Posted on 09/20/2014 3:51:38 AM PDT by NYer
Pope Francis has given a new direction to the American Church by appointing the bishop of Spokane, Blase Joseph Cupich, 65, as the ninth archbishop of Chicago.
The archbishop-elect is a highly-talented leader, a pastor with vision, together with long, varied and successful pastoral and administrative experience in two dioceses and a college. He is totally committed to the culture of encounter, does not engage in confrontation, has a zero-tolerance line on child abuse, and is deeply committed to the poor and marginalized.
He succeeds Cardinal Francis George who has governed the archdiocese – the third largest in the country with 2.3 million Catholics and the largest Catholic charities, health care and school systems - for the past 17 years. Earlier this year, the cardinal who is combatting cancer asked the Holy See to appoint his successor.
The Vatican confirmed the news of Bishop Cupich’s appointment at midday (Rome time) Saturday, seven hours ahead of the Chicago press conference called for the same purpose.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, on 19 March 1949, one of nine children of Croatian-American parents, after finishing high school, Blase Cupich (pronounced ‘Soupich) entered the College of St Thomas in St Paul, Minnesota, as a student for the archdiocese of Omaha. He gained his B.A. degree in Philosophy at the university there in 1971. Sent to train for the priesthood at the North American College in Rome (1971-75), he gained degrees in theology from the Jesuit-run Pontifical Gregorian University, and was ordained priest in 1975. Later, in 1987, he gained his doctoral degree in Sacramental Theology from the Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.
Back in his home diocese, he served in a parish (1975-78) and held liturgical and youth roles (1978-81) before being called to work as Secretary at the Apostolic Nunciature, Washington D.C. (1981-87), under Archbishop (later cardinal) Pio Laghi. Two years later, he was appointed Rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio (1989-96).
After more years as pastor in a parish, John Paul II appointed him as bishop of Rapid City diocese, South Dakota, (1998-2010), one of the smallest and poorest dioceses in the USA. There he considerably reduced the diocesan debts, built a home for retired and elderly priests, related well with priests and lay people, and made friends with the native American Lakota people who called him “White Thunder”.
Over the years he served on several committees of the Bishops’ Conference including the ones dealing with child abuse and the safeguarding of children. He was Chairman of the Committee for the Protection of Children from 2008-13 and in this role gave good leadership and insisted on ongoing reform in this area. Perhaps because of his experience in this field, Benedict XVI sent him to the diocese of Spokane in 2010, which was beset by abuse claims and bankruptcy, which claims he helped resolve through mediation. Recently he just published a four-year plan for that diocese based on local consultation and Pope Francis’ programmatic document, “The Joy of the Gospel”.
When asked by the New York Times after the plenary meeting of the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference last November, what the papal nuncio had told them about the kind of bishop the Pope wants, Bishop Cupich said, “Pope Francis doesn’t want culture warriors, he doesn’t want ideologues, that is the new paradigm for us, and it’s making many of us think”.
One thing is certain the new archbishop is “neither a culture warrior nor an ideologue”, a source who knows him well but did not wish to be identified told Vatican Insider after the news of his new appointment became public.
He recalled that Bishop Cupich once said, “It’s very easy in today’s polarized world to leave civility behind. But we must be able to speak of difficult issues in ways that don’t tear our communities apart”.
Various sources describe the new archbishop as “a generous, compassionate and prayerful man” with “a simple lifestyle” who is convinced that the Church in the USA has to give greater attention to the poor, the marginalized and the question of poverty in a wider agenda for life than the one that has prevailed up to now. “He is a pastor, who embodies the spirit and aims of Pope Francis”, one Vatican source added.
Ping!
I don’t know anything about this man, but the whole thing is already not sounding good.
He is totally committed to the culture of encounter, does not engage in confrontation...
When asked by the New York Times after the plenary meeting of the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference last November, what the papal nuncio had told them about the kind of bishop the Pope wants, Bishop Cupich said, “Pope Francis doesn’t want culture warriors, he doesn’t want ideologues, that is the new paradigm for us, and it’s making many of us think”.
In other words, none of that silly proselytism. The New Religion strikes again.
This shows that Francis is thoroughly in the grip of evil.
Cupich ordered the removal of all kneelers in the Diocese of Rapid City. He viciously persecuted “conservative” priests.
Pray for the early retirement or death of this Pope.
“Pope Francis doesn’t want culture warriors”
The HHS mandate attempt. Businesses already being punished for refusing to participate in same-sex “marriage”. Will we be back in the catacombs before some in the Church wake up? We have no choice but to be peaceful culture warriors if we want to preserve the freedom we have left.
I don’t totally agree with “Pope Francis doesn’t want culture warriors”. He came out to meet the Pro-Life Italy March and I think he has more starch in the spine than the new archbishop of Chicago. I’d like to see a bit more of Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina in Francis. He was a culture warrior there saying gay marriage is a deceit of the devil and that the country has the death penalty for the innocent unborn child.
“Francis is thoroughly in the grip of evil.”
I think that goes a bit far, Arthur, though it angered me when they started ripping out the kneelers in Louisville. But now the kneelers are coming back due to the prayers (particularly of the Rosary) of the faithful and a new archbishop (Kurtz, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) in 2007.
Francis is relying on O’Malley, Dolan, and Wuerl for his decisions with respect to America. That’s being in the grip of evil.
Wuerl in particular, is a repellent, transparent Uriah Heep. If Francis is taken in by him, then he’s totally unfit for the Papacy. Not that he doesn’t give evidence of that every day.
Read about his politicking here.
http://www.inlander.com/spokane/calling-for-calm/Content?oid=2137805
Spokane loses a rather lackluster prelate who appeared to worry only about cleaning up the financial mess left behind by one of Bernardin’s Boys. He was widely expected to be transferred soon, and here it is. The real question is who we get now?
Yes, it is worrisome. But none of the details suggest that he is weak on any of the basic orthodox matters. Not that that proves he isn’t. But I think we need to wait and see.
Chicago is a very tough diocese to run. Cardinal George was a good man, but he certainly had his work cut out for him. you are dealing with Mafia City, and with a lot of bad stuff inherited from earlier times. A lot of questionable priests, and if you fired them all, you wouldn’t have enough left to man the parishes. Same problem as Boston.
I read that after I commented. Oh dear, not good.
Got to remember that in the Chicago area, there is a Croatian-Americans community.
Seems like the cold, calculating and "humble" O'Malley has most in common with our Pope, and also holds the position of greatest influence among the three as a consequence of his membership in the Gang of Eight and his fluent Spanish.
Well he said, Pope Francis, that he would be Pope for another 2 or 3 years.
Plus Chicagoland is Obamaland.
That thing about knellers being removed troubled me bigtime. While for those who struggle with knee issues, such as I, does my best to knell, not having the knellers would get me upset as well.
I will more likely see a revolt rather then a being pushed back into the catacombs.
“The real question is who we get now?”
Another liberal. You can bet on it. Francis does not appoint orthodox Catholics, conservative Catholics, whatever you want to call them. He appoints liberal Catholic priests.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.