It has been in the news that Blase Cupich, Bishop of Spokane, Washington, will be the next Archbishop of Chicago. The Associated Press report notes that
Pope Francis’ choice for Chicago has been closely watched as his first major appointment in the U.S., and the clearest indication yet of the direction he will steer American church leaders.
Upon hearing news of Bishop Cupich’s appointment, I was aware that much of the reportage would concern matters such as his handling of the sex abuse crisis or his views on politics or his stands on a number of controversial issues.
But what about liturgy?
Looking around on line, I found only a few indications of his style and thought.
Here is a video of him presiding at an NCEA liturgy in 2013. Skillful, low-key, at home in the rites.
He wrote a Pastoral Letter while bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota, with this intriguing title: “He Comes to Be with Us Because He Knows We Are Dying: A Christmas Message on the Importance of the Eucharist in Our Lives, A Pastoral Letter to the People of God in Western South Dakota in the Year of the Eucharist (2004).” Unfortunately, I was not able to find the text on line.
I did, however, find the text of the Habinger lecture he delivered at the College of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, MN, in 2003. It was entitled: “The Second Vatican Council: Why should it matter to your generation.” He speaks only parenthetically about liturgy, but clearly links a reinvigorated theology of the Church as communion to the reform of the liturgy:
…[T]his emphasis on the communal nature of the Church opened up a much richer understanding of the liturgy. Now our worship of God becomes a renewal of the bonds we share with each other, and with Christ, as we take up His mission of reconciling all of creation through the blood of His Cross. The Church grows in this identity and mission through the Eucharist. That is why the Council called for full, active and conscious participation in the liturgy. It is not for building our own small group or social enclave of like-minded or like-income people. Rather, it is about Christ drawing us together to renew us in our identity and to reinvigorate us for the mission. It is no wonder that the Council Fathers’ first task was the renewal of the liturgy. In fact, The Constitution on the Liturgy was their first document, issued forty years ago this coming December 4.11 The renewal of the liturgy was aimed at building the kind of community we have been talking about…
It’s a lecture well-worth reading to get a sense of the man and his perspective. When he speaks about the Council’s unfinished agenda at the end, he comes out sounding very much like Pope Francis in reaching out to non-believers:
We are still learning how to speak with those who reject the Gospel. Open and mature dialogue is never easy, but the strength and patience it demands will keep us from the two extremes, a quick condemnation of those at odds with us or an easy compromise of our own position so that we fit in. This is true in dialogue with people of other faiths and traditions or with politicians and elected officials.
This part of the Church’s agenda is a work in progress, but it needs to go forward if the Church is going to be true to her identity as a servant to the world, not against the world or of the world but for the world.
[Update: My thanks to Anthony Ruff for noting the Crux article which reported Cupich had a clash with Latin Mass enthusiasts in Rapid City; he barred them from celebrating the liturgies of Holy Week in the extraordinary form. My thanks to Ricky Manalo for commenting below that Cupich has a doctorate in liturgy at Catholic U, which is excellent news indeed. Another source tells me his dissertation adviser was the much esteemed David Power.]
Chicago has given the American Church notable leadership in liturgy in the past. Institutions such as Liturgy Training Publications, and ministries such as the Office of Divine Worship have made lasting contributions to liturgical renewal beyond the borders of the Archdiocese. Let us hope that their new ordinary will support these and other worthwhile endeavors during his tenure, lending his own “style and grace” to the liturgy of a great diocese.
In closing, here is a picture of Bishop Cupich baptizing a catechumen at the Easter Vigil, in 2010.
[second update] I’m informed by another source that the episcopal ring Cupich is wearing in the photo below is one of the rings that Pope Paul VI gave the bishops at the end of the Second Vatican Council (or a copy; they are still made in some shops in Rome). It is one of the least expensive episcopal rings, yet one which suggests a wealth of meaning. From all accounts, the signs are clear that Bishop Cupich prizes the heritage of Vatican II, in the liturgy and otherwise. Congratulations, Chicago!
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