Pope Leo and the Death Penalty Charade, by Darrick Taylor

The pontificate of Leo XIV has just passed its first real milestone: its first media controversy. The recent friction over Pope Leo’s comments concerning the Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago and his plans to award Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois an honor for his efforts on behalf of immigrants, despite supporting abortion throughout his career, probably mark the end of a “honeymoon” period for the new pontiff. Durbin’s refusal to accept the award ended the controversy, but it represents the first time our new pontiff has stepped into controversial territory, and it is notable for that reason, among others.

I am not at all surprised His Holiness intervened to provide cover for Cardinal Cupich, since he is both a friend and, by all accounts, a benefactor—as Cupich is believed to have played a role in his rise to the throne of St. Peter. But his comments are revealing for other reasons. In them, His Holiness repeated opinions about the death penalty which confirm that, at least on that issue (and others), he is indeed a “progressive” who appears to equate the death penalty with abortion in terms of moral gravity. It is also revealing because of the way he framed the issue using political terms, “prolife” being a term associated with public policy and not Catholic doctrine. …

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