Yesterday, we shared with you that Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and Bishop Thomas Paprocki urged Cardinal Blase Cupich to cancel his plan to award Senator Dick Durbin a lifetime achievement award in November. Catholic Vote, America’s leading Catholic issue advocacy organization, gave Senator Durbin a grade of F on its most recent scorecard because of his anti-Catholic positions on multiple issues, including abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.
Today Cardinal Cupich responded by effectively telling his critics to go pound sand:
Recently some have criticized the decision of the Archdiocese of Chicago to recognize Senator Dick Durbin at our annual fundraiser for our immigration ministry, Keep Hope Alive.
Senator Durbin informed me some years ago that he had purchased a condo in Chicago, registered in a parish of the archdiocese and considers me to be his bishop. Accordingly, I have remained faithful to the May 2021 instructions of the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, advising bishops to “reach out to and engage in dialogue with Catholic politicians within their jurisdictions…as a means of understanding the nature of their positions and their comprehension of Catholic teaching.”
At the heart of the consistent ethic of life is the recognition that Catholic teaching on life and dignity cannot be reduced to a single issue, even an issue as important as abortion. The annual celebration of immigrants, Keep Hope Alive, will recognize all the critically important contributions Senator Durbin has taken to advance Catholic social teaching in the areas of immigration, the care of the poor, Laudato Si’, and world peace. The recognition of his defense of immigrants at this moment, when they are subjected to terror and harm, is not something to be regretted, but a reflection that the Lord stands profoundly with both immigrants who are in danger and those who work to protect them.
Gauging responses on social media, most Catholics aren’t buying what Cupich is trying to sell.
Instead of acknowledging his mistake, Cardinal Cupich turns his back on his brother bishops and doubles-down on his original decision. Cupich once again employs the tired arguments of Cardinal Bernadine’s seamless garment in trying to justify his decision to give an award to a pro-abortion politician. Cupich’s response fails to mention Durbin’s other anti-Catholic votes, such as his support for LGBTQ+ issues.
Cardinal Cupich appears to be in direct violation of the Book of General Norms, Accountability and Ecclesiastical Processes posted on the Archdiocese own website:
The Keep Hope Alive event at which Durbin is scheduled to receive his award is the Archdiocese’s annual celebration of immigrants. Perhaps Cardinal Cupich feels he owes Durbin payback for the millions of dollars in taxpayer funding the Archdiocese received to help illegal immigrants invade our nation.
TAKE ACTION: Contact Cardinal Cupich and let him know what you think.