A Catholic bishop\u2019s opposition to the Archdiocese of Chicago\u2019s plans to honor Sen. Dick Durbin despite the powerful politician\u2019s support of abortion rights has revived a decades-old struggle between church teaching and political reality.<\/p>\n
Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago announced last week that the archdiocese will present a lifetime achievement award to the high-ranking Catholic Democrat for his work helping immigrants at a Nov. 3 fundraiser for the archdiocese\u2019s immigration ministry.<\/p>\n
The plans were announced as President Donald Trump\u2019s administration maintains a surge of immigration enforcement in the Chicago area that federal officials said Friday has resulted<\/a> in at least 550 arrests.<\/p>\n Results of President Donald Trump\u2019s ICE \u2018blitz\u2019 in Chicago area remain unclear more than 2 weeks in<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n But it\u2019s the five-term senator\u2019s support for abortion rights \u2014 while he personally disapproves of abortion \u2014 that elicited objections from Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Durbin\u2019s hometown, who said he was \u201cshocked\u201d by the idea of honoring the U.S. Senate\u2019s No. 2 Democrat.<\/p>\n \u201cThis decision risks causing grave scandal, confusing the faithful about the Church\u2019s unequivocal teaching on the sanctity of human life,\u201d Paprocki said in a statement.<\/p>\n Durbin, 80, announced<\/a> in April that he would not seek reelection, ending more than four decades on Capitol Hill. Cupich argued in a statement that the totality of Durbin\u2019s work, including critical efforts on behalf of immigrants, should be considered.<\/p>\n US Sen. Dick Durbin says he won\u2019t run for sixth term<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cCatholic teaching on life and dignity cannot be reduced to a single issue, even an issue as important as abortion,\u201d Cupich said. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The friction between U.S. bishops and Catholic politicians who support abortion rights is a long-running phenomenon. It reached an intense phase in 2004 when John Kerry, a Catholic, won the Democratic presidential nomination. The 2020 election of former President Joe Biden, another Democrat and practicing Catholic, created an unprecedented dilemma for bishops, although Biden was allowed to receive Communion in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n Durbin was barred from receiving Communion in his home diocese of Springfield in 2004. Paprocki has continued the prohibition and considers himself Durbin\u2019s bishop. Cupich claims Durbin as a member of the Chicago Archdiocese; Durbin has previously said he found a welcoming parish in Chicago, where he also has a home. Durbin\u2019s office has not responded to The Associated Press\u2019 emailed interview request.<\/p>\n The archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone, agreed with Paprocki \u201cthat both clarity and unity are at risk.\u201d Cordileone, who in 2022 barred former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from Communion over her support of abortion access, said in a post on the social platform X that he hopes the issue will prompt \u201call members of the Body of Christ to speak out to make clear the grave evil that is the taking of innocent human life.\u201d<\/p>\n Catholic hierarchy describes opposition to abortion as its preeminent priority, but lay Catholics aren\u2019t necessarily on board. According to a 2022 poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, most opposed the denial of Communion for politicians who support abortion rights.<\/p>\n The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote in a 2004 statement on \u201cCatholics in Political Life\u201d<\/a> that no honors should go to politicians \u201cwho act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles\u201d lest they signal support for their actions.<\/p>\n In 2021, the conference approved a long-anticipated teaching document<\/a> on Communion that some hoped would serve as a rebuke for Catholic politicians who are for abortion rights. But it stopped short of calling for the withholding of Communion from these public officials.<\/p>\n The USCCB declined comment on Tuesday.<\/p>\n On immigration, U.S. bishops have been at odds with the Trump administration on its crackdown policies. Earlier this year, the USCCB sued<\/a> the administration for its abrupt funding cut to refugee resettlement, which it has been a part of for years. The bishops also ended a half-century of partnerships<\/a> with the federal government to serve refugees and migrant children over funding cuts.<\/p>\n Originally Published: September 25, 2025 at 6:01 AM CDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Catholic bishop\u2019s opposition to the Archdiocese of Chicago\u2019s plans to honor Sen. 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