CHICAGO (IL)
WHTC
By Mary Wisniewski
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago from 1997 until 2014, has died at the age of 78 after a long battle with cancer, the Chicago Tribune and other media reported on Friday.
Known for his intellectualism and strong defense of church dogma – including sometimes controversial statements against gay marriage – George halted his treatment for bladder cancer early in 2015 and was hospitalized for tests in March.
Pope Francis accepted his resignation in September 2014 and appointed then-Bishop Blase J. Cupich of Spokane, Washington, to succeed him as head of the nation’s third-largest archdiocese.
The Archdiocese of Chicago did not immediately confirm the reports that Cardinal George had died, but Archbishop Cupich was scheduled to give a news conference at 2 p.m. (3 p.m. EDT).
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