Pro-Abortion Sen. Dick Durbin Declines to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award from Cardinal Cupich After Backlash

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) decided against receiving a “Lifetime Achievement Award” for his work on immigration from Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich after facing harsh opposition from several Catholic bishops and pro-life organizations for his longstanding support of abortion.

Cupich said in a statement Sept. 30 that Durbin had declined the award, which was supposed to be presented in November at the archdiocese’s “Keep Hope Alive” celebration, the Catholic Standard reported. Cupich and the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity Immigration Ministry were supposed to give the award to Durbin. 

“While I am saddened by this news, I respect his decision,” Cardinal Cupich said in his statement. “But I want to make clear that the decision to present him an award was specifically in recognition of his singular contribution to immigration reform and his unwavering support of immigrants, which is so needed in our day.”

READ MORE: D.C. Cardinal Slams Trump’s Migration Reforms as ‘Crusade’

Cupich argued that “total condemnation is not the way forward, for it shuts down discussion.”

“But praise and encouragement can open it up, by asking their recipients to consider how to extend their good work to other areas and issues. More broadly, a positive approach can keep alive the hope that it is worth talking to one another–and collaborating with one another–to promote the common good,” he continued. “No one wants to engage with someone who treats them as a thoroughgoing moral threat to the community. But people will engage with, and may even learn from, those who recognize them as making some contribution to a common endeavor.”

“We should all be disturbed that the present impasse continues to significantly hamper the church’s efforts to promote human dignity across the full range of issues. Indeed, the child in the womb, the sick and elderly, the migrant and refugee, the death row inmate, those already suffering from climate change and generational poverty will continue to be at risk if we, as Catholics, do not start talking to each other respectfully and work together,” he added. “That includes listening. This way of being church, of being human, one might even call synodal. And it is this path, beautifully laid out for us by our late beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis, which can lead all Catholics to embrace the fullness of our teachings. Such witness would undoubtedly serve society by building up the common good.”

The Catholic Standard noted the decision came just hours after Pope Leo XIV commented on Cupich’s decision to award Durbin, saying he was “not terribly familiar with the particular case,” but encouraged “respect for one another…to find the way forward as a Church.” 

Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois – in whose diocese Durbin resides – said in a Sept. 24 interview with OSV News that presenting the award to Durbin would be “contrary to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ statement on ‘Catholics in Political Life’” which states “The Catholic community and Catholic Institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”  Paprocki noted that the award would violate a similar policy held by the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Bishop James Johnston, Jr. of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, said in a post to Facebook that the decision to honor Durbin with an award “cannot be reconciled with Catholic Social and Moral teaching.” 

“Indeed, to do so would give a confusing counter-witness about the dignity of the human person and the grave evil of destroying innocent human life. I hope and pray that the decision will be reconsidered to eliminate confusion and scandal as well as protect the integrity of the teaching office of the Church,” Johnston said. 

Retired Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City said in a statement released to the National Catholic Register, it is a “source of scandal” and “pastoral neglect” to give such an award to a politician that has promoted the killing of unborn babies in abortions.

“Dialogue does not require giving awards to Catholic political leaders who disregard the most fundamental of human rights, the right to life of the unborn,” Naumann said.

Several other bishops spoke out against the award, per LifeNews, including: Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth, Texas; Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of California, Bishop James Conley of Nebraska, Bishop David Ricken of Wisconsin, Bishop Carl Kemme of Kansas,  and Bishop James Wall of New Mexico. 

Students for Life, a leading pro-life organization, also slammed Cupich’s decision to give Durbin an award last week.

“It’s both ironic and deeply troubling that Senator Durbin is being honored with a lifetime achievement award while championing policies that literally end lives,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America. “The Archdiocese of Chicago has a moral responsibility to rescind the award and publicly distance itself from Durbin’s radically anti-Catholic and pro-abortion stance.” 

Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.