Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago stands firm in the face of backlash over his decision to honor Senator Dick Durbin, a promoter of abortion. Durbin is Catholic, a Chicago resident, with a long history of votes in favor of abortion.
«Recently, some have criticized the Archdiocese of Chicago’s decision to recognize Senator Dick Durbin at our annual fundraiser for our immigration ministry, Keep Hope Alive», he wrote in a statement on September 22.
He then reaffirmed his decision to award a prize to the pro-abortion Catholic Democratic senator, despite public opposition, including from bishops.
Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield (Illinois) told the Catholic outlet The Pillar: «I was surprised to learn that the Archdiocese of Chicago plans to honor Senator Richard Durbin with a Lifetime Achievement Award».
Paprocki is bishop of Durbin’s home diocese, where the senator has been barred from receiving Holy Communion since 2004.
In an article on September 23, Paprocki noted: «Cardinal Cupich did not consult me about this award nor even notify me of his decision. I learned about it from the media».
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco (California) weighed in, saying he is «in solidarity» with Msgr. Paprocki. Both prelates, along with thousands of people on social media, asked Cupich to withdraw the award.
Bishop James Conley of Lincoln (Nebraska) also expressed his dismay: «I too was surprised and perplexed to learn of this Lifetime Achievement Award being given to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin».
Considering the unusual nature of such clear public opposition among the Catholic hierarchy—which normally reserves these criticisms for private communications—the public rebukes are significant and have attracted national headlines. They suggest that Cupich’s star may be fading under this pontificate, while during the late Pope Francis he had much power and influence.
Cupich refuses to back down.
The strings of federal money for the Archdiocese of Chicago
Cupich maintains a long and friendly relationship with Durbin, who has pulled the strings of federal money in favor of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Durbin holds a seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, a position he has maintained for nearly three decades. The committee is one of the most powerful and significant bodies in the United States Senate.
It «writes the legislation that allocates federal funds to the numerous agencies, departments, and governmental organizations on an annual basis». In other words, it controls where federal money goes and how much is delivered.
All U.S. government agencies depend on the Appropriations Committee for their funding. This includes a wide range of special interests, among them some of the most powerful: defense contractors, oil and gas companies, and banks, among others.
In 2020, in a prepared phone call, Durbin, along with his Illinois Democratic colleague Senator Tammy Duckworth, spoke with Cupich about increasing funding for Catholic Charities Chicago. At that time, Catholic Charities was experiencing a loss of revenue, and Durbin used that widely publicized call to emphasize his support for more money flowing to Cupich’s archdiocese.
«I will continue working with my Senate colleagues to provide nonprofits with the financial support they need to get through this crisis and continue helping the most vulnerable in our state», Durbin said during that call.
Earlier that same year, Durbin had co-signed a letter urging the Senate to include emergency funding for nonprofits like Catholic Charities Chicago.
Several months after that call, Durbin’s committee approved the expansion of COVID emergency aid for nonprofits, which directly benefited the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Catholic Charities received a total of 1.4 billion dollars, of which more than 8 million went to the Chicago affiliate, the largest PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loan of all Catholic Charities affiliates in the country. The second highest amount went to the Archdiocese of San Francisco, with a loan of nearly 6 million.
The Archdiocese of Chicago itself received 77 million dollars from the Paycheck Protection Program. It was the second highest amount among all Catholic archdioceses, with Los Angeles in first place with 80 million, and Boston in third with 35 million.
Cupich will not bar Durbin from Communion
Durbin has been barred from receiving Communion in the Diocese of Springfield since 2004, a ban that was renewed by Bishop Paprocki in 2018 after Durbin voted against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
In fact, Durbin has voted in favor of the most extreme pro-abortion measures, including the legalization of partial-birth abortion and against providing medical care to babies born alive after failed abortion attempts.
«I think that’s fundamentally unfair», Durbin said about the Communion ban. «I don’t think anyone should be judged that way».
Cupich has welcomed him with open arms. Durbin stated: «I found another Catholic space, the Archdiocese of Chicago, and a church where they were willing to receive me and allowed my wife to join me. So it has become my new faith home».
Cupich has a long history of rejecting canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law, which requires denying Holy Communion to public figures who «obstinately persevere in manifest grave sin». This includes politicians who vote in favor of abortion.
In a 2014 interview with Face the Nation, Cupich declared: «I wouldn’t use the Eucharist, or as they call it, the Communion rail, as a place to have those discussions, nor as a way in which people are excluded from the life of the Church».
In conclusion
Some wonder why Cupich does not award the Lifetime Achievement Award to the also Illinois Democrat, Dan Lipinski, who holds similar positions on immigration but has a clearly pro-life voting record.
Lipinski does not have direct access to the strings of the federal purse, and that may be the answer.
Source: Stella Maris Media. Translated to Spanish.