Cardinal suspends Pfleger: 'You are not able to pastor a Catholic parish'

[Dale_M]

Citing what he called threats from the Rev. Michael Pfleger to leave the church, Cardinal Francis George has removed the outspoken priest from St. Sabina parish and has suspended his “sacramental faculties as a priest.”

Pfleger had publicly feuded with the cardinal about possibly being reassigned to Leo High School, telling a radio show recently that he would look outside the Catholic church if offered no other choice.

“If that is truly your attitude, you have already left the Catholic Church and are therefore not able to pastor a Catholic parish,” George wrote in a letter dated today.

chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chibrknews-cardinal-suspends-pfleger-20110427,0,6343086.story



This is unfortunate, although perhaps unavoidable.

Here is a copy of Cardinal George’s letter to Fr. Pfleger.
chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chibrknews-letter-from-francis-cardinal-george-to-fr-michael-pfleger-42711-20110427,0,3569539.htmlstory

Edit:
Please, everyone, be charitable in your comments.

 

[JHow]

I find arguing with my boss is the best way to get a good job assignment, too.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

I hope

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO :extrahappy::extrahappy::extrahappy:

is charitable

 

[Corki]

I find arguing with my boss is the best way to get a good job assignment, too.

I think that about sums it up. The Cardinal gave Father every possible chance to carve out a middle ground. It takes two to compromise and Father does not seem ready at this time to exercise the submission promised by a diocisan priest to his Ordinary.

How’s that for staying charitable?

I just hope that Father does not leave the Church and break up St. Sabina’s parish as collateral damage.

 

[Quarles47]

Edit:
Please, everyone, be charitable in your comments.

Seems that this “Rev.” Pfleger is throwing a 5 y/o child tantrum. Good for the Cardinal for showing him the door.

So, is this charitable enough

 

[Teelynn]

I’m really confused by Fr’s statement that he did not want to stay at St. Sabina permanently. Said that at the end of the article I read. It said he told the Cardinal that several time in the recent past. So if he was really sincere in being open to a move, why all the drama? The Cardinal offered him a position at (I believe it was) St. Leo’s school which is close to St. Sabina’s. Confusing.

 

[Scoobyshme]

It’s about time. Allowing him to pastor is like allowing Peewee Herman to pastor.

 

[Tsuwano]

Fr. Pfleger has been at St. Sabina’s since the early 80’s when I was in Chicago. He should have been moved a long time ago. My opinion is that no priest should be in a parish so long that he is able to carve out his own little fiefdom and, indeed, no priest, if he is concerned with his own spiritual welfare, should want to stay in one parish that long. The Cardinal is absolutely correct on this one and it’s not because Fr. Pfleger has been controversial in the past. It’s because it is for his own good.

 

[jilly4ski]

I am impressed with the Cardinal’s letter, it was charitable and succinct and very well written. The only part that made my jaw drop open was the part about it being released to the parish and the media. Though considering that he is accused a releasing private mis-information to the media I guess it makes sense, in order to prevent him from spinning his suspension as anything other than it is.

 

[mark_a]

chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chibrknews-cardinal-suspends-pfleger-20110427,0,6343086.story



This is unfortunate, although perhaps unavoidable.

Here is a copy of Cardinal George’s letter to Fr. Pfleger.
chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chibrknews-letter-from-francis-cardinal-george-to-fr-michael-pfleger-42711-20110427,0,3569539.htmlstory

Edit:
Please, everyone, be charitable in your comments.

Three cheers for Cardinal George!!

 

[WiscConvert]

I hope

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO :extrahappy::extrahappy::extrahappy:

is charitable

I believe the Cardinal probably made the right decision in this case, but I find the celebration and triumphalism to be offensive and out of place. I see that often on this site – people cheering and clapping when liberal priests are removed from their positions, while the reaction when priests are censured for being more conservative than the Vatican or God forbid for sexual improprieties is much more muted and solemn. Surely we should be sorrowful when any priest chooses to separate himself from the Catholic faith, rather than seeing this as some sort of victory for the church.

 

[SalesianSDB]

I’m going to be moving to Chicago next semester to start college, and I have to be honest, I was kinda scared of being in the same Archdiocese as Pfleger. Seeing the Obama video of him made me a little worried. Granted, that’s pretty much all I know about him. So I could move into Chicago in peace.

I was talking to a friend of mine a few weeks ago about his reassignment struggles. My main thoughts:
Don’t priests make promises of obedience to the Archbishop?

Good job in this case, Cardinal George. I’ll be seeing you soon!

 

[St_Francis]

I believe the Cardinal probably made the right decision in this case, but I find the celebration and triumphalism to be offensive and out of place. I see that often on this site – people cheering and clapping when liberal priests are removed from their positions, while the reaction when priests are censured for being more conservative than the Vatican or God forbid for sexual improprieties is much more muted and solemn. Surely we should be sorrowful when any priest chooses to separate himself from the Catholic faith, rather than seeing this as some sort of victory for the church.

I have a number of relatives who were led astray by these types of priests (liberal) who are no longer receiving any sacraments… Priests who are liberal to the point of heresy, who lead souls astray like that, have been a scourge against souls for way too long, and it is good to see that finally they are getting the discipline they deserve rather than being allowed to continue to lead souls to Hell.

The liberal priests also caused a great deal of pain to parishioners as they “wreckovated” parishes, removing items donated for the glory of God by people who really scrimped to donate them, to replace them with nothing of beauty.

And caused many other problems…

The conservative priests were immediately disciplined for every little thing they did while the liberal priests were allowed to run roughshod and do whatever they wanted including “coming out of the closet” from the pulpit. During Mass.

 

[Tsuwano]

I believe the Cardinal probably made the right decision in this case, but I find the celebration and triumphalism to be offensive and out of place. I see that often on this site – people cheering and clapping when liberal priests are removed from their positions, while the reaction when priests are censured for being more conservative than the Vatican or God forbid for sexual improprieties is much more muted and solemn. Surely we should be sorrowful when any priest chooses to separate himself from the Catholic faith, rather than seeing this as some sort of victory for the church.

I agree with you. The Triumphalism leaves me a bit sick to the stomach, too. After all, what is happening in Chicago isn’t a football game. There are no winners in this situation. It is a sad situation and should be treated as such.

 

[Beau_Ouiville]

This is unfortunate, although perhaps unavoidable.

You are correct.

Edit:
Please, everyone, be charitable in your comments.

You are ridiculously hopeful.

 

[Tsuwano]

I’m going to be moving to Chicago next semester to start college, and I have to be honest, I was kinda scared of being in the same Archdiocese as Pfleger. Seeing the Obama video of him made me a little worried. Granted, that’s pretty much all I know about him. So I could move into Chicago in peace.

I was talking to a friend of mine a few weeks ago about his reassignment struggles. My main thoughts:
Don’t priests make promises of obedience to the Archbishop?

Good job in this case, Cardinal George. I’ll be seeing you soon!

Believe me, you have a lot more to be afraid of in Chicago than Fr. Pfleger. And another, thing, even though the Cardinal is correct in reassigning Fr. Pfleger to a different position, and now in suspending him, no one denies that Fr. Pfleger has done great work at St. Sabina’s and is greatly admired by most of the parishoners. What has happened to Fr. Pfleger, as the Cardinal stated, is not about his politics or liberal Vs. conservative. It is about his committment as a priest to the Church he has given his life to.

 

[Dale_M]

I’m really confused by Fr’s statement that he did not want to stay at St. Sabina permanently. Said that at the end of the article I read. It said he told the Cardinal that several time in the recent past. So if he was really sincere in being open to a move, why all the drama?

In his recent interview on the Smiley & West radio program, Fr. Pfleger stated a strong conviction that he is called to be a pastor of a community, which he would not be at Leo Catholic High School. Towards the conclusion of the interview, Fr. Pfleger made the statement that he would leave the Catholic Church if forced to go to Leo.

Smiley: Finally, Father Pfleger, if in fact you survive this most recent attempt to move you out of this Faith Community of St. Sabina’s after 30 years of being there, if you survive it, in short, what’s left in this calling of yours? What’s left for you to do in this vocation?

Fr. Pfleger: Well I’m trying to be very prayerful on that right now, Tavis, and see where the Lord leads me. I want to try to stay in the Catholic Church. If they say you either take this principalship of a high school or a pastorship there or leave, then I 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.

smileyandwest.com/transcripts/?page_id=102

 

[PaulinVA]

In his recent interview on the Smiley & West radio program, Fr. Pfleger stated a strong conviction that he is called to be a pastor, which he would not be at Leo Catholic High School. Towards the conclusion of the interview, Fr. Pfleger made the statement that he would leave the Catholic Church if forced to go to Leo.

If half of what is written on his Wikipedia page is true, he has no business being a pastor of a Catholic parish. I think the good Cardinal showed extreme restraint these last several years.

Maybe George Stallings has an opening for him?

 

[the_phoenix]

Regarding a priest’s attitude towards an assignment or reassignment:

(and yes, at the end if you read that far you’ll see how this story relates to the thread topic) …

My father once told me the story of a close family friend of his who grew up in Buffalo, New York and felt called to become a priest who would also serve as a high school teacher right there in good old Buffalo, New York surrounded by his family and friends, and so live happily ever after. Because this close family friend loved being around people he knew and sharing good-natured laughter and happy times with them.

God had other plans. Drastically different …

Father David’s superior one day ordered him, under obedience, to serve as a missionary in one of the most remote parts of the world. Easter Island, way out in the Pacific Ocean over 2,000 miles away from modern civilization! Father David would be the first priest Easter Island ever had.

So Father David put his own preferences aside and obediently made history.

And God rewarded him with a challenging, adventurous, and happy life. Father David himself also told me about his life. He learned Spanish so he could hear Confession and preach the Gospel to the islanders. He befriended the island natives and their stray cats. He became a ham radio operator. He told stories and performed sleight-of-hand and card tricks for people. Most importantly, he celebrated Holy Mass and brought the Sacraments to Easter Island.

To give you an idea how remote Easter Island was, one day the people assembled to greet their losing high school soccer team that had flown by plane to Chile for a big game. When the kids got off the plane, everyone cheered wildly. Father David asked why everyone was celebrating since the team had lost? The answer: This was the first time that any of the natives had ever left Easter Island by plane and then returned. :extrahappy:

I was blessed to see Father David a few times in person when he would visit the US once every several years.

Anyways, if the Cardinal had assigned Father David to St. Leo’s school, I bet he would have either loved it or would have learned to love it, and by doing God’s Will would have accomplished great things.

Praying for Father Pfleger, that he will follow God’s Will for his life.

 

[Tenebrae]

I’m going to be moving to Chicago next semester to start college, and I have to be honest, I was kinda scared of being in the same Archdiocese as Pfleger. Seeing the Obama video of him made me a little worried. Granted, that’s pretty much all I know about him. So I could move into Chicago in peace.

I was talking to a friend of mine a few weeks ago about his reassignment struggles. My main thoughts:
Don’t priests make promises of obedience to the Archbishop?

Good job in this case, Cardinal George. I’ll be seeing you soon!

Don’t worry. The Archdiocese of Chicago is very large and there are many, many parishes. You would probably never have any contact with Fr. Pfleger.