VATICAN CITY — Originally selected as an alternate synod delegate, Archbishop Blase Cupich of Chicago will in fact be an attendee at the Vatican gathering on the family this fall, a Vatican source told CNA.
The source also said that another American bishop will likely be chosen to attend as well, bringing the total U.S. delegation of bishops up to six.
The synod on the family, which will be held at the Vatican in October, will bring together bishops from around the world to discuss a wide variety of matters related to marriage and family across the globe.
Last fall, the U.S. bishops selected delegates to represent them at the upcoming synod.
They chose Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., and Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, the president and vice president respectively of the U.S. bishops’ conference, as well as Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, who is hosting the 2015 World Meeting of Families, and Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, the highest-ranking Hispanic bishop in the country, who leads the nation’s largest diocese.
Archbishop Cupich was originally selected as an alternate, along with Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, who heads the U.S. bishops’ defense and promotion of marriage subcommittee.
Delegates must be approved by the Vatican. In addition to those elected by their fellow bishops, candidates can be proposed for the Pope’s approval by the Office of the Synod of Bishops, led by Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri.
At the time of the official announcement of Archbishop Cupich’s appointment, the slate of lay delegates is also expected. At last year’s synod, a number of married couples from around the world were invited as auditors.