Blase J. Cupich

His Eminence Blase Joseph Cupich
Cardinal, Archbishop of Chicago
Archbishop Blase Cardinal Cupich preaches at a Mass in 2021 at his alma mater,Saint John Vianney College Seminaryin St. Paul, Minnesota.
Church	Catholic Church Latin Church
Archdiocese	Chicago
Appointed	September 20, 2014
Installed	November 18, 2014
Predecessor	Francis George
Other post(s)	Cardinal-Priest of S. Bartolomeo all'Isola Member,Congregation for Bishops Chancellor ofCatholic Extension
Orders
Ordination	August 16, 1975 byDaniel E. Sheehan
Consecration	September 21, 1998 byHarry Joseph Flynn
Created cardinal	November 19, 2016 byPope Francis
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born	Blase Joseph Cupich (1949-03-19)March 19, 1949 Omaha, Nebraska,U.S.
Previous post(s)	Bishop ofSpokane(2010‍–‍2014) Bishop ofRapid City(1998‍–‍2010)
Education	University of St. Thomas Saint John Vianney College Seminary Pontifical North American College Pontifical Gregorian University Catholic University of America
Motto	Peace be with you John 20:21

Styles of Blase Joseph Cupich
Reference style	His Eminence The Most Reverend Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Chicago

Ordination history of Blase J. Cupich
History Priestly ordination Ordained by Daniel Eugene Sheehan Date 16 August 1975 Place Saints Peter and Paul, Church,Omaha, Nebraska,US Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator Harry Joseph Flynn Co-consecrators Elden Francis Curtiss, Charles Joseph Chaput Date 21 September 1998 Place Rushmore Plaza Civic Center,Rapid City, South Dakota,US Cardinalate Elevated by Pope Francis Date 19 November 2016
Episcopal succession Bishops consecrated by Blase J. Cupich as principal consecrator Ronald Aldon Hicks 2018 Mark Andrew Bartosic 2018 Robert Gerald Casey 2018 Michael George McGovern 2020 Louis Tylka 2020 Jeffrey Scott Grob 2020 Robert Joseph Lombardo 2020 Kevin Michael Birmingham 2020
Source(s):Catholic-Hierarchy.org

Blase Joseph Cupich(/ˈsuːpɪtʃ/SOO-pitch;March 19, 1949) is an American prelate of theCatholic Church,a cardinal who serves asarchbishopof the Latin ChurchArchdiocese of Chicago.

Born inOmaha, Nebraska,Cupich was ordained a priest there in 1975. He was namedBishop of Rapid Cityin South Dakota, byPope John Paul IIin 1998. Cupich was then named bishop of theDiocese of Spokanein Washington State byPope Benedict XVIin 2010. After being chosen byPope Francisto succeed CardinalFrancis Georgeas Archbishop of Chicago, Cupich was installed there in 2014. He was subsequently also appointed to the Roman Curia'sCongregation for Bishops,which plays a role in advising the pope on episcopal matters, including appointments. Named to theCollege of Cardinalsin 2016, Cupich was additionally appointed to theCongregation for Catholic Education.

Early life and education

Blase Joseph Cupich was born on March 19, 1949, in Omaha, Nebraska, into a family ofCroatiandescent, as one of the nine children of Blase and Mary (née Mayhan) Cupich.He attendedMount Michael Benedictine Abbey and High Schoolin Elkhorn, Nebraska, and Archbishop Ryan High School in Omaha, Nebraska. Cupich then studied atSaint John Vianney Seminaryat theUniversity of St. Thomasin Saint Paul, Minnesota, obtaining hisBachelor of Philosophydegree in 1971. Cupich went to Rome to study at thePontifical North American Collegeand thePontifical Gregorian University,earning aBachelor of Sacred Theologydegree in 1974 and aMaster of Theologydegree in 1975.His class at the North American College included ten future American bishops and two future cardinals:James Michael HarveyandRaymond Leo Burke.He speaks six languages, including English and Spanish.

Ordination and ministry

Cupich wasordainedto the priesthood for theArchdiocese of Omahaby ArchbishopDaniel E. Sheehanon August 16, 1975. After his ordination, he served as both associatepastorat St. Margaret Mary Parish and instructor at Paul VI High School in Omaha until 1978. He served 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 theCatholic University of Americain Washington, D.C., obtaining hislicentiatein 1979 and hisDoctorate of Sacred Theologyin 1987. His dissertation was entitled "Advent in the Roman Tradition: An Examination and Comparison of the Lectionary Readings as Hermeneutical Units in Three Periods".

From 1980 to 1981, Cupich was an instructor in the Continuing Education of Priests Program and Diaconate Formation atCreighton Universityin Omaha. He then served as secretary of thenunciature to the United Statesuntil 1987, and occasionally acted as spokesman for the mission.Cupich was pastor of St. Mary Parish inBellevue, Nebraska,from 1987 to 1989, president-rector of thePontifical College JosephinuminColumbus, Ohio,from 1989 to 1996, and pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Omaha from 1997 to 1998.

Bishop of Rapid City

On July 6, 1998, Cupich was appointed as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City byPope John Paul II.He was installed and consecrated by ArchbishopHarry Flynnon September 21, 1998. The co-consecrators were ArchbishopsElden FrancisandCharles Chaput.

As bishop, Cupich banned children from receiving their first holy communion in theTridentine Massor being confirmed in the traditional form. In 2002, Cupich prohibited a Traditional Mass community from celebrating thePaschal Triduumliturgies according to the 1962 form of theRoman Rite.When Cupich was transferred these bans were lifted and the original mass reinstated. First Holy Communion and Confirmations resumed in the traditional rite.

During the2004 US presidential election,Cupich did not join those bishops who said thateucharistshould be denied to Catholic politicians who supportabortion rightsfor women. He said, "We cannotcherry-pickparticular issues. We have to be willing to talk about all issues. Our position begins with protecting the unborn, but it doesn't end there. "Two years later, asSouth Dakotavoters considered areferendumthat would banabortionexcept to save the mother's life, Cupich called for "public dialogue... marked bycivilityand clarity ". He proposed three conditions for the conduct of political debate:

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 todialoguethat is civil, interactive and substantial.

Shortly before theU.S. presidential election of 2008,Cupich published an essay inAmericaon the question of race that said:

As we draw near an election day on which one of the major party candidates for president is for the first time a person ofAfrican-Americanancestry, we should be able to do so with a sense that whatever the outcome, America has crossed another threshold in healing the wounds thatracismhas inflicted on our nation's body politic for our entire history. However, in view of recentmediareports 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.... [R]acism is asin.

Cupich served on theUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee for Young Adults during 2000 to 2003, the period when the USCCB adopted itsDallas 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.

Following the2008 US presidential election,Cupich advised his fellow bishops to find ways to work with the incomingObama administration:"Keep in mind aprophecyof 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. "

Bishop of Spokane

On June 30, 2010,Pope Benedict XVIappointed Cupich as bishop of the Diocese of Spokane.He was installed as the sixth bishop of theSpokaneon September 3, 2010, in a ceremony atGonzaga Universityin Spokane, Washington.

In 2011, Cupich discouraged priests andseminariansin his diocese from participating in demonstrations in front ofPlanned Parenthoodclinics or supporting40 Days for Life,ananti-abortionmovement that conducts vigils at facilities that offered abortion services. Cupich later clarified his position through a statement that said that while he woul not forbid priests from praying outside the clinics, he believed that "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.'"In February 2011, when Cupich was heading the USCCB Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People, aPhiladelphiagrand juryinvestigation found that theArchdiocese of Philadelphiahad allowed 37 priests to remain active despite accusations of abuse or inappropriate behavior. Cupich commented in March:

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.

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."

In June Cupich again pointed to the Dallas Charter, which he thought needed few modifications. He emphasized the need for proper implementation:

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.... 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 onliturgicalrenewal to introduce the new English translation of theRoman Missal.He wrote favorably of moving from anad orientemto aversus populumdirection of the priest in the Mass; he lamented those who did not accept the changes of thepost-Vatican II Roman Missal;he wrote favorably aboutCommunion under both speciesand Mass in thevernacular,non-Westerninculturationinto the liturgy, lay participation in the liturgy as alitmus testof active participation, and simplification ofrubrics.

In April 2012, Cupich supported the decision ofGonzaga Universityto invite AnglicanDesmond Tututo speak at its graduation ceremonies and receive an honorary degree, against which theCardinal Newman Societyand others active in theanti-abortionmovement were protesting.

As voters faced a November 2012referendumon the legalization ofsame-sex marriageinWashington State,Cupich wrote apastoral letterthat first noted that the question was often seen in terms of personal sympathy and "a matter of equality":

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 theirsexual 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 againsthomosexuals,of verbal attacks that demean their human dignity, and ofsuicidesby teens who have struggled with theirsexual identityor have been bullied because of it. As a result, supporters of the referendum often speak passionately of the need to rebalance thescales 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:

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 Church's position on the referendum: thatWashington's registered domestic partnershipsalready gave same-sex couplesallthe legal rights associated withmarriage,so equality was not an issue; that the referendum attempts to make different-sex and same-sex relationshipsidentical,notequal;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 termsmotherandfatherfrom legal documents transforms how we think about family relationships; that the impact on other features ofmarriage law,such as limitingmarriage by relativesor 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."

Cupich wrote on January 22, 2013, referencing the murder of 20 children in aNewtown, Connecticut, elementary schoola few weeks earlier, that "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."

Cupich allowedCatholic Charitiesemployees to help people register for benefits under theAffordable Care Act,popularly known as "Obamacare", in contrast to most other bishops.He said:

We considerhealth carea basichuman rightand 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 spoke at a conference at the Catholic University of America on the Catholic response tolibertarianism,which he criticized in detail:

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 ofPope 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 aneconomicsof 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... challenging economic and political approaches which fall short of placing human dignity in all its fullness as the priority. "

Archbishop of Chicago

Cupich praying at a 2017Good Fridaydemonstration against gun violence in Chicago with then-state Rep.David S. Olsen(on the right)

TheVaticanannounced on September 20, 2014, that Francis had accepted the resignation of CardinalFrancis Georgeas archbishop of Chicago and named Cupich to succeed him.Cupich was installed there on November 18, 2014.Before his installation inChicago,Cupich announced he would live in a suite of rooms atHoly Name Cathedralrather than in theGold Coastdistrict mansion that traditionally served as the residence of Chicago's archbishops.

Cupich announced a major reorganization of the Archdiocese on April 30, 2015. Approximately 50 archdiocesan employees acceptedearly retirementpackages. He appointed the seminaryrector,director of the metropolitan tribunal, and chancellor, while confirming Father Ronald Hicks asvicar generaland Betsy Bohlen, formerly the CFO, aschief operating officer.A new Hispanic Council (Consejo) was created with headquarters in a church inCicero, Illinois,in a heavilyHispanicarea.In March 2021 the archdiocese announced plans to combine thirteen parishes into five clusters, to minister to regions south of Chicago.

Writing in theChicago Tribuneon August 3, 2015, during thePlanned Parenthood 2015 undercover videos controversy,Cupich reiterated Cardinal George's call for "our commitment as a nation to a consistentethicof life ". He wrote that"commercein 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 brokenimmigrationsystem and by racism; who suffer inhunger,joblessnessand want; who pay the price of violence in gun-saturated neighborhoods; or who are executed by the state in the name of justice. "Father Raymond J. de Souza, in theNational Catholic Register,criticized what he claimed was Cupich's "inconsistent" practice of the "consistent life ethic",offered by CardinalJoseph Bernardinin the mid-1980s, arguing that it "mainly serve[s] to downplay the urgency of the abortion question".Cupich censured the Illinois GovernorBruce Raunerfor approving abortion rights after allegedly promising not to,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."

On December 27, 2021, following the issuing of themotu proprioTraditionis custodesin July and the subsequent issuing of guidelines released by theCongregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacramentsin December, Cupich imposed restrictions on the celebration of theTraditional Latin Massin the archdiocese of Chicago, including banning usage of the Traditional Rite on the firstSundayof every month,Christmas,theTriduum,Easter Sunday,andPentecost Sunday.Cupich was supportive of themotu proprio Traditionis custodessaying that "the TLM (Traditional Latin Mass) movement has hijacked the initiatives of St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI to its own ends."

Synod on the Family

Main article:Synod of Bishops, 2015

On September 15, 2015, Francis named Cupich to participate in the Synod of Bishops inRomein October, adding him to those proposed by the USCCB.There he supported proposals to provide a path for remarried persons to participate in communion and to respect the decisions that those who remarry orgaysin relationships "make about their spiritual lives".Cupich identified himself with those synod fathers who favored a pastoral approach that begins with encountering each person's specific circumstances and highlighted the importance of conscience.He said, "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. Theconscienceis inviolable. And we have to respect that when they make decisions and I've always done that. "

With respect to communion for those in same-sex relationships, he said:

[M]y role as apastoris 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 ofdiscernmentto 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.

Cardinal

On October 9, 2016, Francis announced that Cupich would be elevated to theCollege of Cardinalson November 19, 2016.At the consistory held on that day, he was given the rank ofcardinal-priestand assigned the titular church ofSan Bartolomeo all'Isola.

Viganò controversy

On August 25, 2018, ArchbishopCarlo Viganò,formerapostolic nuncio to the United States,released an 11-page letter describing a series of warnings to theVaticanregarding sexual misconduct by then CardinalTheodore McCarrick.Viganò also claimed that McCarrick and others "orchestrated" the appointments of Cupich as archbishop of Chicago and BishopJoseph Tobinasarchbishop of Newark.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.Cupich later said, "I don't think that I needed one person to be my advocate."

In an interview on August 27, Cupich said the language of the letter seemed political: "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.In an interview withWMAQ-TVthat same day, Cupich said "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." Cupich later stated that his remarks were not referring to abuse by clergy, which must be exposed, reported, apologized for, and ended.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 fromNorthern Italy.

Restrictions on the Missal of 1962

On December 27, 2021, Cupich announced how the Archdiocese of Chicago planned to implement themotu propioTraditionis custodes,which was promulgated by Francis in July 2021, restricting the celebration of Mass according to the Missal of 1962. Effective on January 25, 2022, all priests in the archdiocese of Chicago would be required to request permission from Cupich if they wished to celebrate the 1962 Mass; deacons and other instituted ministers who wished to participate in the celebration of the old rite mass would also be required to have the permission of Cupich. Permission would be required from both Cupich and the Holy See for a celebration to take place within a parish church. In order for Sacraments to be celebrated according to the older form, permission must be sought from Cupich. He also announced that the extraordinary form would not be permitted to be celebrated in the archdiocese, on the first Sunday of the month, at Christmas, Easter and Pentecost and during the Sacred Triduum. In addition to restrictions of the older form, Cupich also announced that any priest who wished to celebrate theMass of Paul VIad orientem(facing "towards the East" ) must first have his permission to do so. In announcing his restrictions, Cupich also implied that priests who minister to those attached to the old rite are to accompany their congregations to a return to the celebration of the ordinary form.

In June 2022, Cupich was named to theDicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.On July 16, 2022, it was leaked that Cupich was planning on shutting down the parishes in Chicago operated byInstitute 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.Since August 1, 2022, the celebration of public Masses and Sacraments at the Institute's headquartersShrine of Christ the Kingare suspended.This decision is believed to have been caused by pressure applied by Cupich.

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 theCatechism.He is also a board member of theCatholic Extension Societyand the Catholic Mutual Relief Society. He has served on the board ofSt. Paul Seminaryin St. Paul, Minnesota, as the episcopal advisor of the local Serra Club, and as a board member of theNational Pastoral Life Center.He began a three-year term as chair of theNational Catholic Education Associationin March 2013.

On July 7, 2016, Pope Francis named Cupich a member of theCongregation for Bishops.After being named to the College of Cardinals, Cupich was also appointed a member of theCongregation for Catholic Educationin 2017.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.He is chancellor of theUniversity of Saint Mary of the Lakein Mundelein, Illinois.

See also

• 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

External links

• "Cupich Card. Blase J."Holy See Press Office.Archivedfrom the original on October 19, 2017.RetrievedOctober 24,2017.
• Pashman, Manya Brachear (November 15, 2014)."Soon to lead Chicago Catholics, Cupich wasn't always set on religious life".Chicago Tribune.RetrievedOctober 24,2017.
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City Home Page
• Cupich, Blase J., "We are all a mixture of origins",Chicago Catholic,Archdiocese of Chicago, December 14, 2022