Overview

• Speaking to reporters at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV said those who oppose abortion but support the death penalty or the inhumane treatment of immigrants are not truly pro-life.
• He noted he was not deeply familiar with the Chicago case but urged considering Sen. Dick Durbin’s decades of public service rather than reducing judgment to a single issue.
• Hours after the remarks, Durbin declined the Archdiocese of Chicago’s planned lifetime achievement award and later said he felt "overwhelmed" by the pope’s support while maintaining his decision.
• Cardinal Blase Cupich defended the intent to recognize Durbin’s immigration advocacy and said polarization leaves many U.S. Catholics feeling politically homeless.
• Several bishops led by Springfield’s Thomas Paprocki condemned honoring a pro-choice lawmaker, and the White House rejected the suggestion that U.S. migrant treatment is inhumane.