Archbishop Cupich Appointed to the Synod of Bishops

CHICAGO, Sept. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Archbishop Blase J. Cupich has been officially appointed by Pope Francis as a participant in the Synod of Bishops, XIV Ordinary General Assembly, with the theme, The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World. This global meeting of Catholic bishops on family life will take place October 4 through 25, 2015 at the Vatican.

Archbishop Cupich said, "I am honored by the Pope's nomination and I look forward to working with the other Synod participants under the inspiring leadership of Pope Francis as we take up important matters dealing with support of marriage and families."

In addition, the Pope named Rev. Manuel Dorantes, Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish on 44^th Street in Chicago, as Spanish Language Spokesman for the Synod. Fr. Dorantes remarked, "I am humbled at the call to serve the Universal Church during this important moment in her history."

The Archbishop was one of two U.S. bishops named today to take part in the proceedings, giving the American delegation a total of eight prelates able to vote. Also appointed with Archbishop Cupich today was U.S. Bishop George V. Murry of Youngstown, Ohio. The Pope had already appointed New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl to the Synod last October.  These four appointments will join four others already elected by the U.S. Bishops' Conference: Louisville Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput, Galveston-Houston Cardinal Daniel Di Nardo and Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez.

Information regarding Instrumentum Laboris, the Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and the Contemporary World, can be found on the Vatican website at, http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20150623_instrumentum-xiv-assembly_en.html.

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SOURCE Archdiocese of Chicago