WASHINGTON
The Spokesman-Review
Catholic Bishop of Spokane Blase Cupich will be the next archbishop of Chicago, the Associated Press is reporting.
It’s a major step for the 65-year-old Cupich, who came to Spokane four years ago to rebuild a diocese struggling in the aftermath of bankruptcy.
Chicago has 2.2 million Catholics – making it the third-largest archdiocese in the country. The Spokane diocese has about 90,000 parishioners.
Cupich will succeed Cardinal Francis George, according to a person with knowledge of the selection, who spoke to the Associated Press Friday on condition of anonymity because the person wasn’t authorized to speak publicly. George, 77, has been battling cancer. He was bishop of Yakima before being named to the Chicago post.
The Archdiocese of Chicago has scheduled a news conference for this morning. A spokeswoman for the archdiocese would not comment. Cupich did not return a phone message left Friday evening.
Cupich has taken bold steps since his arrival in Spokane, including filing a major malpractice lawsuit against the diocese’s own bankruptcy lawyers. That case is bound for trial in February. He is considered a tough leader related to the Catholic Church’s response to sex abuse scandal as an early advocate for zero tolerance. When he was installed as bishop in Spokane, he spoke of the need for the church to address the disgust and anger over the abuse scandal.
Pope Francis’ choice for Chicago has been closely watched as his first major appointment in the U.S., and the clearest indication yet of the direction he will steer American church leaders. Cupich is considered a pragmatist and a moderate leader who is not among U.S. Roman Catholic bishops who have taken a harder line on hot-button topics. Francis has called the church’s focus on abortion, marriage and contraception narrow and said it was driving people away.
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