CHICAGO — Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich was recently appointed to the pontifical commission for Vatican City state. He recently returned from the Vatican and a special meeting with the Holy Father.
The pontiff told the 170 cardinals from around the world, “You called on me to be pope. Now I call on you.” Pope Leo says he’s counting on the church leaders to amplify his message.
Chicago’s Archbishop Cupich is among them. And he in turn is calling on Chicagoans.
At Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral, there was recently a mass to mark Catholic Schools Week. Students Maci Tuckett and Audrina Vance were given a special honor.
“I just received the Peacemaker Award,” Maci said. “That’s usually for students who create change in their community.”
“It made me feel so good,” Audrina said.
The 8th graders at The Frances Xavier Warde School have a mission.
“Being there for everyone and being able to accept people as they are,” Audrina said.
“Jesus was a peacemaker,” Maci said. “And he plays a big role in my life because I want to follow in his footsteps.”
Pope Leo would be proud. The young students have already embraced the very marching orders the Holy Father has for leaders of the Catholic Church.
“One in which we walk together and also that we are a listening church,” Cupich said.
And no one listens like Leo. That’s why the pope called cardinals from all around the world to Rome in early January. He wanted to hear from them.
“We heard from many cardinals from around the world a sense of alarm about the way decisions were being made in the world today,” Cupich said. “Where the powerful seem to dominate the weak.”
While synodality, or the collective journey of Catholics, and the joy of the gospel were central themes of discussion, there were other critical topics on the table.
“At the core of the crisis is a relativism that reduces truth to an opinion or alternative facts. So we have to look at what is really true,” Cupich said. “I think we have to really hold elected officials to admitting what really happened. We should not be afraid of the truth. It’s only then that we can move forward.”
Chicago’s archbishop spoke his truth as urged politicians to approach the immigration crisis with humanity. He echoed the sentiments of the Holy Father.
“The crying need right now that’s really the responsibility of all elected officials, whatever party they are in, is to have significant immigration reform,” Cupich said.
And the cardinals at the consistory were ready and willing to help guide the discussions.
“The word ‘cardinal’ comes from the Greek word ‘cardo,’ which means ‘hinge,’” Cupich said. “So, we are the hinge between the church, the living body of Christ, the church and the Holy Father. We’re the ones who in many ways bring that connection together with the people of God.”
But, he says, it’s not just up to the leaders, religious or political.
“Each person as a citizen has to take responsibility,” he said.
Energized by the election of a new pope, an American who people here connect with, there is a renewed passion.
“There is something stirring in people today who are looking for a way in which they can not only connect to the divine spirit within them, but also connect with other people,” Cupich said. “Huge number of young people post-college up to 35 who were coming into the church, so we’ve seen a 20 percent increase in that population.”
But some are still skeptical as sex abuse issues linger. Just this week, a substitute teacher who has worked at several catholic schools, most recently Queen of Martyrs in Evergreen Park, was fired after parents and the archdiocese learned of past allegations of child molestation. Somehow the employee’s torrid past escaped a background check.
“We have to make this a priority each and every day,” Cupich said. ”I’ve always said this effort doesn’t just belong to me or the priests, it belongs to all of us in the adult world.”
Many adults and children are dealing with another issue, catholic school closings. Families are heartbroken and surrounding communities step in. Through it all, so many step up to the plate to show their faith. And while he urges caution when it comes to technology, the Holy Father is advocating for connection, even in an interactive way as he hopped on a zoom with students.
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“We’re just beginning to see this is the tip of the iceberg in terms of his ability to connect with especially young people,” Cupich said. “You can imagine what it is going to be like when he comes here. There’s going to be a wonderful reception of him, where he is going to have a platform to speak to people in a way that is so very comprehensible. I’m looking forward to that day.”
When asked if there was a trip planned, Cupich said, “I would say he’s a young man, born here in Chicago. So I’m confident that he will travel around the world and when he travels to the United States, Chicago has to be on the agenda.”
Also on the agenda, bringing people back to the church.
“When you go to church, look at the people who are there, maybe a classmate whose parents are getting divorced, an elderly woman who just lost her husband, someone who has a diagnosis of cancer. And you are there not for what you are going to get out of it, but because of what you are going to bring,” he said. “Make your world bigger than yourself. That’s what I like to tell people.”
The next consistory will be held in June. Cardinal Cupich says it’s Pope Leo’s way of taking the pulse of the worldwide church. And with each meeting, an opportunity for the cardinals to amplify the Holy Father’s message.
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