On January 30, Pope Francis received Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, ten days after the prelate’s unusual public criticism of the Inauguration Day statement issued by Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. “It’s been difficult for most observers not to interpret the meeting with the Pope as a show of support by Francis for Cupich in the dispute with Gomez, and thus, more broadly, for a more positive approach to the new Biden administration,” John Allen writes.