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Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of ChicagoClaire Chretien / LifeSiteNews

February 27, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich has released a video of himself calling pro-abortion Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL, as part of an immigration lobbying effort on the part of the U.S. bishops.

This wouldn’t be that significant had Cupich’s neighboring confrere, Springfield’s Bishop Thomas Paprocki, not recently barred Durbin from Holy Communion until he repents of his extremely public abortion advocacy.

“Because [Durbin’s] voting record in support of abortion over many years constitutes ‘obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin,’ the determination continues that Sen. Durbin is not to be admitted to Holy Communion until he repents of this sin,” Paprocki explained. “This provision is intended not to punish, but to bring about a change of heart.”

Paprocki cited Canon 915 from the Code of Canon Law, which says “obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin” is grounds for denying a person Holy Communion. Cupich has spoken publicly about his opposition to this canon.

SIGN THE PLEDGE: I support Bishop Paprocki denying Communion to pro-abortion U.S. Senator Dick Durbin!

Durbin, along with 14 other Catholic senators, voted in favor of late-term abortion earlier this year. Paprocki is Durbin’s bishop.

“Senator Durbin, how are ya?” Cupich asks in the video. “Listen, I’m joining with dozens – really, hundreds of thousands and even millions of people around the country urging our legislators in Washington to take action to protect the DACA students.”

Perhaps once the camera was turned off, the cardinal spoke to the senator about his votes for baby butchering. Or perhaps they have spoken in person about it. After all, the cardinal sounded quite chummy on the phone – the two are closely aligned in their views about immigration.

But one wonders why Cupich chose to publicize this particular lobbying phone call, during which no one can hear him saying anything about abortion, Holy Communion, or Catholic doctrine.

Is Cupich trying to say something about what he thinks of Paprocki’s decision on Durbin?

The cardinal made this call as part of the U.S. bishops’ “National Call-in Day for the Protection of Dreamers.”

Another question worth asking: When was the last time the U.S. bishops hosted a “national call-in day” for the federal Heartbeat Bill? Or the pro-life bill against which Durbin voted? Or to demand Congress defund Planned Parenthood?

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As a journalist and editor for LifeSiteNews, Claire Chretien has written more than 1,500 articles about abortion, human dignity, bioethics, the Catholic Church, politics, and related topics. Claire holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama. It was there that she first became involved in pro-life activism.