In Chicago's Wake, "Riding the Wave"

Seventeen years ago, the ink was barely dry on Francis George's own surprise appointment to Chicago when its architect emerged: the cardinal-archbishop of Boston.Having quoted the end of TS Eliot's "Little Gidding" at his first presser, George might've been the first Windy City native ever to return home as Boss. But his path to the chair in Holy Name arguably owed as much to his days as a young mission priest in Mississippi, when he helped coordinate Catholic involvement in the civil rights movement alongside another freshly-ordained cleric, one Fr Bernard Law.And now, much as Saturday's stunning launch of Blase Cupich as George's successor is the sign of a markedly different time, the move's lineage stayed eerily intact. According to ops appraised of the process, the principal Stateside force behind the nod was Boston's Cardinal Seán O'Malley OFM Cap., now Pope Francis' chief North American adviser as the continent's lone member of the pontiff's "Gang of Nine." The coordinator of the group, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga – clearly impressed with Cupich's June turn after his own in Washington – is said to have joined the early push for the Spokane prelate, which was reportedly agreed to by Francis' American "driver" on the Congregation for Bishops, the capital's Cardinal Donald Wuerl. (Beyond the conference, Cupich and Wuerl would likewise have solid ties through the National Catholic Education Association, whose board the former currently chairs. Given Chicago's boast of the nation's largest diocesan school system, several major Catholic universities – including the US' largest, DePaul – as well as two immensely influential graduate centers at Mundelein and the Catholic Theological Union, the confluence of that local context and the choice is a significant aspect which should not be underestimated.)From the outset of the process, it was made clear that the Pope was driven to "own" his choice for the nation's third-largest diocese, quite possibly the only one Francis will be able to make in the US church's top rank. The way things have panned out, he's done precisely that.Even as the expedited timing helped amplify the shock of the appointment across ideological lines, the move's early arrival has an added ramification for the Pope's wider plans. At its November meeting in Baltimore, the USCCB is scheduled to elect the bench's three delegates to the October 2015 Ordinary Synod, which will discuss concrete proposals to improve the church's pastoral care and outreach to families. As the nominations from the body which form the Synod ballot currently remain pending, it's a safe bet that Cupich – who garnered sufficient support to make last year's slate of ten nominees for the conference's top two posts – can block out his calendar for the three-week meeting next year.* * * Forty-eight hours after his selection became official, the nominee has been on something of a blitz while visiting his family in Omaha, telling the National Catholic Reporter that he saw his role "as not just telling [people] what the Gospel says but bringing them to an encounter with Christ and accompanying them," and answering a question on the recent controversies over Eucharistic sanctions from CBS' Chicago affiliate by saying that "we can't politicize the Communion rail." The comment came while Cupich was still vested after celebrating Sunday Mass at the boyhood parish his grandparents helped build.Ironically enough, while earlier last week saw another deeply polarized yet just as energized mix of reactions to reports that Francis intended to transfer Cardinal Raymond Burke to the post of patron of the Order of Malta – normally a sinecure for a retired red-hat after a distinguished career – it's worth noting that Burke and Cupich were classmates in Rome.In the wake of the latest frenzy to surround the Wisconsin-born "chief justice," it wasn't lost on some that the news was first broken by outlets which have long championed Burke and the fearless mix of liturgical traditionalism and political conservatism he's come to embody for both admirers and critics of his approach. For the latter's part, meanwhile, while most coverage of the appointment has deemed Cupich a "moderate," the descriptor was greeted skeptically by one veteran of the USCCB's centrist bloc, who said that "if anything," the Chicago pick "is left-of-center." As another of the group noted, "Blase wasn't always a progressive," but whatever shift he underwent took place well before the current pontificate.In any case, Cupich apparently came close to answering at least one long-held prayer of the Catholic right. At the start of his usual hourlong preach in the pulpit he's held for over three decades, Fr Michael Pfleger told yesterday's crowd at the South Side's St Sabina parish he "almost went into cardiac arrest" on seeing the archbishop-elect laud his efforts to address the city's epidemic of gun violence.As the congregation erupted in applause and praise-shouts, the famously activist pastor said "I almost had a heart attack" when Cupich name-checked him in a TV interview."I don't know if that's good or bad, but I'm gonna ride that wave as far as I can," Pfleger said, Lord, have mercy!"While one of the backing ministers called out that Cupich would be "your third" archbishop of his pastorate, having helmed the now-sprawling empire of worship, education and social-service ministries since the days of Cardinal John Cody, the incoming Corporation Sole will actually be Pfleger's fourth.* * *Along the way, Sabina wasn't the only prominent Chicago church outpost where the appointment was greeted with full-on giddiness. Since his days as bishop of Rapid City, Cupich has been intimately involved with the locally-based Catholic Extension Society, whose work of supporting the nation's home mission dioceses has been a key element of the wider clout of Chitown archbishops for the last century. Indeed, with both his prior episcopal assignments in Extension dioceses, Cupich is the third Windy City pick in a row whose ministry has heavily been in locales where the society's efforts are significant in funding the church's work.At Saturday's appointment presser, the Extension chief Fr Jack Wall reportedly sent up a stage whisper urging the auxiliaries flanking the podium to "Smile!" Meanwhile, as a member of the entity's board of governors, Cupich was already slated to speak at a meeting for the Extension bishops in Chicago this week. Now, as archbishop, the appointee becomes the society's ex officio chancellor.In a unique arrangement granted by the Holy See, neither George nor Cupich immediately became administrators of their respective dioceses when the appointment was announced. Until the installation on November 18th, they will retain the full powers of office as archbishop of Chicago and bishop of Spokane.-30-

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