SPOKANE — The Inland Northwest is more than 5,500 miles from Vatican City. Yet Spokane will have some representation in the room as the College of Cardinals meets in the Sistine Chapel next week to select Pope Francis’ successor. Cardinal Blase Cupich, who served as bishop of Spokane from 2010 to 2014, will be among the 135 cardinals to cast a vote in the conclave.

Cupich was tapped by Francis to become Archbishop of Chicago in 2014, and was elevated to the role of cardinal by the pontiff two years later. While Spokane’s faithful have held out hope he could be in the running for the role, Cupich, 76, told the Chicago Sun-Times last week that he does not expect the college to select a faith leader from the United States. “We’re talking about a country that has political, economic, military power in the world, and so I think it’s, it’s a stretch to say that it’s prudent to go ahead and have someone who is from that country,” Cupich said.

“I’m not going to handicap anybody in terms of their chances. But I think that’d be a stretch.”