| As the outspoken bishop of Rapid City, S.D., the Most Rev. Blase Cupich was nicknamed "White Thunder" by members of the local Lakota nation.
In a 2010 essay on lessons gleaned from the Roman Catholic Church's child sexual-abuse scandal, Bishop Cupich took on his fellow bishops—not just the clergy accused of misconduct—for failing to protect abused children.
"People expect religious leaders above all to be immediate and forthright in taking a strong stand in the face of evil," he wrote.
On Saturday, Bishop Cupich was named by Pope Francis as the new archbishop of Chicago, replacing the ailing 77-year-old Cardinal Francis George as head of one of the most important dioceses in the U.S.
Bishop Cupich's elevation, the highest-profile clerical appointment made by Pope Francis in the U.S. since he assumed the papacy in February 2013, is seen by many as a way for the pope to further his vision of a more pastoral, inclusive church, rather than focusing on divisive social or liturgical issues.
The appointment comes as the Catholic Church in the U.S. has taken on the Obama administration over the federal health-care mandate requiring employers to provide medical care, including birth control and abortion.
Bishop Cupich, who defends the church's definition of marriage as between a man and a woman and opposes abortion, at the same time urges a greater dialogue with pro-choice and gay-marriage advocates. He also supports a broad overhaul of immigration laws.
"Every pope makes especially key appointments in top cities—and Chicago is certainly is one—with a sense of where they're taking the church. With Cupich, it's a pendulum-swing emphasizing social engagement, the church's ministry to the poor, and people on the margins," says Chad Pecknold, an associate professor of theology at the Catholic University of America in Washington. "It fits Pope Francis' profile perfectly."
A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Chicago had no comment on Sunday.
In a statement Saturday, Bishop Cupich said, "The Holy Father's appointment of me to Chicago humbles but also encourages me." He added: "I bow my head in the hope that everyone in Chicago will pray for me in the days ahead."
With 2.2 million members, the Archdiocese of Chicago is the third-largest in the U.S., after Los Angeles and New York. It covers a geographic area of 1,411 square miles, and 44% of the archdiocese's its members are Hispanic. The powerful archbishop can appoint lower-ranking church officials who have more day-to-day contact with local communities and can propagate new ideas in a way even the pope cannot.
"This is certainly the most important and visible appointment [Pope Francis] has made in the U.S.," said Richard Gaillardetz, a professor in the theology department at Boston College, a prominent Catholic university.
Bishop Cupich, who at the time of his nomination served as bishop of Spokane, Wash., will replace Cardinal George, whom Mr. Pecknold described as "the greatest intellectual voice amongst the current crop of cardinals."
Cardinal George was first diagnosed with urothelial cancer two years ago and has been frequently hospitalized since.
In August, the archdiocese said Cardinal George would participate in a clinical trial of a new cancer drug, though the disease is likely terminal. He will remain in his post until Bishop Cupich is installed on Nov. 18.
Bishop Cupich, 65 years old, is one of nine children. Originally from Omaha, Neb., he was ordained in 1975 and became bishop of Rapid City in 1998. He took his current position as bishop of Spokane in 2010.
Bishop Cupich also has served as secretary for the apostolic nunciature—the Vatican's official representative—in Washington, D.C., and was the chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People from 2008 to 2011.
On Sunday, members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, an organization that advocates for the removal of clerics accused of sexual molestation, planned to hand out fliers outside mass at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago that were critical of statements made by Bishop Cupich in recent years that the group says minimized the importance of abuses allegedly committed by priests, and urged parishioners to educate themselves on the new archbishop's record.
Bishop Cupich is known for his humility and his willingness to have respectful conversations with those holding opposing viewpoints all while not watering down the message of the church, Mr. Gaillardetz said.
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