Cardinal Cupich awards prize to Planned Parenthood donor

Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, awarded the Nostra Aetate Prize to philanthropist Michael Sacks during the Rerum Novarum banquet on October 29. Pro-life activists protested the decision, citing Sacks's financial support for organizations that promote abortion access.

Sacks, the chief executive of GCM Grosvenor and president of the Sacks Family Foundation, donated $500,000 to Planned Parenthood of Illinois between 2020 and 2022. He also gave $600,000 to the Prairie State Access Fund in 2026, a fund established by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to support reproductive health services and gender-affirming care.

Illinois Right to Life accused the archbishop of scandalizing the faithful by presenting the award. Cardinal Cupich responded that the award does not constitute an endorsement of every position held by a recipient. In a statement, the archbishop described Sacks as a respected leader in Chicago and the Jewish community.