Cardinal Francis George, the late Archbishop of Chicago, understood that reform in the Church means re-rooting, not uprooting. He was a scholar-bishop with a clear sense of Catholic identity, a defender of continuity in doctrine and liturgy, and a pastor who left his archdiocese with stable vocations and a coherent vision. His were, as we say in England, very big boots to fill.
His successor, Cardinal Blase Cupich, now 76 years old and about to be replaced, has proved to be more of a political operator than a shepherd. He has gained influence under Pope Francis, and enjoys sway in the Roman Curia, most recently demonstrated through the high-profile meeting between Jesuit James Martin and Pope Leo XIV, but the hard facts of his governance in Chicago tell another story. By every measurable indicator; vocations, Mass attendance, parish life, sacramental participation, he has presided over decline. He styles himself as the herald of “development,” yet his programme has meant dismantling the legacy of Cardinal George in the name of progress, leaving behind a diminished Church.
And now, in his latest polemic against Tradition, he reveals not only a failure of pastoral leadership but a profound theological incompetence.
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