(LifeSiteNews) — Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, has become the fourth prominent Catholic prelate in the United States to denounce left-wing Cardinal Blase Cupich’s decision to bestow a “Lifetime Achievement Award” on pro-abortion, pro-LGBT Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.
“The senator’s public record has been consistently pro-abortion and he has opposed any protections or safeguards for unborn children in the womb, even to the point of rejecting legislation to protect children who survive failed abortions,” Bishop Conley said in an X post on Tuesday.
I too was shocked and bewildered to learn of this Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. The senator’s public record has been consistently pro-abortion and he has opposed any protections or safeguards for unborn children in the womb, even to the… https://t.co/NwALOUgCJL
— James D Conley (@bishop_conley) September 23, 2025
Bishop Conley, who also said he was “shocked and bewildered” to learn about the honor, has joined San Fransisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki, and former Tyler, Texas, Bishop Joseph Strickland in speaking out against the decision. Bishop Conley urged Cupich to “reconsider” the award given “the scandal it will likely cause the faithful.”
Cupich announced his intention to honor Durbin, who has spent 28 years in the Senate, earlier this month. Despite receiving a tidal wave of criticism in the days after, Cupich has dug in his heels.
“At the heart of the consistent ethic of life is the recognition that Catholic teaching on life and dignity cannot be reduced to a single issue, even an issue as important as abortion. The annual celebration of immigrants, Keep Hope Alive, will recognize all the critically important contributions Senator Durbin has taken to advance Catholic social teaching in the areas of immigration, the care of the poor, Laudato Si’, and world peace,” he remarked in a statement issued Monday.
“The recognition of his defense of immigrants at this moment, when they are subjected to terror and harm, is not something to be regretted, but a reflection that the Lord stands profoundly with both immigrants who are in danger and those who work to protect them,” he added.
A number of social media users drew attention to the atypical nature of multiple bishops speaking out against Cupich, who was largely understood to be Pope Francis’ main ally in the United States during his tenure.
“These disagreements are usually not aired publicly,” Fr. Peter Totleben, O.P. remarked on X. “Everyone feels comfortable calling Cardinal Cupich out, which shows you where the momentum is among the US bishops, and that a page has been turned in Rome, because Cupich is no longer the Pope’s guy in America.”
Perhaps Cupich feels emboldened to honor Durbin for “his defense of immigrants” because Pope Leo told Crux magazine last week that current U.S. border policies are an area of “concern” to him.
“Something that Francis did towards the end of his pontificate, which I think was very significant, was the letter he wrote about the issue of the treatment of immigrants. I was very happy to see how the American bishops picked that up, and some of them were courageous enough to go with that,” he told the outlet.
Leo’s comments were a reference to a statement issued by Francis in February, just two months before his death. Francis’ letter was addressed to the bishops of the United States and spoke of the “infinite and transcendent dignity of every human person,” while decrying Trump’s plan to deport millions of illegal immigrants.
Prior to being elected, Leo often posted on social media about his support for more liberal border laws in the U.S. In one instance, he reposted an article published by heretical media outlet National Catholic Reporter titled “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.” He also shared an article written on the subject that appeared on the heterodox America Magazine days later.
Durbin, 80, is a professed Catholic, though he has been barred from receiving Holy Communion in his home diocese in Springfield, Illinois, since 2004. He currently serves as the Senate Democratic Whip, the second highest position in the party.
Bishop Paprocki, who oversees the Springfield diocese, has said that Cupich’s decision “risks causing grave scandal” as Durbin “has actively worked to expand and entrench the right to end innocent human life in the womb undermines the very concept of human dignity and solidarity that the award purports to uphold.”