Francis Eugene Cardinal George is the current Archbishop of Chicago. He oversees six other Bishops of Chicago in administering the Chicago See.
The Roman Catholic Bishop of Chicago is the title given to the several bishops in active ministry or retired within what is now the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, governed from Chicago, Illinois in the United States. This group of bishops is led by the prelate or ordinary of the archdiocese, the archbishop, normally created a cardinal in consistory by the pope.
Concurrency
As a mere diocese from 1844 to 1879, only a single bishop held the title at a single time, with exception to a period in which Right Reverend Thomas Foley served as Coadjutor Bishop of Chicago during the illness of the reigning Right Reverend James Duggan. Territorial expansion of the Chicago See necessitated the creation of more bishops to serve concurrently in order for the newly created archdiocese to function efficiently.
Today, there are as many as seven men concurrently titled Bishop of Chicago: the archbishop and his six subordinate episcopal vicars. All living retired auxiliaries of the Chicago See also hold the title.
Territory
The Archdiocese of Chicago is one of the largest Roman Catholic dioceses in its nation and is often called the Preeminent See of the United States. The Chicago See covers the City of Chicago as well as Cook and Lake counties in the state of Illinois. Erected on November 28,1843 as a diocese by Pope Gregory XVI, it was elevated to an archdiocese on September 10, 1880 by Pope Leo XIII.
Ordinaries
The following is a list of the bishops and archbishops who served as prelates of the Chicago See: as diocese and as archdiocese, respectively. Also listed are their terms of service.
Diocese of Chicago
Archdiocese of Chicago
Resources
Last updated: 05-21-2005 19:38:36
