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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