ILLINOIS
Desplaines Valley News
By Joe Boyle • Wed, Sep 24, 2014
Pastors on Chicago’s Southwest Side and southwest suburbs said they had a positive outlook after Pope Francis appointed Bishop Blase Cupich to replace Cardinal Francis George to lead the nation’s third largest diocese.
News began spreading Friday night that Cupich, 65, who has served as bishop of the Spokane, Wash., diocese for the past four years, would replace the ailing George, 77.
A news conference was held Saturday to officially introduce Cupich, who was born and raised in Omaha, Neb. George introduced Cupich, who he said “brings a deep faith, quick intelligence, personal commitment and varied pastoral experiences” to the church.
Cupich has been described as a moderate but he was quick to point out that “labels are hard for anybody to live up to.” …
George had to deal with major issues during his tenure, including the closing of many Catholic schools due to dwindling enrollment and the sexual abuse scandal.
“As far as abuse, Cardinal George was an architect of the zero tolerance policy,” said Furlan. “There are groups out there that no matter what we do, it is not enough.”
One of those groups would be the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, which has questioned Cupich’s term in Spokane regarding abuse by priests. The group believes the bishop has not done enough to deal with the problem of sexual abuse among some priests.
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