Edit filter log

'{{short description|American prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1949)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = Cardinal | honorific-prefix = [[His Eminence]] | name = Blase Joseph Cupich | honorific-suffix = | bishop_of = {{br list | [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|Cardinal]], | [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago|Archbishop of Chicago]]}} | image = Cdl. Cupich (cropped).png | caption = Cardinal Blase Cupich preaches at a mass in 2021 at [[Saint John Vianney Seminary (Minnesota)|Saint John Vianney College Seminary]] in St. Paul, Minnesota. | church = {{ubl | [[Catholic Church]] | [[Latin Church]] }} | archdiocese = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago|Chicago]] | appointed = September 20, 2014 | enthroned = November 18, 2014 | term_end = | predecessor = [[Francis George]] | successor = | other_post = {{indented plainlist| * [[San Bartolomeo all'Isola|Cardinal-Priest of S. Bartolomeo all'Isola]] * Member, [[Congregation for Bishops]] * Chancellor of [[Catholic Extension]] }} <!---------- Orders ---------->| ordination = August 16, 1975 | ordained_by = [[Daniel E. Sheehan]] | consecration = September 21, 1998 | consecrated_by = [[Harry Joseph Flynn]] | cardinal = November 19, 2016 | created_cardinal_by = [[Pope Francis]] | rank = [[Cardinal-Priest]] <!---------- Personal details ---------->| birth_name = Blase Joseph Cupich | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|3|19}} | birth_place = [[Omaha, Nebraska]], U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | buried = | religion = <!-- this parameter displays as 'denomination', which does not apply to Catholics. use 'church' parameter above. --> | residence = | parents = <!-- include only if they are independently notable or particularly relevant. --> | occupation = | previous_post = {{indented plainlist| * Bishop of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane|Spokane]] (2010{{nbnd}}2014) * Bishop of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City|Rapid City]] (1998{{nbnd}}2010) }} | education = {{indented plainlist| * [[University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)|University of St. Thomas]] * [[Saint John Vianney Seminary (Minnesota)|Saint John Vianney College Seminary]] * [[Pontifical North American College]] * [[Pontifical Gregorian University]] * [[The Catholic University of America|Catholic University of America]] }} | signature = | motto = {{ubl | ''Peace be with you'' | {{Bibleverse|John|20:21}}}} | coat_of_arms = }} {{Infobox cardinal styles | cardinal name = Blase Joseph Cupich | dipstyle = {{Blist| * [[His Eminence]] * [[His Eminence|The Most Reverend Eminence]] }} | offstyle = [[His Eminence|Your Eminence]] | relstyle = [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]] | See = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago|Chicago]] | image = Coat of arms of Blase Joseph Cupich.svg | image_size = 200px }} {{Ordination | ordained deacon by = | date of diaconal ordination = | place of diaconal ordination = | ordained priest by = [[Daniel Eugene Sheehan]] | date of priestly ordination = 16 August 1975 | place of priestly ordination = Saints Peter and Paul, Church, [[Omaha, Nebraska]], US | consecrated by = [[Harry Joseph Flynn]] | co-consecrators = {{ubl | [[Elden Francis Curtiss]], | [[Charles Joseph Chaput]]}} | date of consecration = 21 September 1998 | place of consecration = Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, [[Rapid City, South Dakota]], US | elevated by = [[Pope Francis]] | date of elevation = 19 November 2016 | bishop 1 = [[Ronald Aldon Hicks]] | consecration date 1 = 2018 | bishop 2 = [[Mark Andrew Bartosic]] | consecration date 2 = 2018 | bishop 3 = [[Robert Gerald Casey]] | consecration date 3 = 2018 | bishop 4 = [[Michael George McGovern]] | consecration date 4 = 2020 | bishop 5 = [[Louis Tylka]] | consecration date 5 = 2020 | bishop 6 = [[Jeffrey Scott Grob]] | consecration date 6 = 2020 | bishop 7 = [[Robert Joseph Lombardo]] | consecration date 7 = 2020 | bishop 8 = [[Kevin Michael Birmingham]] | consecration date 8 = 2020 | sources = ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''<ref name="catholic-hierarchy"/> }} '''Blase Joseph Cupich''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|uː|p|ɪ|tʃ}} {{respell|SOO|pitch}};<ref>Laurie Goodstein, "Pope Names Prelate With Inclusive Views as Chicago Archbishop," ''New York Times'', September 20, 2014.</ref> born March 19, 1949) is an American prelate of the [[Catholic Church]], a cardinal who serves as [[archbishop]] of the Latin Church [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago|Archdiocese of Chicago]]. Born in [[Omaha, Nebraska]], Cupich was ordained a priest there in 1975. He was named [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City|Bishop of Rapid City]] in South Dakota, by [[Pope John Paul II]] in 1998. Cupich was then named bishop of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane|Diocese of Spokane]] in Washington State by [[Pope Benedict XVI]] in 2010. After being chosen by [[Pope Francis]] to succeed Cardinal [[Francis George]] as Archbishop of Chicago, Cupich was installed there in 2014. In 2016 he was made a member the Roman Curia's [[Congregation for Bishops]], which advises the pope on the appointment of bishops, and named to the [[College of Cardinals]]. He was made a member of the [[Congregation for Catholic Education]] in 2017. ==Early life and education== Blase Joseph Cupich was born on March 19, 1949, in Omaha, Nebraska, into a family of [[Croat]]ian descent, one of the nine children of Blase and Mary (née Mayhan) Cupich.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://congress.archatl.com/speaker/cardinal-blase-j-cupich/ |title="25th Eucharistic Congress", Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta |access-date=December 27, 2022 |archive-date=December 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227052629/https://congress.archatl.com/speaker/cardinal-blase-j-cupich/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He attended [[Mount Michael Benedictine School|Saint John Vianney Minor Seminary]] in Elkhorn, Nebraska, and then Archbishop Ryan High School in Omaha, Nebraska. Cupich then studied at [[Saint John Vianney Seminary (Minnesota)|Saint John Vianney Seminary]] at the [[University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)|University of St. Thomas]] in St. Paul, Minnesota, obtaining his [[Bachelor of Philosophy]] degree in 1971. Cupich went to Rome to reside at the seminary of the [[Pontifical North American College]]. He attended [[Pontifical Gregorian University]] in Rome, earning a [[Bachelor of sacred theology|Bachelor of Sacred Theology]] degree in 1974 and a [[Master of Theology]] degree in 1975.<ref name="Hennes">{{Cite web |last=Hennes |first=Doug |date=2015-10-23 |title=A Humble Servant in the City of Broad Shoulders |url=https://news.stthomas.edu/humble-servant-city-broad-shoulders/ |access-date=2020-06-13 |website=St. Thomas University |language=en-US |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613193911/https://news.stthomas.edu/humble-servant-city-broad-shoulders/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> His class at the North American College included ten future American bishops and two future cardinals: [[James Michael Harvey|James Harvey]] and [[Raymond Leo Burke|Raymond Burke]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-19 |title=The '75 NACers, St. Joseph, and me |url=https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/the-75-nacers-st-joseph-and-me |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=The Pillar |language=en}}</ref> Cupich speaks six languages, including English and Spanish.<ref name="St.Claire">{{Cite web |title=New archbishop brings 'Francis factor' to Chicago |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-blase-cupich-profile-met-0921-20140921-story.html |access-date=2021-02-04 |website=Chicago Tribune |date=September 20, 2014 |language=en-US}}</ref> ==Ordination and ministry== Cupich was [[Holy Orders|ordained]] to the priesthood for the [[Archdiocese of Omaha]] at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Omaha by Archbishop [[Daniel E. Sheehan]] on August 16, 1975.<ref name="catholic-hierarchy" /> After his 1975 ordination, the archdiocese assigned Cupich as both associate [[Curate|pastor]] at St. Margaret Mary Parish and instructor at Paul VI High School in Omaha. He was moved in 1978 to serve as director of the Office for Divine Worship and as chair of the Commission on Youth from 1978 to 1981. Cupich completed his graduate studies at the [[The Catholic University of America|Catholic University of America]] in Washington, D.C., obtaining his [[Licentiate of Sacred Theology|licentiate]] in 1979 <ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=Most Reverend Blase J. Cupich|url=http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/bishop_cupich.php|publisher=Catholic Diocese of Spokane|year=2012|access-date=September 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729000447/http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/bishop_cupich.php|archive-date=July 29, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1980 Cupich worked as an instructor in the Continuing Education of Priests Program and Diaconate Formation at [[Creighton University]] in Omaha. He then transferred in 1981 to Washington to work as secretary of the [[Nunciature of the Holy See in Washington, D.C.|nunciature to the United States]], where he occasionally acted as spokesman for the mission.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pope to Send Out Aides in Bid to End Atomic Arms Race|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/13/world/pope-to-send-out-aides-in-bid-to-end-atomic-arms-race.html|access-date=October 3, 2014|work=New York Times|date=December 13, 1981}}</ref> During this period, Cupich obtained his [[Doctor of Sacred Theology|Doctorate of Sacred Theology]] in 1987 from Catholic University. His dissertation was entitled "Advent in the Roman Tradition: An Examination and Comparison of the Lectionary Readings as Hermeneutical Units in Three Periods".<ref name=":0" /> Returning to Nebraska in 1987, Cupich was assigned by the archdiocese as pastor of St. Mary Parish in [[Bellevue, Nebraska]], from 1987. Two years later, he went to [[Columbus, Ohio]] to serve as president-rector of the [[Pontifical College Josephinum]]. In 1996, after seven years in Columbus, Cupich came back to Nebraska and was appointed pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Omaha in 1997.<ref name="Hennes" /> ==Bishop of Rapid City== On July 6, 1998, Cupich was appointed as the seventh bishop of Rapid City by [[Pope John Paul II]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Prior Bishops of the Diocese|url=http://www.rapidcitydiocese.org/Bishop/PriorBishops.htm|publisher=Catholic Diocese of Rapid City|year=2012|access-date=November 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121125051415/http://www.rapidcitydiocese.org/Bishop/PriorBishops.htm|archive-date=November 25, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Cupich was installed and consecrated at the [[Rushmore Plaza Civic Center]] in Rapid City by Archbishop [[Harry Joseph Flynn|Harry Flynn]] on September 21, 1998. His co-consecrators were Archbishops [[Elden Francis Curtiss|Elden Francis]] and [[Charles Joseph Chaput|Charles Chaput]].<ref name="catholic-hierarchy">{{cite encyclopedia |publisher=David M. Cheney |title=Blase Joseph Cardinal Cupich |url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bcupich.html |encyclopedia=[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]] |date=October 6, 2023 |access-date=February 16, 2024}}</ref> As bishop, Cupich banned children from receiving their [[First Communion|first communion]] and confirmation in the [[Tridentine Mass]]. In 2002, Cupich prohibited a Traditional Mass community from celebrating the [[Paschal Triduum]] liturgies according to the 1962 form of the [[Roman Rite]]. He defended this move by saying, <blockquote>"We're just looking for an opportunity on an annual basis for us to all worship together, for one moment of unity as a Catholic church ... it seems the day the Lord died for us all would be a good day to do it. That's all that this is about."<ref>{{cite news|work=Rapid City Journal|access-date=September 20, 2014|url=http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/bishop-bans-latin-services/article_b37a5c37-b5a4-5af6-8014-48d9f5ef9da7.html | title=Bishop Bans Latin Services| first=Mary |last=Garrigan|date=March 27, 2002}}</ref> When Cupich moved to Spokane, the next bishop of Rapid City lifted these bans and reinstated the original mass. During the [[2004 United States presidential election|2004 US presidential election]], Cupich refused to support demands that priests deny the [[eucharist]] to Catholic politicians who support [[abortion rights]] for women. He said, <blockquote>"We cannot [[Cherry picking|cherry-pick]] particular issues. We have to be willing to talk about all issues. Our position begins with protecting the unborn, but it doesn't end there."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rodgers |first1=Ann|title=Replacing Wuerl: 8 bishop candidates emerge|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/frontpage/2006/07/23/Replacing-Wuerl-8-bishop-candidates-emerge/stories/200607230174|access-date=October 3, 2014|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=July 23, 2006}}</ref> </blockquote>Two years later, as [[South Dakota]] voters considered a [[referendum]] that would ban [[abortion]] except to save the mother's life, Cupich called for "public dialogue ... marked by [[civility]] and clarity". He proposed three conditions for the conduct of political debate: {{blockquote|1. It must be recognized that both the issue of abortion and legal restrictions on abortion are inevitably moral questions informed by moral values; 2. There should be agreement that any discussion of abortion and the law must recognize both the suffering of the unborn children in abortion and the suffering of pregnant women in dire circumstances; 3. There must be a commitment to [[dialogue]] that is civil, interactive and substantial.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cupich|first1=Blase J.|title=Abortion and Public Policy|url=http://americamagazine.org/issue/582/article/abortion-and-public-policy|access-date=October 3, 2014|work=[[America (Jesuit magazine)|America]]|date=September 11, 2006}}</ref>}} Shortly before the [[2008 United States presidential election|U.S. presidential election of 2008]], Cupich published an essay in ''[[America (magazine)|America]]'' on the question of race that said:<ref>{{cite news|access-date=September 20, 2014|first=Blase J. |last=Cupich|date=October 27, 2008|title=Racism and the Election|url=http://americamagazine.org/issue/673/editorial/racism-and-election |work=America}}</ref> {{blockquote|As we draw near an election day on which one of the major party candidates for president is for the first time a person of [[African-American]] ancestry, we should be able to do so with a sense that whatever the outcome, America has crossed another threshold in healing the wounds that [[racism]] has inflicted on our nation's body politic for our entire history. However, in view of recent [[Broadcast media|media]] reports regarding race-based voting, this potentially healing moment could turn into the infliction of one more wound if racism appears to determine the outcome. Because of that menacing possibility, it is worth recalling for Catholics and all Americans.&nbsp;... [R]acism is a [[sin]].}} Cupich served on the [[United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]]' (USCCB) Committee for Young Adults during 2000 to 2003, the period when the USCCB adopted its [[Dallas Charter]], establishing procedures for handling accusation of priest misconduct. He served again on the USCCB's renamed Committee on Protection of Children and Young People in 2005 to 2006. Cupich became head of the committee in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bishop Cupich|url=http://spokanecathedral.com/bishop-cupich-|publisher=Spokane Cathedral|access-date=October 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140922204439/http://spokanecathedral.com/bishop-cupich-|archive-date=September 22, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Following the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 US presidential election]], Cupich advised his fellow American bishops to find ways to work with the incoming [[Obama administration]]: <blockquote>"Keep in mind a [[prophecy]] of denunciation quickly wears thin, and it seems to me what we need is a prophecy of solidarity, with the community we serve and the nation that we live in."<ref>{{cite news|title=The Bishops & Obama|url=https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/bishops-obama-0|access-date=October 3, 2014|work=Commonweal|date=November 26, 2008}}</ref></blockquote> ==Bishop of Spokane== On June 30, 2010, [[Pope Benedict XVI]] appointed Cupich as bishop of Spokane.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pope Benedict XVI Accepts Bishop Skylstad's Resignation|url=http://www.kxly.com/news/Pope-Benedict-XVI-accepts-Bishop-Skylstad-s-resignation/-/101270/690036/-/43jepx/-/index.html|work=KXLY|date=June 30, 2010|access-date=November 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130224053526/http://www.kxly.com/news/Pope-Benedict-XVI-accepts-Bishop-Skylstad-s-resignation/-/101270/690036/-/43jepx/-/index.html|archive-date=February 24, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was installed on September 3, 2010, in a ceremony at [[Gonzaga University]] in Spokane, Washington.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gonzaga Hosts Historic Installation for Bishop Cupich|url=http://news.gonzaga.edu/2010/gonzaga-hosts-historic-installation-ceremony-for-bishop-cupich|access-date=October 3, 2014|work=@Gonzaga|publisher=Gonzaga University|date=September 15, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006112255/http://news.gonzaga.edu/2010/gonzaga-hosts-historic-installation-ceremony-for-bishop-cupich|archive-date=October 6, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2011, Cupich discouraged priests and [[Seminary|seminarians]] in his diocese from demonstrating in front of [[Planned Parenthood]] clinics or supporting [[40 Days for Life]], an [[anti-abortion]] movement. Cupich later clarified his position, saying that he would not forbid priests from praying outside the clinics. However, Cupich said that; <blockquote>"Decisions about abortion are not usually made in front of clinics – they’re made at 'kitchen tables and in living rooms and they frequently involve a sister, daughter, relative or friend who may have been pressured or abandoned by the man who fathered the child.{{'"}}<ref>{{cite news|access-date=September 20, 2014|date=April 4, 2012|url=http://www.inlander.com/spokane/calling-for-calm/Content?oid=2137805 |title=Calling for Calm|first=Daniel |last=Walters|work=Pacific Northwest Inlander}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Questions about involvement in the 40 Days for Life Program|url=http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/bjc_2011/bjc091611.htm|access-date=September 20, 2014|publisher=Diocese of Spokane|date=September 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924100338/http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/bjc_2011/bjc091611.htm|archive-date=September 24, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref></blockquote>In February 2011, a [[Philadelphia]] [[grand jury]] investigation found that the [[Archdiocese of Philadelphia]] had allowed 37 priests to remain in active ministry despite accusations of abuse or inappropriate behavior. Cupich commented in March 2011: {{blockquote|This is confusing and demoralizing to many people. Everybody is very saddened by this because people are working very hard, each and every day, to implement the charter. And to have this happen is really just painful for all of us.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Goodstein |first1=Laurie |title=Suspensions Force Bishops to Reassess Rule Changes|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/26/us/26bishop.html |access-date=October 3, 2014|work=The New York Times|date=March 25, 2011}}</ref>}} Cupich later called the Philadelphia events "an anomaly". He said the U.S. bishops had implemented much of their agreed upon reforms known as the Dallas Charter (2002) and added: "If we want our people to trust us, we have to trust them. So we are doing our best to make sure that we are transparent with them."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Goodstein |first1=Laurie |title=Church Abuse Report Authors Defend Findings as Critics Weigh In |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/19/us/19bishops.html |access-date=October 3, 2014|work=The New York Times|date=May 18, 2011}}</ref> In June Cupich again pointed to the Dallas Charter, which he thought needed few modifications. He emphasized the need for proper implementation:<ref>{{cite news|last1=Goodstein |first1=Laurie |title=Bishops Won't Focus on Abuse Policies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/us/15bishops.html |access-date=October 3, 2014|work=The New York Times|date=June 14, 2011}}</ref> {{blockquote|It's not the charter that's the problem. It seems to me to be whether or not the people are using the charter as a reference point appropriately.&nbsp;... We consider the charter to have an iconic status. We believe the decisions we made in 2002 were significant. They involved not only a change in practice and policy, but I think culture as well, and so we are going to be reluctant to back off this commitment in any way to make any changes.}} Over the course of three months in 2011, Cupich published "The New Roman Missal: A Time of Renewal", a historical overview on [[liturgical]] renewal to introduce the new English translation of the [[Roman Missal]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/bjc_2011/bjc081811.htm|access-date=September 20, 2014|title=Part One: Where It All Began|date=August 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924100851/http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/bjc_2011/bjc081811.htm|archive-date=September 24, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/bjc_2011/bjc091511.htm|access-date=September 20, 2014|title=Part II: The long history of liturgical renewal|date=September 15, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924100333/http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/bjc_2011/bjc091511.htm|archive-date=September 24, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> He wrote favorably of moving from an {{lang|la|[[ad orientem]]}} to a {{lang|la|[[versus populum]]}} direction of the priest in the mass; he lamented those who did not accept the changes of the [[Mass of Paul VI|post-Vatican II Roman Missal]]; he wrote favorably about [[Intinction|Communion under both species]] and mass in the [[vernacular]], non-Western [[inculturation]] into the liturgy, lay participation in the liturgy as a [[wikt:litmus test|litmus test]] of active participation, and simplification of [[rubrics]]. In April 2012, Cupich supported the decision of [[Gonzaga University]] to invite Bishop [[Desmond Tutu]] to speak at its graduation ceremonies and receive an honorary degree. The [[Cardinal Newman Society]] and [[anti-abortion]] activists were protesting his appearance.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Morris-Young|first1=Dan|title=Tutu commencement invitation sparks controversy at Gonzaga|url=http://ncronline.org/news/peace-justice/tutu-commencement-invitation-sparks-controversy-gonzaga|access-date=September 22, 2014|work=National Catholic Reporter|date=April 18, 2012|archive-date=September 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924042642/http://ncronline.org/news/peace-justice/tutu-commencement-invitation-sparks-controversy-gonzaga|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Weingarten|first1=John|title=Spokane Bishop Supports Pro-Abortion Rights Commencement Speaker at Gonzaga University|url=http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/930819402.html|access-date=September 22, 2014|work=Christian News Wire|date=April 9, 2012}}</ref> As voters faced a November 2012 [[Washington Referendum 74|referendum]] on the legalization of [[same-sex marriage]] in [[Washington state|Washington State]], Cupich wrote a [[pastoral letter]] that first noted that the question was often seen in terms of personal sympathy and "a matter of equality":<ref>{{cite news |first=Blase |last=Cupich |title=A Letter to Parishioners, Referendum 74 |url=http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/news_detail.php?id=212 |publisher=Diocese of Spokane |access-date=September 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923191649/http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/news_detail.php?id=212 |archive-date=September 23, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> {{blockquote|Proponents of the redefinition of marriage are often motivated by compassion for those who have shown courage in refusing to live in the fear of being rejected for their [[sexual orientation]]. It is a compassion that is very personal, for those who have suffered and continue to suffer are close and beloved friends and family members. It is also a compassion forged in reaction to tragic national stories of violence against [[homosexuals]], of verbal attacks that demean their human dignity, and of [[suicides]] by teens who have struggled with their [[sexual identity]] or have been bullied because of it. As a result, supporters of the referendum often speak passionately of the need to rebalance the [[justice|scales of justice]].}} Cupich then called for "a substantial public debate ... carried on with respect, honesty and conviction" and asked for "careful consideration" of the church's position on the referendum. He concluded with a statement of tolerance that differentiated the Church from opponents of the referendum: {{blockquote|I also want to be very clear that in stating our position the Catholic Church has no tolerance for the misuse of this moment to incite hostility towards homosexual persons or promote an agenda that is hateful and disrespectful of their human dignity.}} Cupich explained the Catholic Church's position on the Washington referendum: that [[Domestic partnership in Washington (state)|Washington's registered domestic partnerships]] already gave same-sex couples ''all'' the legal rights associated with [[marriage]], so equality was not an issue; that the referendum attempts to make different-sex and same-sex relationships ''identical'', not ''equal''; that it ignores the real differences between men and women and how "sons and daughters learn about gender from the way it is lived by their mothers and fathers"; that removing the terms ''mother'' and ''father'' from legal documents transforms how we think about family relationships; that the impact on other features of [[marriage law]], such as limiting [[Prohibited degree of kinship|marriage by relatives]] or restricting marriage to two people, are unknown; and that the question is not whether a religious or secular definition of marriage will prevail: "Marriage existed either before the church or the state. It is written in our human nature."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cupich|first1=Blase J.|title=Some Reflections on Referendum 74|url=http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/bjc_2012/reflections-74.htm|access-date=September 20, 2014|publisher=Administrative Division: Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Washington|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924101842/http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/bjc_2012/reflections-74.htm|archive-date=September 24, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Cupich wrote on January 22, 2013, referencing the murder of 20 children at [[Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting|Sandy Hook Elementary School]] in Newtown, Connecticut, a few weeks earlier, that <blockquote>"The truth will win out and we have to believe that a nation whose collective heart can break and grieve for babies slaughtered in Newtown has the capacity and God's grace to one day grieve for the babies killed in the womb."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://americamagazine.org/content/all-things/dont-forget-about-baby-homily-respect-life-mass|title=Don't Forget About the Baby: A Homily for Respect Life Mass|date=January 22, 2013|access-date=October 24, 2016}}</ref></blockquote>Cupich allowed [[Catholic Charities]] employees to help people register for health care insurance under the 2010 [[Affordable Care Act]], in contrast to most other bishops.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ncronline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic/cupich-chicago-what-does-mean| title=Cupich to Chicago: What does this mean? |access-date=September 20, 2014| date=September 20, 2014|first=Michael Sean|last=Winters| work=National Catholic Reporter}}</ref> He said:<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pan |first1=Deanna |title=Give Me Your Poor and Uninsured|url=http://www.inlander.com/spokane/give-me-your-poor-and-uninsured/Content?oid=2266221|access-date=September 21, 2014|work=Inlander|date=February 13, 2014}}</ref> {{blockquote|We consider [[health care]] a basic [[human right]] and we believe that people should have access to affordable health care in order to live a full life. We want to make sure that people who do not have ready access to affordable care do. This is a program that does allow this to take place. }} In June 2014, Cupich addressed a conference at the Catholic University of America on the Catholic response to [[libertarianism]],<ref>The full text as well as a video of Cupich's address: {{cite news|last1=Palmo|first1=Rocco|title=For Chicago, The 'Thunder' Is In – Cupich Named Corporation Sole|url=http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2014/09/for-chicago-thunder-is-in.html|access-date=September 27, 2014|work=Whispers in the Loggia|date=September 20, 2014}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|reason=blogs are generally not reliable sources|date=May 2024}} which he criticized in detail: {{blockquote|By uncoupling human dignity from the solidarity it implies, libertarians move in a direction that not only has enormous consequences for the meaning of economic life and the goal of politics in a world of globalization, but in a direction which is inconsistent with Catholic Social Teaching, particularly as it is developed by Pope Francis.}} As an alternative to libertarianism, Cupich advocated some of [[Pope Francis]]' views, including his "different approach to how we know and learn" by "making sure that ideas do dialogue with reality" and his call "for a shift from an [[economics]] of exclusion to a culture of encounter and the need for accompaniment", in which, he explains, "One encounters another, not one self. This emphasis on encounter and accompaniment unmasks the difficulty with libertarianism, for its stated goal is to increase human autonomy as the priority." He closed by expressing his "serious concerns about libertarianism that impact the pastoral life", the difficulty of counseling young people whose "interior life is at risk in a world that encourages them to be caught up in their own interests". Francis' critique of contemporary capitalism is, in his view, "tethered to a rich tradition of&nbsp;... challenging economic and political approaches which fall short of placing human dignity in all its fullness as the priority." ==Archbishop of Chicago== [[File:Chicago March for Peace 02.jpg|thumb|Archbishop Cupich praying at a 2017 [[Good Friday]] demonstration against gun violence in Chicago with Rep. [[David S. Olsen]] (on the right)]] The [[Holy See|Vatican]] announced on September 20, 2014, that Francis had accepted the resignation of Cardinal [[Francis George]] as archbishop of Chicago and named Cupich to succeed him.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2014/09/20/0651/01459.html | title=Rinunce e nomine | date=September 20, 2014 | access-date=September 20, 2014 | author=Press Office of the Holy See}}</ref> Cupich was installed there on November 18, 2014.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/275847081.html | title=Pope names moderate Bishop Cupich to lead Chicago archdiocese, succeeding Cardinal George | work=[[Minneapolis Star-Tribune]] | date=September 20, 2014 | access-date=September 20, 2014 | last=Zoll | first=Rachel | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140921000924/http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/275847081.html | archive-date=September 21, 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Before his installation in [[Chicago]], Cupich announced he would live in a suite of rooms at [[Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago|Holy Name Cathedral]] rather than in the [[Gold Coast, Chicago|Gold Coast]] district mansion that traditionally served as the residence of Chicago's archbishops.<ref>{{cite news|title=Report: Chicago's new archbishop won't live in cardinal's mansion|url=http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/10/22/report-chicagos-new-archbishop-wont-live-in-cardinals-mansion/|access-date=October 22, 2014|work=CNN|date=October 22, 2014|first=Daniel|last=Burke|archive-date=October 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022203553/http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/10/22/report-chicagos-new-archbishop-wont-live-in-cardinals-mansion/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Cupich announced a major reorganization of the archdiocese on April 30, 2015. Approximately 50 archdiocesan employees accepted [[early retirement]] packages offered by the archdiocese. He appointed the seminary [[rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]], director of the metropolitan tribunal, and chancellor, while confirming Father Ronald Hicks as [[Vicar General|vicar general]] and Betsy Bohlen, formerly the CFO, as [[chief operating officer]]. Cupich created a new Hispanic Council (Consejo) with headquarters in a church in [[Cicero, Illinois]], in a heavily [[Hispanic]] area.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-archbishop-cupich-editorial-board-met-20150430-story.html | title=Cupich announces Chicago archdiocese reorganization |access-date=October 13, 2015| work=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> In March 2021 the archdiocese announced plans to combine 13 parishes into five clusters, to minister to regions south of Chicago.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/chicago-archdiocese-announces-another-round-of-parish-mergers/73464 |title=Chicago archdiocese announces another round of parish mergers |work=The Catholic Telegraph |agency=CNA |date=March 12, 2021}}</ref> Writing in the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' on August 3, 2015, during the [[Planned Parenthood 2015 undercover videos controversy]], Cupich reiterated Cardinal George's call for "our commitment as a nation to a consistent [[ethic]] of life". He wrote that "[[commerce]] in the remains of defenseless children" is "particularly repulsive" and that "we should be no less appalled by the indifference toward the thousands of people who die daily for lack of decent medical care; who are denied rights by a broken [[immigration]] system and by racism; who suffer in [[hunger]], [[joblessness]] and want; who pay the price of violence in gun-saturated neighborhoods; or who are executed by the state in the name of justice."<ref>{{cite news | url= http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-84133075/ | first= Blase | last= Cupich | title= Planned Parenthood and the muted humanity of the unborn child | work= Chicago Tribune | date= August 3, 2015 | access-date= October 26, 2015 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190527232319/http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-84133075/ | archive-date= May 27, 2019 | url-status= dead }}</ref> Father Raymond J. de Souza, in the ''[[National Catholic Register]]'', criticized what he claimed was Cupich's "inconsistent" practice of the "[[consistent life ethic]]", offered by Cardinal [[Joseph Bernardin]] in the mid-1980s, arguing that it "mainly serve[s] to downplay the urgency of the abortion question".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/the-consistent-ethic-of-life-and-archbishop-blase-cupich/ |title=The Consistent Ethic of Life and Archbishop Blase Cupich |first=Raymond J. |last=de Souza |date=August 28, 2015 |access-date=October 27, 2015 |archive-date=October 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023054230/http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/the-consistent-ethic-of-life-and-archbishop-blase-cupich |url-status=dead }}</ref> Cupich censured the Illinois Governor [[Bruce Rauner]] for approving abortion rights after allegedly promising not to,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-cupich-abortion-bill-react-met-20170928-story.html|title=Rauner broke his promise by signing abortion coverage bill, Cupich says|last=Pashman|first=Manya Brachear|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2018-10-19|language=en-US}}</ref> and at a March for Life rally in Chicago, Cupich said abortion is an important issue and argued that it is in other issues that the Church's witness seems to be deficient, saying "We also have to care about that baby once that baby is born."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/cardinal-cupich-rejects-benedict-option-calls-engagement-world|title=Cardinal Cupich rejects 'Benedict option,' calls for engagement with the world|date=2018-02-02|work=National Catholic Reporter|access-date=2018-10-19|language=en}}</ref> On December 27, 2021, following the issuing of the {{lang|la|[[motu proprio]] [[Traditionis custodes]]}} in July and the subsequent issuing of guidelines released by the [[Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments]] in December, Cupich imposed restrictions on the celebration of the [[Traditional Latin Mass]] in the archdiocese. He banned the usage of the Traditional Rite on the first [[Sunday]] of every month, [[Christmas]], the [[Triduum]], Easter Sunday, and [[Pentecost Sunday]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2021-12/cardinal-cupich-chicago-policy-traditionis-custodes-1962-missal.html|first=Bernadette Mary | last= Reis |title=Cardinal Blase Cupich publishes policy implementing Traditionis custodes|date=2021-12-27|work=Vatican News|access-date= 2021-12-27|language=en}}</ref> Cupich was supportive of the&nbsp;{{lang|la|motu proprio Traditionis custodes}} for promoting a return to a unified, post-Vatican II [[Mass of Paul VI|Ordinary Form]] of the Mass.<ref name=Angelus>{{cite news|url=https://angelusnews.com/news/vatican/cardinal-cupich-named-member-of-vatican-congregation-for-divine-worship/ |title=Cardinal Cupich named member of Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship |work=Angelus |agency=CNA |date=June 1, 2022}}</ref> In June 2022, the Vatican named Cupich o the [[Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments]].<ref name="Angelus" /> On July 16, 2022, it was leaked that Cupich was planning on shutting down the parishes in Chicago operated by [[Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest]], which celebrates mass according to the 1962 missal. Cupich was reportedly planning to revoke the ministry of the priest belonging to the Institute to operate in the diocese starting on August 1, 2022.<ref>{{cite web|title=Upon This Creampuff: With doctrinal revisionism and persecuting Latin mass communities, Pope Francis makes mockery of Catholicism's claim of stability|url=https://www.theamericanconservative.com/upon-this-creampuff/|author-link=Rod Dreher |last=Dreher |first=Rod |publisher=[[The American Conservative]]|date=July 16, 2022|accessdate=July 18, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=UPDATED: 'Cardinal' Cupich to shut down Institute of Christ the King in Chicago|url=https://novusordowatch.org/2022/07/cardinal-cupich-to-shut-down-institute-christ-king/|date=July 16, 2022|accessdate=July 18, 2022}}</ref> In August 1, 2022, the Institute suspended the celebration of public masses and sacraments at [[Shrine of Christ the King (Chicago)|Shrine of Christ the King Church]], its headquarters.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 August 2022 |title=Events |url=https://www.institute-christ-king.org/chicago-events |website=Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Prince}}</ref> This decision is believed to have been caused by pressure applied by Cupich.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 August 2022 |title=Ban on mass at Shrine of Christ the King Church raises concern for future of historic landmark |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2022/8/2/23289749/ban-mass-shrine-of-christ-the-king-church-historic-landmark-woodlawn-archdiocese|website=Chicago Sun-Times}}</ref> On August 19, 2024, Cupich delivered the opening [[invocation]] at the [[2024 Democratic National Convention]] in Chicago.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 19, 2024 | access-date = August 20, 2024 |title= Cardinal Cupich delivers invocation at Democratic National Convention, where he lamented the “ongoing injustices in our national life” and called for national unity. | work = Chicago Catholic| url = https://www.chicagocatholic.com/chicagoland/-/article/2024/08/19/cardinal-cupich-delivers-invocation-at-democratic-national-convention }}</ref> Some conservative Catholics and anti-abortion activists criticized Cupich for not addressing abortion in his invocation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-20 |title=UPDATE: Cardinal Cupich Invocation at DNC Stirs Disappointment Among Pro-Life Activists |url=https://www.ncregister.com/cna/dnc-2024-cardinal-cupich-invocation |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=NCR |language=en}}</ref> ===Synod on the Family=== {{Main|Fourteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops|l1=Synod of Bishops, 2015}} On September 15, 2015, Francis named Cupich to participate in the synod of bishops in [[Rome]] in October 2015, adding him to those proposed by the USCCB.<ref>{{cite news | work = Chicago Tribune | access-date = October 26, 2015 | date= September 15, 2015| first= Manya Brachear | last = Pashman | url= http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-archbishop-cupich-synod-met-20150915-story.html | title = Chicago archbishop to participate in Rome synod on family, marriage, divorce }}</ref> There he supported proposals to provide a path for remarried persons to participate in communion and to respect the decisions that those who remarry or [[gays]] in relationships "make about their spiritual lives".<ref>{{cite news | work= Chicago Tribune | access-date = October 26, 2015| url= http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-archbishop-cupich-divorce-gays-communion-synod-met-20151016-story.html | date= October 17, 2015 | title= Cupich emerges as strong voice in synod | first = Manya Brachear | last = Pashman }}</ref> Cupich identified himself with the bishops who favored a pastoral approach that begins with encountering each person's specific circumstances and highlighted the importance of conscience.<ref>{{cite news | work = America Magazine | url= http://americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/cupich-hears-three-words-repeated-synod-accompaniment-reconciliation-integration | title= Cupich Hears Three Words Repeated at Synod: Accompaniment, Reconciliation, Integration | first = Gerard | last = O'Connell | access-date = October 26, 2015 | date= October 16, 2015}}</ref> Cupich said, "<blockquote>I try to help people along the way. And people come to a decision in good conscience. Then our job with the church is to help them move forward and respect that. The [[conscience]] is inviolable. And we have to respect that when they make decisions and I've always done that."<ref>{{cite news | work= National Catholic Reporter | access-date = October 26, 2015 | date= October 16, 2015 | url= http://ncronline.org/feature-series/family-synod-2015 | title= Chicago's Cupich on divorce: Pastor guides decisions, but person's conscience inviolable | first =Joshua J. | last = McElwee }}</ref></blockquote>With respect to communion for those in same-sex relationships, he said:<ref>{{cite news | access-date = August 20, 2024 | url = https://www.ncronline.org/chicagos-cupich-divorce-pastor-guides-decisions-persons-conscience-inviolable | work = National Catholic Reporter | date = October 16, 2015 | title= Chicago's Cupich on divorce: Pastor guides decisions, but person's conscience inviolable | first = Joshua J. | last = McElwee }}</ref> <blockquote>My role as a pastor is to help them to discern what the will of God is by looking at the objective moral teaching of the Church and yet, at the same time, helping them through a period of discernment to understand what God is calling them to at that point. It's for everybody. I think that we have to make sure that we don't pigeonhole one group as though they are not part of the human family, as though there's a different set of rules for them. That would be a big mistake.</blockquote> ===Cardinal=== On October 9, 2016, Francis announced that he would elevate Cupich to the [[College of Cardinals]] on November 19, 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/pope-francis-to-create-17-new-cardinals-at-november-consistory | work = National Catholic Register | access-date = November 19, 2016 | date = October 9, 2016 | title= Pope Francis to Create 17 New Cardinals at November Consistory }}</ref> At the [[Papal consistory|consistory]] held on that day, he received the rank of [[Cardinal priest|cardinal-priest]] and was assigned the titular church of [[San Bartolomeo all'Isola]].<ref>{{cite press release| publisher=Holy See Press Office | date = 19 November 2016 | access-date= 19 November 2016| url= http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2016/11/19/161119b.html | title=Titular churches and diaconates of the new cardinals}}</ref> ====Viganò controversy==== On August 25, 2018, Archbishop [[Carlo Maria Viganò|Carlo Viganò]], former [[Apostolic Nunciature to the United States|apostolic nuncio to the United States]], released an 11-page letter describing a series of warnings to the Vatican regarding sexual misconduct by then Cardinal [[Theodore McCarrick]].<ref name="CNA_2018.08.25">{{cite news |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/39227/ex-nuncio-accuses-pope-francis-of-failing-to-act-on-mccarricks-abuse-reports |title=Ex-nuncio accuses Pope Francis of failing to act on McCarrick's abuse reports |last=Pentin |first=Edward |date=August 25, 2018 |work=[[Catholic News Agency]] |access-date=August 25, 2018}}</ref> Viganò also claimed that McCarrick and others "orchestrated" the appointments of Cupich as archbishop of Chicago and Bishop [[Joseph W. Tobin|Joseph Tobin]] as [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark|archbishop of Newark]].<ref name="CNA_2018.08.25" /><ref name="NYT_2018.08.26">{{cite news |title=Pope Francis Long Knew of Cardinal's Abuse and Must Resign, Archbishop Says |last=Horowitz |first=Jason |date=August 26, 2018 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/26/world/europe/pope-ireland-sexual-abuse-letter-vigano.html |access-date=August 27, 2018}}</ref> Cupich responded, saying that Viganò told Cupich at the time of his appointment to Chicago that it was "news of great joy", and that Viganò congratulated him and expressed support for him.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.archchicago.org/statement/-/article/2018/08/26/statement-of-cardinal-blase-j-cupich-in-response-to-the-testimony-of-former-apostolic-nuncio-to-the-united-states-carlo-maria-vigano |title=Statement of Cardinal Blase J. Cupich in Response to the 'Testimony' of Former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Carlo Maria Viganò |work=Archdiocese of Chicago |access-date=2018-09-10 |language=en-US}}</ref> Cupich later said, "I don't think that I needed one person to be my advocate."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/39256/transcript-of-cardinal-blase-cupich-interview-on-vigano |title=Transcript of Cardinal Blase Cupich interview on Vigano |work=Catholic News Agency |access-date=2018-09-10 |language=en}}</ref> In an interview on August 27, 2018, Cupich said the language of the Viganò letter seemed political: <blockquote>"It was so scattershot that it was hard to read if it was ideological in some ways, or it was payback to others for personal slights that he had because there were some people who in his past he felt had mistreated him." Cupich was "taken aback" by the negative language Viganò used with regard to him.<ref name="ChicagoTrib">{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-letter-vatican-mccarrick-cupich-career-20180827-story.html |title=Cardinal Cupich defends his record, Pope Francis in response to former Vatican official |last=O'Connell |first=Patrick M. |date=August 2, 2018 |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=August 27, 2018}}</ref> </blockquote>In an interview with [[WMAQ-TV]] that same day, Cupich said, <blockquote>"The Pope has a bigger agenda. He's got to get on with other things—of talking about the environment and protecting migrants and carrying on the work of the Church. We're not going to go down a rabbit hole on this." </blockquote>Cupich later stated that his remarks to WMAQ were not referring to abuse by clergy, which must be exposed, reported, apologized for, and ended.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.archchicago.org/en/cardinal-cupich-s-statement/-/article/2018/08/29/statement-of-cardinal-blase-j-cupich-on-misleading-nbc-chicago-report |title=Statement of Cardinal Blase J. Cupich on Misleading NBC Chicago Report |website=Archdiocese of Chicago |language=en-US |access-date=2018-09-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-cupich-victims-sexual-abuse-catholic-church-0928-20180926-story.html |title=The Catholic Church 'must remain vigilant' in reporting all abuse |last=Cupich |first=Blase J. |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=2018-09-29 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-cardinal-cupich-apologizes-20180928-story.html |title=Cardinal Cupich apologizes, saying his 'poor choice of words' may have added to suffering of sex abuse victims, survivors |last=Walberg |first=Matthew |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=2018-09-29 |language=en-US}}</ref> When asked about those criticizing the pope, Cupich responded, "Quite frankly, they also don't like him because he's a Latino." Francis was born and raised in Argentina, after his parents immigrated to that country from [[Northern Italy]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/39244/cupich-dismisses-vigano-claims-as-a-rabbit-hole |title=Cupich dismisses Viganò claims as a 'rabbit hole' |date=August 28, 2018 |work=Catholic News Agency |access-date=August 28, 2018}}</ref> ==Other offices== Within the USCCB, Cupich has served as chair of the Bishops' Committee on the Protection for Children and Young People since 2008 and he is a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Scripture Translation. He has served as a member of the Committee on the Liturgy, the Communications Committee and the Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the [[Catechism]]. He is also a board member of the [[Catholic Extension|Catholic Extension Society]] and the Catholic Mutual Relief Society. He has served on the board of [[Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity|St. Paul Seminary]] in St. Paul, Minnesota, as the episcopal advisor of the local Serra Club, and as a board member of the [[National Pastoral Life Center]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncea.org/about-us/board-directors|access-date=September 20, 2014|publisher=Nation Catholic Education Association|title=Board of Directors, 2013–2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924040652/http://www.ncea.org/about-us/board-directors|archive-date=September 24, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> He began a three-year term as chair of the [[National Catholic Education Association]] in March 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bishop Cupich Named NCEA Board Chairperson|url=http://www.ncea.org/news/bishop-cupich-named-ncea-board-chairperson|date=November 14, 2012|publisher=National Catholic Education Association|access-date=October 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006075703/http://www.ncea.org/news/bishop-cupich-named-ncea-board-chairperson|archive-date=October 6, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> On July 7, 2016, Pope Francis named Cupich a member of the [[Congregation for Bishops]].<ref>{{cite news | access-date = July 7, 2016 | date = July 6, 2016 | url = https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2016/07/07/pope-positions-cupich-influence-bishops-appointments/ | work = CRUX | title = Pope taps Cupich for key bishops-making panel | archive-date = July 8, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160708142436/https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2016/07/07/pope-positions-cupich-influence-bishops-appointments/ | url-status = dead }}</ref> After being named to the College of Cardinals, Cupich was also appointed a member of the [[Congregation for Catholic Education]] in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.archchicago.org/about-us/cardinal-blase-j-cupich |title=Cardinal Blase J. Cupich |publisher=Archdiocese of Chicago |language=en-US |access-date=2018-08-05}}</ref> Members of Vatican congregations normally have five-year terms. Cupich is the Catholic co-chair of the National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue, sponsored by the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the USCCB.<ref>[https://www.americamagazine.org/voices/blase-j-cupich "Blase J. Cupich"]. ''America''</ref> He is chancellor of the [[University of Saint Mary of the Lake]] in Mundelein, Illinois.<ref>[https://usml.edu/cardinal-blase-cupich-year-of-saint-joseph/ "Saint Joseph, An Obedient Father"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227052645/https://usml.edu/cardinal-blase-cupich-year-of-saint-joseph/ |date=December 27, 2022 }}. Mundelein Seminary.</ref> ==See also== {{Div col}} * [[Catholic Church in the United States]] * [[Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States]] * [[List of Catholic bishops of the United States]] * [[Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops]] * [[Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Chicago]] {{div col end}} <!-- please keep entries in alphabetical order --> ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{wikiquote}} * {{cite web| access-date = 24 October 2017| title= Cupich Card. Blase J. |publisher= [[Holy See Press Office]] | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_cupich_b.html | url-status=live | archive-date= 19 October 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171019164045/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_cupich_b.html }} *{{cite news|last1=Pashman|first1=Manya Brachear|title=Soon to lead Chicago Catholics, Cupich wasn't always set on religious life|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/ct-blase-cupich-profile-met-20141114-story.html|access-date=24 October 2017|work=Chicago Tribune|date=15 November 2014 |ref=none}} *[http://www.archchicago.org/ Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago] *[http://www.rapidcitydiocese.org/ Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City Home Page] * [https://www.chicagocatholic.com/cardinal-blase-j.-cupich/-/article/2022/12/14/we-are-all-a-mixture-of-origins Cupich, Blase J., "We are all a mixture of origins", ''Chicago Catholic'', Archdiocese of Chicago, December 14, 2022] {{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{s-bef|rows=2|before=[[Francis George]], OMI}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago|Archbishop of Chicago]]|years=2014–present}} {{s-inc|rows=2}} {{s-ttl|title=[[San Bartolomeo all'Isola|Cardinal-Priest of San Bartolomeo all’Isola]]|years=2016–present}} {{s-bef|before=[[William S. Skylstad]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane|Bishop of Spokane]]|years=2010–2014}} {{s-aft|after=[[Thomas Anthony Daly]]}} {{s-bef|before=[[Charles J. Chaput|Charles Joseph Chaput]], [[Order of Friars Minor Capuchin|OFM Cap]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City|Bishop of Rapid City]]|years=1998–2010}} {{s-aft|after=[[Robert Dwayne Gruss]]}} {{S-end}} {{Cardinals of the Catholic Church}} {{US-RC-cardinals}} {{Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago}} {{Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane}} {{Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City}} {{portal bar|Biography|Catholicism|Illinois}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Cupich, Blase Joseph}} [[Category:1949 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American people of Croatian descent]] [[Category:Roman Catholic archbishops of Chicago]] [[Category:Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago]] [[Category:Roman Catholic bishops of Spokane]] [[Category:Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane]] [[Category:Roman Catholic bishops of Rapid City]] [[Category:Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City| ]] [[Category:Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha]] [[Category:Clergy from Omaha, Nebraska]] [[Category:21st-century American cardinals]] [[Category:Creighton University faculty]] [[Category:Pontifical North American College alumni]] [[Category:Catholic University of America alumni]] [[Category:University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) alumni]] [[Category:Pontifical Gregorian University alumni]] [[Category:Religious leaders from Nebraska]] [[Category:Members of the Congregation for Bishops]] [[Category:Cardinals created by Pope Francis]] [[Category:Bishops appointed by Pope John Paul II]] [[Category:Bishops appointed by Pope Benedict XVI]] [[Category:Bishops appointed by Pope Francis]]'