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3h ago

Durbin Declines Chicago Archdiocese Award After Pope Broadens ‘Pro‑Life’ Frame

The senator’s decision followed days of episcopal and grassroots objections as Cardinal Blase Cupich defended honoring his immigration advocacy.

Pope Leo XIV waves as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, Oct.1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Pope Leo XIV gestures as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, Oct.1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Pope Leo XIV holds a Jubilee audience on the occasion of the Jubilee of Catechists in St.Peter's Square at the Vatican, September 27, 2025. REUTERS/Francesco Fotia
Pope Leo XIV holds his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, Oct.1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Overview

  • Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich said Sen. Dick Durbin declined the Keep Hope Alive lifetime honor and emphasized it was intended to recognize his work on immigration reform.
  • Hours earlier, Pope Leo XIV said a truly pro‑life stance also rejects the death penalty and inhumane treatment of immigrants, urging Catholics to consider a politician’s overall record.
  • Several U.S. bishops, led by Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki, argued the planned award risked grave scandal given Durbin’s longstanding support for legal abortion; Durbin remains barred from Communion in Springfield.
  • Grassroots pressure intensified through petitions and planned protests, with CatholicVote reporting more than 40,000 messages to the archdiocese urging the award be withdrawn.
  • Cupich lamented that many U.S. Catholics feel politically homeless, while the White House disputed concerns about inhumane treatment of immigrants and said enforcement is carried out as humanely as possible.