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Explainer: Cardinal Tobin will now help Pope Francis pick bishops. What does that mean for the U.S. Church?Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, N.J., to the Vatican’s influential Congregation for Bishops on March 4, filling the position left open when Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, the former archbishop of Washington, D.C., retired in November from his Vatican roles.Cardinal Tobin joins Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich as one of two Americans on the congregation. The two will play a key role in choosing bishops for the United States in particular, as congregation members generally have significant sway within the body...

Cardinal Tobin joins Cupich on Vatican's influential Congregation for BishopsVatican City — On March 4, Pope Francis named Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, as a member of the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops, making him the second American now serving on the group tasked with advising the pontiff on which Catholic priests to appoint as bishops across the world.Tobin effectively replaces retired Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl, whose appointment to the congregation ended in November on Wuerl's 80th birthday. Tobin now joins Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, whom Francis appointed to the group in 2016.The congregation, which traces its origins to...