Joining the outcry of bishops across the U.S., Bishop James Johnston, Jr. of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, issued a statement Sept. 26 denouncing the Archdiocese of Chicago’s plan to present pro-abortion Sen. Dick Durbin with a lifetime achievement award.
“The recent decision by the Archdiocese of Chicago to bestow honors on a prominent politician who has consistently and notoriously worked against the protection of the vulnerable lives of the unborn cannot be reconciled with Catholic Social and Moral teaching,” Bishop Johnston said in a Sept. 26 statement.
“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,” he added. “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.”
The Archdiocese of Chicago and Cardinal Blase Cupich have been facing backlash over the plan to present Durbin with the award at a fundraiser Nov. 3.
Diocesan bishops who have spoken out on the scandalous plan include Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois; Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, California; Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska; Bishop James Wall of Gallup, New Mexico; Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay, Wisconsin; and within recent days Bishop Carlo Kemme of Wichita, Kansas, and Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth, Texas, as CatholicVote reported.
Bishop Kemme said Sept. 25 that Durbin’s “long held views and consistent votes promoting abortion clearly disqualify him for this award by the Archdiocese of Chicago,” and he urged Cardinal Cupich to withdraw the award.
In his statement, Bishop Olson emphasized that unity and peace are at risk in proceeding with the plan.
“At every Mass we ask the Lord Jesus for the gifts of peace and unity in his Church, and at this time of strife and division, Cardinal Cupich could promote peace and unity by withdrawing the invitation to Senator Durbin to receive an award,” Bishop Olson said, “and instead use the event to highlight the many ways in which human life and dignity are defended and promoted in the Archdiocese of Chicago and elsewhere.”
Over the weekend, Archbishop Joseph Naumann, archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, said in a statement to the National Catholic Register that the plan to give Durbin an award is a “source of scandal” and that Cardinal Cupich’s stated rationale for presenting the award “makes no sense.”
“Dialogue does not require giving awards to Catholic political leaders who disregard the most fundamental of human rights,” Archbishop Naumann said, “the right to life of the unborn.”
If the award is not rescinded, outside of where the fundraiser will take place Nov. 3 Illinois Right to Life is planning to hold a peaceful protest, where CatholicVote Vice President Joshua Mercer and Illinois Right to Life President Mary Kate Zander will speak.
However, CatholicVote leaders hope the protest will not be necessary, as efforts are still underway to persuade Cardinal Cupich to rescind the award.
CatholicVote has launched a campaign through the CatholicVote Action Center, where Catholics can send a message to Cardinal Cupich’s office urging him to change course.