Pope Leo XIV has appointed a prominent liberal bishop from the United States to the commission responsible for managing Vatican City’s civil governance.
The Holy See announced on Wednesday that it selected Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, to join the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, the governing body.
Some Catholics frustrated by Cupich’s ill-fated intention to honor an abortion-rights senator were irked by his placement on the commission, but the body is responsible for the governance of Vatican City as a sovereign nation, mostly separated from the Catholic Church’s theological and ecclesial concerns.
“The fact that [Pope Leo XIV] put Cardinal Blase there, I don’t think he’s [being] given a gold medal — ‘Oh, you did so good that I’m going to put you there’ — because there is no glory to be on that commission. Actually, you have to deal with a lot of pain in the ass,” a Vatican insider speculated to the Washington Examiner.
On a commission tasked with reforming one of the world’s most famously dysfunctional sovereign economies, Cupich’s high-profile and administrative experience could be valuable for both optics and function.
“Cupich is the kind of guy that is always around in Rome. He doesn’t miss a chance to be there when he’s called. He never says, ‘Oh, I have to do a confirmation in my diocese.’ He has five auxiliary [bishops] in Chicago,” the source told the Washington Examiner. “And so [his reputation] became, ‘Oh, Blase. Oh, yes, Blase can help us. No, Blase knows this. Blase knows that.'”
The commission’s oversight includes economic policies, payroll for the Vatican’s approximately 3,000 employees, health and safety measures, and management of the country’s tourist industry.
Vatican City is an absolute monarchy, the last of its kind in Europe. Therefore, all laws proposed by the Vatican City commission must be approved and ratified by the supreme pontiff.
Cardinal Baldassare Reina, a vicar general for the diocese of Rome, was also appointed to the commission in the same communique.
Another notable change to the commission that occurred at the same time as Cupich’s appointment is the quiet dismissal of Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, an Italian prelate who has been a member since 2022.
“He needed to sack Gambetti and he needed to do it nicely, gently, politely, but justifiable. And to justify that, he chose an archdiocesan bishop — one of the largest archdioceses in the world,” the insider speculated to the Washington Examiner. “And the resume, you know, justifies the appointment.”
Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, 82, was also not reappointed to the commission.
Cupich does hold membership in multiple organs of the Vatican that are relevant to theology and broader church governance — Dicastery for Bishops, Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and the Dicastery for Culture and Education.
The Chicago prelate created a nationwide dust-up among his fellow U.S. prelates last month by proposing an award for one of the nation’s most preeminent abortion-rights politicians.
Cupich extended an award to veteran Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) last month in recognition of his work supporting the dignity of immigrants.
The Archdiocese of Chicago’s choice to honor Durbin was immediately disturbing to the anti-abortion community. Critics noted that not only has the senator been vocal in his support for legalized abortion, but he has also, over the years, embraced the most extreme positions of the abortion-rights camp.
A slew of U.S. bishops emerged to publicly rebuke the idea of awarding Durbin, saying the honor “would suggest support for [Durbin’s abortion-rights] actions” and “fracture unity” on the issue.
Surprised with a reporter’s question about the situation, Pope Leo XIV said that he was “not terribly familiar with the particular case” — but went on to state that many Catholic lawmakers fail to fully embrace all aspects of the Catholic Church’s moral teachings.
“I understand the difficulty and the tensions,” the pontiff said. “But I think, as I myself have spoken in the past, it’s important to look at many issues that are related to the teachings of the Church.”
SCANDAL OVER CATHOLIC AWARD FOR DURBIN SHOWS CHANGING DYNAMICS BETWEEN US BISHOPS, ROME
The situation solved itself after Durbin decided to decline the award on Sept. 30, just hours after the pontiff had spoken.
“I knew there would be pushback from several, but the level of the controversy led me to believe that it’s best that I decline to accept the award,” the senator said.
Not long after Durbin decided to decline, Cupich released a new statement expressing not only disappointment with the canceled award, but with “divisions within the Catholic community” that he claims continue to “dangerously deepen.”
