Good Cardinal, Wayward Priest: Cardinal George Suspends Fr. Michael Pfleger

Pray for Fr. Michael Pfleger. Pray for Francis Cardinal George. Pray for the faithful of St. Sabina's parish. Pray for our beloved Church

Throughout the last few days I received numerous letters from people expressing their opinion over the suspension of Fr. Michael Pfleger. This good Cardinal is between a rock and a hard place. His position is like the married fellow who is asked "Do you still beat your wife."  It is a loaded question. Such questions demonstrate a lack of good will. So it is in this matter. This wayward priest is using this situation to foment a rebellion and a possible schism within the Catholic Church. 

P>CHICAGO, ILL. (Catholic Online) - Fr. Michael Pfleger has been the Pastor of St. Sabina's Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois since 1981. He is a preacher with a penchant for the use of dramatic gestures in and out of the Church. He is an advocate for the poor and the downtrodden.  He has also been a lightning rod of controversy and drawn the ire of some for his flamboyant manner, liturgical improprieties and dissent from the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Saint Sabina is a predominately African American parish which views itself as a "social justice" parish. There is nothing about the commitment to Social Justice which is not supposed to be present within other Catholic Parishes. Care for the poor and the marginalized is a tenet of Catholic Social teaching. However, when the phrase "social justice" is used these days, one has to pay close attention. This controversial priest made national news in 2008 with his outspoken support for the candidacy of Barack Obama and the outlandish remarks he made in the pulpit of a Protestant Church.

Priests cannot run for political office under Canon law. However, they are citizens and have the right to personally support candidates, just not from the ambo. They are shepherds, teachers and pastors of souls. This priest used a Protestant pulpit. One Sunday he spoke from the pulpit once occupied by the retired and controversial Pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ. He made mocking, belittling, provocative, divisive, racially tinged and shocking statements and gestures about then Democratic Presidential candidate, Senator Hillary Clinton.

With an arrogant tone he claimed that then Senator Hilary Clinton cried during an interview in the New Hampshire Primary because only because she was being opposed in her candidacy: "I really believe that she just always thought, 'This is mine! I'm Bill's wife, I'm white, and this is mine! I just gotta get up and step into the plate....And then out of nowhere came, 'Hey, I'm Barack Obama and she said, 'Oh, damn! Where did you come from? I'm white! I'm entitled! There's a black man stealing my show!She wasn't the only one crying," he shouted as he mockingly pretended to cry, "There was a whole lot of white people crying...... "I'm white! I'm entitled! There's a black man stealing my show."

Candidate Obama had already been forced to disavow his mentor Rev. Wright. He soon had to disavow this priest with these words: "As I have traveled this country, I've been impressed not by what divides us, but by all that unites us.... That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger's divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn't reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together."

Father Pfleger later apologized. Cardinal George explained that the Catholic Church does not endorse candidates, but priests may address political issues of a moral nature. He noted, "Racial issues are both political and moral and are also highly charged. Words can be differently interpreted, but Fr. Pfleger's remarks about Senator Clinton are both partisan and amount to a personal attack, I regret that deeply. To avoid months of turmoil in the church, Fr. Pfleger has promised me that he will not enter into campaigning, will not publicly mention any candidate by name and will abide by the discipline common to all Catholic priests."

The Cardinal asked the priest to take a leave for prayer and reflection. "To put recent events in some perspective, I have asked Father Michael Pfleger, Pastor of St. Sabina's Parish, to step back from his obligations there and take leave for a couple of weeks from his pastoral duties, effective today. Fr. Pfleger does not believe this to be the right step at this time. While respecting his disagreement, I have nevertheless asked him to use this opportunity to reflect on his recent statements and actions in the light of the Church's regulations for all Catholic priests. I hope that this period will also be a time away from the public spotlight and for rest and attention to family concerns. .. I ask the members of St. Sabina's parish to cooperate with him and to keep him and Fr. Pfleger in their prayers. They are in mine."

The people of St. Sabina's turned the event into an occasion for a protest rally. One of the participants,  Shanita Akintonde, told the Press: "We wholly disagree with the decision of Francis Cardinal George, and we call for the immediate reinstatement of Fr. Pfleger as Pastor of the church with all of his authority." The President of the Parish Council openly questioned the Cardinals use of authority and insisted that they should have first been consulted before he acted.

Both the Cardinal and his predecessor had allowed the priest to serve the inner city Parish as Pastor for thirty years. This is unusual given the practice in the Archdiocese of Chicago of six year pastoral assignments. Ernestine Jackson, a member of the Parish told the press that she would stay at the parish if the Priest returns and if Father Pfleger started his "own church" she would follow him. The President of the Parish Council, Gerald Stewart told the protesters "We respectfully request the Cardinal immediately reinstate Father Pfleger as full pastor of St. Sabina!"

Father Michael Pfleger was not at the rally. He was on the grounds of the parish. Following the gathering he and his friend Rev. Jeremiah Wright went to dinner. Cardinal George later expressed his hope that life at St. Sabina would continue "in uninterrupted fashion" without Father Pfleger. However, the Parishioners of St. Sabina seemed intent on the opposite. Members of the Parish Youth Group "Passing the Baton" began a hunger strike. Their 18 year old leader said they were going to "fast and pray" until the Priest was reinstated. The scenario was something out of a revolutionary novel. This priest was allegedly being "oppressed" by "the man."

Father Pfleger reappeared in the National spotlight recently in an interview with controversial hosts Travis Smiley and Cornel West.  He was recently asked by the Cardinal to accept an assignment to an inner city school. He told the radio hosts that he was being forced out of his parish because of his views on gun violence and rambled on about "conservative Catholics" and the National Rifle Association, "I want to try to stay in the Catholic Church. If they say 'You either take this principalship of [Leo High School] or pastorship there or leave,' then I'll have to look outside the church. I believe my calling is to be a pastor. I believe my calling is to be a voice for justice. I believe my calling is to preach the Gospel. In or out of the church, I'm going to continue to do that."

He claimed that those he called "conservative Catholics" wanted to turn St. Sabina backward and prevent his "progressive" message. "Here it is an African-American church and community that has a voice in Chicago and that is recognized in Chicago as a voice for justice. I think that's part of the problem."  Then he made outlandish claims about the NRA (National Rifle Association) "The NRA  says I've been much too vocal about assault weapons and much too vocal about guns being registered and being accountable to gun owners. So all that combined and I guess the cardinal didn't have anything to do one morning and decided he wanted to get rid of me again."

He was questioned by the hosts about his claim that the NRA has influence on the Catholic Church.  The priest continued, "Well, they have that kind of impact in the White House. I guess they have that kind of impact in the church house." Cardinal George later addressed the claim through a spokesman and confirmed he had never received even one contact from the NRA. So the protests have begun again. The Cardinal was forced to suspend this wayward pries. This priest claimed that the Cardinal was trying to remove him and fomented the reaction which followed.   

This good Cardinal who showed amazing patience with his priest is on his way to the beatification of John Paul II in Rome.  I guess the old adage is true "no good deed goes unpunished." Protestors from St. Sabina Parish assembled outside of his home Thursday morning. This latest "revolutionary action" against the Cardinal came as a result of a letter which he sent to his priest. The letter MUST be read in order to see the utter absurdity of this revolutionary theater. It is set forth in full in another article in today's edition. 

This good Cardinal was between a rock and a hard place. His position was like the married fellow who is asked "Do you still beat your wife."  It is a loaded question. The use of such an approach demonstrates a lack of good will. That is precisley what occurred in this entire affair. This wayward priest is using this situation to foment a rebellion and, sadly, a possible schism within the Catholic Church. 

Every priest serves the Lord in and through His Church. The Catholic Catechism summarizes the 2,000 year teaching to which he assented when hands were laid upon him, " Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops and priests, the presence of Christ as head of the Church is made visible in the midst of the community of believers. In the beautiful expression of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the bishop is typos tou Patros: he is like the living image of God the Father. (CCC #1549)

"The priests, prudent cooperators of the episcopal college and its support and instrument, called to the service of the People of God, constitute, together with their bishop, a unique sacerdotal college (presbyterium) dedicated, it is, true to a variety of distinct duties. In each local assembly of the faithful they represent, in a certain sense, the bishop, with whom they are associated in all trust and generosity; in part they take upon themselves his duties and solicitude and in their daily toils discharge them, "priests can exercise their ministry only in dependence on the bishop and in communion with him. the promise of obedience they make to the bishop at the moment of ordination and the kiss of peace from him at the end of the ordination liturgy mean that the bishop considers them his co-workers, his sons, his brothers and his friends, and that they in return owe him love and obedience. (CCC #1567)

Throughout the last few days I received numerous letters from people expressing their opinion over the suspension of Fr Pfleger. Some were critical of the Cardinal for not having acted more quickly. Here is my opinion: the action by this good Cardinal was not only justified, it was the only avenue he could have pursued given the obstinate rebellion of Fr Pfleger. 

I cannot join those who criticize him for his delay.  I cannot rejoice.  I believe the perceived "delay" was intended for the priest's repentance and his return to fidelity. I also believe this suspension is for that very same reason. This is a good Cardinal with the heart of a spiritual father, praying for a wayward priest. Our proper response should be to join with him in this prayer. Pray for Fr. Michael Pfleger.  Pray for Francis Cardinal George. Pray for the faithful of St. Sabina's parish. Pray for our beloved Church.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online