October 9, 2016 — Chicago, Illinois
AJC congratulates Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich on being named Cardinal by Pope Francis. The Pope will formally elevate Cupich at a Vatican ceremony on November 19.
“We are delighted Pope Francis has recognized Archbishop Cupich’s invaluable contributions and leadership. He is a dear partner of AJC and Chicago’s Jewish community,” said David Inlander, National Chair of AJC's Interreligious Affairs Commission.
Inlander, who represented the Jewish community at Archbishop Cupich's interfaith installation service, meets regularly with the Archbishop. “Cupich, following on the traditions of his predecessors, has worked energetically to strengthen Catholic-Jewish relations, reinforcing in the diocese the teachings of Nostra Aetate, and assertively combatting antisemitism,” he said.
“We sometimes get naïve and think that the effort of education, and speaking against antisemitism, is kind of a done deal, and it isn’t,” Cupich said at the annual Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Jerusalem Lecture, co-sponsored by AJC Chicago. “As we look at the landscape of the world today, we see that there are large numbers of people who have not embraced the changes in Church doctrine and continue to embrace the old narrative [vis a vis Jews].”
Cupich was appointed Archbishop of Chicago in 2014, after serving as bishop in Spokane, Washington, and previously in Rapid City, South Dakota. He will continue to serve as Chicago Archbishop after his elevation to Cardinal.
“We look forward to continuing our productive, cooperative, partnership with the Chicago Diocese and Archbishop Cupich in advancing Catholic-Jewish understanding,” said Inlander.
AJC, the global Jewish advocacy organization, has long been a pioneer in Catholic-Jewish relations in the United States and globally. AJC Chicago leaders joined the AJC Board of Governors delegation meeeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2014.
