Chicago cardinal sparks controversy by honoring abortion-access donor at gala for future priests
Chicago cardinal sparks controversy by honoring abortion-access donor at gala for future priests
A prominent Catholic cardinal is facing backlash over plans to honor a wealthy Democratic donor who gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations supporting abortion access at a fundraising gala benefiting the education of future priests.
Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich is scheduled to recognize billionaire Michael Sacks at the Oct. 29 Rerum Novarum Awards Dinner benefiting Mundelein Seminary, according to the event's announcement.
Between 2020 and 2022, the Sacks Family Foundation, of which Sacks is president and treasurer, reportedly contributed grants totaling $500,000 to Planned Parenthood of Illinois, raising questions about the recognition in light of the Catholic Church's longstanding opposition to abortion.
According to a report from Crains Chicago Business on Sept. 29, Sacks and his wife, Cari, gave $600,000 to the Prairie State Access Fund, an initiative established in partnership with the administration of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to support abortion access in the state. Sacks is a board member of the Obama Foundation.
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The planned honor comes roughly a year after Cupich faced criticism from fellow Catholic leaders over plans to recognize Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., whose support for abortion rights drew objections from bishops who argued that honoring him would conflict with Church teaching. the lifetime achievement award following the backlash.
In a Monday statement defending the recognition for Sacks, Cupich wrote in part, "This year, the Nostra Aetate Award will be added to the honoring ceremony. It is named for the Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, issued by the Second Vatican Council, and is designed to affirm the value the Church places on interreligious relationships by honoring members of non-Christian communities for their leadership in their own and the wider community. This years recipient is Mr. Michael Sacks, a well-respected leader in Chicago and in the Jewish community."
Cupich further defended the decision, arguing that the Catholic Church's Nostra Aetate declaration provides a framework for honoring and building relationships with individuals who do not share Catholic beliefs, including those who hold differing moral or political views. He maintained that recognizing someone for their leadership and service to the community does not constitute an endorsement of all their positions, but instead fosters mutual respect and creates opportunities for meaningful dialogue.
