Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago defended the bestowal of an archdiocesan award to a major donor to pro-abortions causes.
“This year’s recipient” of the Nostra Aetate Award “is Mr. Michael Sacks, a well-respected leader in Chicago and in the Jewish community,” said Cardinal Cupich. “Refusing to honor or engage with Jews solely because they hold conflicting religious or political positions can risk mimicking historic patterns of antisemitism through exclusion and bigotry, which, frighteningly, is on the rise.”
In a 2004 statement, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said that “the Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”