Pope Francis appoints progressive bishop to head Chicago Archdiocese
Pope Francis on Saturday appointed Spokane, Washington's, Bishop Blase Cupich to be the next archbishop of Chicago. It is to date the Pope's most significant appointment in the United States; with 2.2 million parishioners, the Archdiocese Of Chicago is the third-largest in the country.
Moreover, the appointment is notable in that Cupich, like Pope Francis, is identified with the more progressive wing of the church. From The New York Times:
[E]ven before Francis became pope, Bishop Cupich and he sounded much alike. Bishop Cupich emphasized care for the poor and dispossessed, and on hot-button moral issues employed a tone that emphasized respect and dignity for gays and dialogue with those who disagreed with church teaching. [The New York Times]
Cupich will succeed the more conservative Cardinal Francis George, who is resigning.
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