A row within the Catholic Church has erupted after Cardinal Blase Cupich announced plans to honour Illinois Senator Dick Durbin for his work on immigration reform.
Durbin, a prominent Democrat, has long supported abortion rights, a stance at odds with Catholic teaching, and his nomination drew sharp criticism from conservative bishops. The debate soon widened when Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pontiff, was asked about the controversy and used the occasion to weigh in on broader political questions of abortion, capital punishment and immigration.
The Chicago-born Pope urged consistency within the pro-life movement, insisting that to be truly pro-life is to hold a position that rejects abortion while also opposing the death penalty and the mistreatment of migrants. He said, “Someone who says, ‘I am against abortion but I am in favour of the death penalty’ is not really pro-life. Someone who says, ‘I am against abortion but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States,’ I do not know if that is pro-life.”
Some observers have voiced concern that placing abortion, capital punishment and immigration in the same frame risks confusion. They argue that abortion involves the deliberate ending of innocent life in the womb, while capital punishment concerns those found guilty of serious crimes, and immigration policy deals with matters of law and order. According to these critics, suggesting that all three issues carry the same moral weight could blur the unique gravity of abortion, the direct destruction of the most vulnerable.
The Pope was careful not to engage directly in the dispute over Senator Durbin’s award, saying he was not familiar with the details but urging Catholics to approach one another with respect in tackling difficult questions. Nevertheless, his words have added weight to the controversy, coming at a time when the US bishops remain divided over how firmly to confront Catholic politicians who support abortion.
The White House also responded to his remarks on immigration, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt rejecting the suggestion that migrants are treated inhumanely under President Trump’s administration. She argued that the government was enforcing the law in as humane a way as possible.
For many in the pro-life movement, the Pope’s intervention serves as a challenge. It highlights the need to maintain clarity about abortion as a uniquely urgent moral issue.
