By Judie Brown
Reading the comments made by Cardinal Blase Cupich regarding his reasons for giving for pro-death senator Dick Durbin an award made me think of the crucifixion of Christ.
Cupich said, “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.”
While the cardinal’s words are true, we wonder if he has forgotten that among those in danger are preborn babies who die at the hands of abortion profiteers every minute of every day in America. Perhaps the cardinal does not know that Senator Durbin is a fierce defender of abortion on demand, but then again, how could he not know this?
Durbin has never been shy about his pro-abortion position. When a federal judge blocked access to the abortion pill in 2023, Durbin said:
This evening, a single federal judge in Texas issued a decision that seeks to deny millions of women across the country access to an FDA-approved medication that has been safely and effectively used for more than 20 years. This draconian ruling is the latest in the disturbing post-Dobbs attacks from conservative judges and MAGA Republican politicians who believe they should have a say in a woman’s ability to make her own reproductive health care decisions.
The decision also has devastating implications for our nation’s drug approval process and the ability of health care providers to ensure their patients can access FDA-approved medications. As Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I will continue to work with my colleagues to resist Republicans’ radical, anti-choice agenda that ignores science and embraces judicial activism.
Such devotion to abortion on the part of the Illinois senator prompts us to ask if the cardinal’s decision to laud the works of Senator Durbin smacks of heresy.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that heresy “is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same.”
Surely, the existence of an innocent person from her conception forward is a divine truth, not to mention a biological fact. Yet Durbin advocates killing these babies, so we must thus surmise that the cardinal does not care. This is perhaps why several bishops, including Bishop Paprocki, Archbishop Cordileone, and Bishop James Conley, have attempted to remind the cardinal of these truths and alert faithful Catholics of these truths.
Bishop Paprocki said, “Given Senator Durbin’s long and consistent record of supporting legal abortion—including opposing legislation to protect children who survive failed abortions—this decision risks causing grave scandal, confusing the faithful about the Church’s unequivocal teaching on the sanctity of human life.”
He continued, “Honoring a public figure who has actively worked to expand and entrench the right to end innocent human life in the womb undermines the very concept of human dignity and solidarity that the award purports to uphold.”
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone concurs, saying, “Bishop Paprocki is correct that both clarity and unity are at risk. I hope this will be a clarion call to all members of the Body of Christ to speak out to make clear the grave evil that is the taking of innocent human life.”
And Bishop James Conley stated:
I too was shocked and bewildered to learn of this Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. The senator’s public record has been consistently pro-abortion and he has opposed any protections or safeguards for unborn children in the womb, even to the point of rejecting legislation to protect children who survive failed abortions. That goes against the fundamental moral principles of the Catholic Church. It seems to me there is still time to reconsider this decision. I pray for the good of the Church this award is not given to Senator Durbin and the scandal it will likely cause the faithful is avoided.
While we are grateful that this questionable announcement by a Catholic cardinal has arisen and is being debated in the public square, there is a greater concern at stake here. It has to do with the national mentality that abortion is a political matter and nothing more. In the process, the current controversy over one cardinal’s actions buries the truth about what is really at stake.
In our view, Durbin excused himself from his Catholic identity long ago, but the cardinal has not, thus causing us to wonder whether it is he who has fanned the flames of heresy by suggesting that the political debate surrounding immigration is on a par with murder.
We are praying for Cardinal Cupich and hoping he clarifies the muddy waters flowing from his recent announcement. Heresy is evil; controversy is benign.