Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, issued an Oct. 21 statement against ongoing crackdowns on illegal immigration under the Trump administration, denouncing those actions as attacks on “the soul of our city.”
“My dear brothers and sisters, today I speak to you as your shepherd, but also as a fellow pilgrim who shares the pain of many of our immigrant communities,” Cupich began. “Families are being torn apart. Children are left in fear, and communities are shaken by immigration raids and detentions. These actions wound the soul of our city. Let me be clear. The church stands with migrants.”
Cupich continued that Catholics “stand with the mother who crosses borders to feed her children,” with “the father who labors in silence to build a better future,” and “with the young person who dreams of safety and a better future.”
“Our parishes and schools will not turn away those who seek comfort, and we will not be silent when dignity is denied in the enforcement of the law,” he added.
Addressing himself directly to “immigrants without documents,” the archbishop stated that most of them have lived in Chicago for years, working hard and raising families.
“You have contributed to this nation. You have earned our respect,” he said.
“As the Archbishop of Chicago, I will insist that you be treated with dignity. Americans should not forget that we all come from immigrant families,” Cardinal Cupich concluded. “You are our brothers and sisters. We stand with you. God bless you all.”
The archbishop’s statement comes just a few weeks after he faced widespread backlash from faithful Catholics over his decision to honor Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin with an official archdiocesan lifetime achievement award. Durbin, a self-professed Catholic, is a strident opponent of the Church’s teachings against the taking of innocent unborn lives.
Asked about the matter by an American journalist in Rome, Pope Leo said that he doesn’t know if it’s pro-life to oppose abortion but endorse the “inhuman treatment of immigrants who are in the United States.”
The controversy concluded when Durbin opted to turn down the award.
CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt stated in response that the “importance of Senator Durbin declining the award offered by Cardinal Cupich cannot be overstated.”
As CatholicVote reported at the time, she “also acknowledged Pope Leo’s comments, pointing out that he had mentioned not being ‘terribly familiar’ with the controversy. Praising the Holy Father’s humility, Reinhardt added she would work to fully inform him ‘about Durbin’s decades-long pro-abortion, pro-transgender stance.’”
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