CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Phoenix
Gerald Farinason
September 20, 2014
The Catholic Bishop of Spokane, Wash. will be installed as the new archbishop of Chicago, the Vatican confirmed at 5 a.m. Saturday morning. Most Rev. Blase Joseph Cupich (pronounced sooh-pitch), 65, will become the 14th ordinary, ninth archbishop of Chicago, and leader of 2.2
The choice is a surprise to most Catholics. He is a bishop, not a metropolitan archbishop. All those indicated as favorites for the job were archbishops. A long shot, Cupich’s name only appeared as a possibility in the last couple days.
Cardinal Francis George, 77, is retiring as he battles cancer—which he expects will take his life. All previous archbishops died in office.
Cupich is the first major U.S. appointment by Pope Francis. The decision was seen by church-watchers as indicative of the direction the pontiff hopes to shepherd America’s Catholics.
According to Religion News Service writer David Gibson, the appointment dashes the hopes of conservatives as Cupich comes from a progressive wing of the church.
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