(LifeSiteNews) — During an episode of his Father James Martin’s “Spiritual Life” podcast featuring heterodox Cardinal Blase Cupich that aired this week, the archbishop of Chicago discussed his decade-long relationship with Pope Leo XIV and how he often borrows the Holy Father’s language when he comments on political events.

During the April 21 podcast, Cupich first recalled knowing the future Pope Leo for years before his 2025 election as pontiff, emphasizing that then-bishop-elect Prevost attended his installation as archbishop of Chicago. The prelate further stressed that once the future pontiff had been named to the Dicastery for Bishops, he got to know him really well.

Cupich also delved into his statements defending migrants and opposing the war in Iran, stressing that he often borrows the language and perspective of the American pontiff.

The cardinal first recalled how back in 2014 then-Father Prevost, who had just been named a bishop but had not yet been consecrated, had attended his installation Mass as archbishop of Chicago, before discussing how they really got to know each other when Prevost was named to the Dicastery for Bishops.

“I got to know him even more… when he became a member of the Dicastery for Bishops, which I had been on since 2015. Then he became the prefect in the last couple of years, and again got to know him,” Cupich told Martin.

“He had been here at Holy Name Cathedral a couple of times to visit with me, we had lunch here,” he added. “So yes, I would say that we have a very good history together working on important projects and had a great devotion to Pope Francis.”

Cupich’s history with the 267th pontiff, a fellow Chicagoan, are particularly interesting as since his election, Leo has retained Cupich on the Dicastery for Bishop and named him to the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State. Perhaps more notably, after Cupich faced intense backlash for his decision to honor radically pro-abortion and pro-LGBT Illinois Senator Dick Durbin with a lifetime achievement award last fall, the pontiff appeared to defend the decision.

“I think that it is very important to look at the overall work that a senator has done during … 40 years of service in the United States Senate,” the pope said at the time.

READ: Pope Leo says support for death penalty is ‘not pro-life,’ defends awarding pro-abortion Durbin

Leo then echoed Cupich’s erroneous equation of abortion to the death penalty and migration policy: “Someone who says I’m against abortion but says I’m in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life,” the pope said. “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.”

Later in the podcast, Cupich told Martin he has been “very vocal about the rights of immigrants,” notably not making any distinction between legal and illegal immigrants, because “some things have to be said” in support of the purported truth of the Gospel.

READ: Cupich to lead Mass, procession in ‘solidarity’ with illegal immigrants on Ash Wednesday

The prelate also underscored that he has denounced the war in Iran for the same reasons.

“The gamification of the war that we see in the videos that have been issued by the administration, to the point where war now becomes entertainment,” Cupich said. “There’s something fundamentally wrong with that and gross, and disgusting because we’re talking about real people being killed.”

“When you have the gamification of that where people can bet on outcomes, how many casualties are gonna be there and have financial gain as a result of that gaming, we really have demeaned ourselves as a nation. And I think that had to be called out,” he added.

Martin also asked Cupich about whether he consults with other bishops, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), or the Vatican before he comments on political events. Cupich emphasized that while he typically only consults his brother bishops, he often refers to what the Holy Father and the USCCB have already said about topics such as immigration before speaking on these matters.

“Some of the language that I use does come from the things that the Holy Father has been saying. He gave us, I think, as bishops of this country important language to talk about immigration, to talk about the war, and I’ve benefited from that,” Cupich said.

READ: Left-wing US bishop says Pope Leo supports his efforts on immigration

Indeed, Pope Leo has been vocal in his opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration and foreign policies. The pontiff has repeatedly highlighted “welcoming the foreigner” while apparently disregarding the dangers of mass migration.