of children.

He also has a doctorate in sacred theology.

“lt’s a pretty hefty degree,” Rowlands said. “Less than 30 percent of Roman Catholic bishops have one.”

“He’s also 65 and has a good 10 or 12 years of service to give,” Rowlands added.

“By the way,” he said, “his name is pronounced SOUPich. It might be a good idea to start practicing that now.”