Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Wednesday said he felt "overwhelmed" after he received support from the Catholic Church's new pontiff and Chicago native, Pope Leo XIV, following recent criticism for his support for abortion rights.

"It is amazing to me," Durbin told NBC News on Wednesday. "It’s quite a moment. I didn’t expect it. I didn’t know it was going to happen."

Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich had planned to honor Durbin's pro-immigration efforts with a lifetime achievement award before it faced condemnation from American bishops critical of Durbin's stance on abortion.

"The senator’s public record has been consistently pro-abortion and he has opposed any protections or safeguards for unborn children in the womb, even to the point of rejecting legislation to protect children who surviv

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