When Bishops call out Bishops: the Cupich-Durbin controversy, explained

Jesuitical

America Media

Spirituality, Christianity, News, News Commentary, Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 949 Ratings

🗓️ 3 October 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week on “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac speak with Sam Sawyer, S.J., president and editor in chief of America Magazine, to discuss the recent controversy surrounding Cardinal Blase Cupich’s decision to present Senator Dick Durbin with a “lifetime achievement award” for his work in defense of migrants. Ashley, Zac and Sam discuss: - Senator Durbin’s decision to decline the award in the face of mounting controversy - How the “consistent ethic of life” should shape Catholic political engagement - Pope Leo’s surprising, yet pragmatic, response to the situation In “As One Friend Speaks to Another,” Zac and Ashley sit down with Jim Martin, S.J., and Joe Hoover, S.J., to talk about the late Robert Redford’s Oscar-winning film, “Ordinary People.” Links for further reading: - Sen. Durbin declines lifetime achievement award after backlash for pro-choice position - Pope Leo weighs in on controversy over Cardinal Cupich giving Sen. Durbin immigration award - Chicago archdiocese’s plan to award Senator Durbin for immigration work meets pushback over abortion - Remembering Robert Redford and ‘Ordinary People,’ his devastating, nearly perfect film You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical. Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Loyola University Chicago's Hank Center is proud to support Jesuitical and to highlight our featured events for the fall.
0:07.3	On October 15th, the center welcomes Eugene McAraher and Christine Rosen for a robust dialogue on the promise and peril of technology,
0:16.0	Laudato C, AI, and the experience of being human.
0:19.5	Our October 30th event features Sister Iliad Delio, our visiting
0:23.7	fellow in Catholic Studies, who will present the Hank Center's annual Teilhard de Cherdin's lecture.
0:29.2	Sister Ilya will explore new intersections between science and religion as they emerge in our
0:34.3	technologically convulsive 21st century. For information about these events and to see a full list of all from america media for saints and sinners you can
1:08.0	join us each week for honest conversations about the Catholic Church
1:11.2	in our world today, sometimes over drinks. I'm Ashley. Great to be with you, Ashley. Great to be with you, Ashley. Great to have you here. And joining us this week is the Editor-in-Chief of America Magazine, Father Sam Sawyer. Welcome, Sam. Thanks. Good to be here. All right, so we're doing something a little different this week. We're going to tackle one big story that's been making headlines over the last couple weeks. And that's this controversial award that was going to be given to Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois. So we're going to break that down in kind of a combination of signs of the times and a conversation with Sam. And then in our faith sharing
1:45.1	segment, we are talking to more of our Jesuit colleagues, further Joe Hoover and Father James
1:50.8	Martin, about this movie, Ordinary People, that was directed by Robert Redford, who recently
1:56.2	passed away and had a really huge impact on their lives and their ministry as Jesuits.
2:02.3	So before we bring in Sam, Zach and I are just going to set some context, do a bit of a play
2:07.5	by play of what has happened over the past two weeks.
2:10.1	Yeah, it's been a lot.
2:10.9	It's been a – I thought this story would have, you know, died after a couple of days, but it's
2:15.6	been a couple weeks now.
2:17.0	So the headline is that the Archdiocese of Chicago is no longer going to be presenting
2:22.5	Senator Dick Durbin with a lifetime achievement award for his work on immigration issues.
2:27.6	That was supposed to happen in November at a fundraiser.
2:31.6	It was going to be hosted at St. Eunacious College Prep in Chicago.
2:38.2	And presided over by the Cardinal or the Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal, Blaise Zupich.
	...

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