Pope Leo’s comments about abortion and what it means to be consistently pro-life have sparked backlash.
“Someone who says I’m against abortion but is in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life,” he said on Tuesday. “Someone who says I’m against abortion but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro-life.”
Multiple figures, including conservative commentator Matt Walsh, have spoken out against Leo, with Walsh calling the comments “a terrible answer.”
Newsweek has contacted the Vatican via email for comment.
Why it Matters
Pope Leo XIV’s recent comments equating pro-life consistency with opposition to both abortion and the death penalty have intensified debates within the American Catholic Church about the definition of “pro-life.”
The controversy comes as U.S. Catholic leaders faced a dispute over plans by Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, to honor Democrat Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, a Catholic politician who supports abortion rights, with a lifetime achievement award for his immigration advocacy.
The episode highlights ongoing tensions in the intersection of church teachings, abortion, capital punishment and political engagement.
What People Are Saying
On Tuesday, Leo was asked by EWTN News about the controversy surrounding Cardinal Cupich’s intent to honor Senator Durbin.
He answered: “I understand the difficulty and the tensions. But I think as I myself have spoken in the past, it’s important to look at many issues that are related to the teachings of the Church. Someone who says I’m against abortion but is in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life. Someone who says I’m against abortion but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro-life.
“So they are very complex issues and I don’t know if anyone has all the truth on them,” he continued. “But I would ask first and foremost that they would have respect for one another and that we search together, both as human beings and in that case as American citizens and citizens of the state of Illinois, as well as Catholics, to say that we need to be close to all of these ethical issues. And to find the way forward as a Church. The Church teaching on each one of those issues is very clear.”
Daily Wire host Matt Walsh commented on this in a post on X, saying: “Really terrible answer from Pope Leo. God Himself prescribes the death penalty in the Bible. Is the Pope saying that God is ‘not pro-life’? And who exactly is advocating for ‘inhumane treatment of immigrants’? What sort of inhumane treatment is he referring to? Deportations? Also, how can he say that ‘nobody has all the truth’ on any of these issues? We know the truth on abortion. It isn’t complicated. Awful stuff from the Pope. Truly horrendous on about five different levels.”
Conservative account Cernovich (@Cernovich), followed by several high figures, including Vice President JD Vance, said: “Pope Leo claims that if you oppose abortion but support the death penalty, then you’re not pro-life. What in the world is this s**t?”
A Catholic advocacy account called Pope Respecter said: “On the surface, I think the comments are unfortunate. While technically, true that Catholicism has many issues and no politician is perfect on any of them, abortion is clearly on another level of evil and should be treated as such.”
But he went on to say there is a “charitable way to understand the comments” – “as the Pope giving Cupich an opportunity to save face.”
What To Know
Cupich was planning on honoring Durbin with the award at the “Keep Hope Alive Benefit 2025” on November 3, hosted by Cupich himself and the Archdiocese’s Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity Immigration Ministry at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago.
The Archbishop has defended the award, arguing that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2022 instructed bishops “to reach out to and engage in dialogue with Catholic politicians within their jurisdictions.”
Since Tuesday, Durbin has “decided not to receive an award at our Keep Hope Alive celebration,” Cupich said in a statement.
“While I am saddened by this news, I respect his decision,” he said. “But I want to make clear that the decision to present him an award was specifically in recognition of his singular contribution to immigration reform and his unwavering support of immigrants, which is so needed in our day.”
What Happens Next
The cancellation of the Durbin award has not quelled tensions between Catholic leaders, congregants and commentators about the Church’s relationship to contemporary U.S. politics and the coherence of pro-life teaching.
Pope Leo’s emphasis on respect and dialogue suggests a desire to move beyond polarization, but competing interpretations of both doctrine and pastoral practice continue to divide American Catholics.