ROME — Pope Leo XIV has made his first intervention in an abortion debate within the U.S. Catholic Church, highlighting the apparent contradiction in what it means to be truly “pro-life.”

Leo, originally from Chicago, was questioned late Tuesday about Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich’s intention to award Illinois Senator Dick Durbin for his efforts in aiding immigrants. This proposal faced pushback from certain conservative U.S. bishops due to Durbin’s strong support for abortion rights as a prominent Democratic senator.

Leo called first of all for respect for both sides, but he also pointed out the seeming contradiction in such debates.

“Claiming to oppose abortion but supporting the death penalty doesn’t align with being pro-life,” Leo stated. “If someone opposes abortion but approves of the harsh treatment of immigrants in the U.S., then it’s questionable how pro-life they are.”

Leo spoke hours before Cupich announced that Durbin had declined the award.

The Church stands against abortion and also condemns capital punishment. In 2018, Pope Francis officially revised Church teaching to declare the death penalty “inadmissible” in all cases. Both U.S. bishops and the Vatican advocate for humane treatment of migrants, emphasizing the Biblical call to “welcome the stranger.”

Leo admitted he wasn’t fully briefed on the details regarding the Durbin accolade but stressed the importance of considering the senator’s extensive career, noting Durbin’s 40-year public service. Addressing a query in English from U.S. broadcaster EWTN News, Leo mentioned various ethical matters that align with Catholic teachings.

“I’m unsure if anyone holds the complete truth on these issues, but I urge above all for greater mutual respect and collective reflection, both as humans and, in this context, as American or Illinois citizens, as well as Catholics, to examine these ethical questions closely and find a way forward for the Church. The Church’s teachings on these subjects are unequivocal,” he concluded.

Cupich was a close adviser to Pope Francis, who strongly upheld church teaching opposing abortion but also criticized the politicizing of the abortion debate by U.S. bishops. Some bishops called for denying Communion to Catholic politicians who supported abortion rights, including former President Joe Biden.

Biden met on several occasions with Francis and told reporters in 2021 that Francis had told him to continue receiving Communion. During a visit to Rome that year he received the sacrament during Mass at a church in Francis’ diocese.

Durbin was barred from receiving Communion in his home diocese of Springfield in 2004. Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki has continued the prohibition and was one of the U.S. bishops who strongly objected to Cupich’s decision to honor the senator. Cupich claims Durbin as a member of the Chicago Archdiocese, where Durbin also has a home.

In his statement announcing that Durbin would decline the award, Cupich lamented that the polarization in the U.S. has created a situation where U.S. Catholics “find themselves politically homeless” since neither the Republican nor the Democratic party fully encapsulates the breadth of Catholic teaching.

He defended honoring Durbin for his pro-immigration stance, and said the planned Nov. 3 award ceremony could have been an occasion to engage him and other political leaders with the hope of pressing the church’s view on other issues, including abortion.

“It could be an invitation to Catholics who tirelessly promote the dignity of the unborn, the elderly, and the sick to extend the circle of protection to immigrants facing in this present moment an existential threat to their lives and the lives of their families,” Cupich wrote.

The dispute came as President Donald Trump’s administration maintains a surge of immigration enforcement in the Chicago area.

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