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

[Dale_M]

I just read through the statements on the St Sabina web site. Why is this playing out in public?

As someone mentioned earlier, protesting a bishop’s (or cardinal’s) decision may not be a Catholic practice, but it certainly is an American one. Parishioners in many American cities have publicly protested the closure of their church or favorite school or the (lack of) disciplining of a particular priest. Some have held sit-ins, some have picketed, some have formed organizations to lobby public opinion regarding their complaint.

But I agree that it is best not to feed into the public controversy. The Chicago news media are providing daily updates on such things as Cardinal George’s parting words before leaving for Rome or statements by lay leaders at St. Sabina or rumors as to what Fr. Pfleger is planning. However, I don’t think the people of St. Sabina or the archdiocese or the Catholic Church (as a whole) are served by dwelling on these things.

Watching and praying are probably the best we can do. Things still have the potential to get ugly and if so, the results will not be happy.

 

[CatholicBoy1957]

he goes in depth about it in his book…obviously he is aware of the naysayers, and what they think about him…BEFORE even getting to know him…he talks about this in great detail

Give us one or two of these details, regarding his Pro-life activities. .

 

[Beau_Ouiville]

You very much sound like the product of a modern Jesuit Education. Your muddled thinking on abortion and flat out rejection of Church teaching on abortion and the obligation to vote must be traced to that.

Must every thread be a debate on abortion? It gets monotonous.

 

[Pax2u]

I’m getting chills right now reading that someone thinks immigration and the death penalty are merely political issues The sanctity of life goes beyond just abortion…death penalty, euthanasia, contraception, immigration…etc.

If Jesus was around now as an American citizen…he wouldn’t vote…but pray for all those w/ mixed morals…God Bless!

How do you know if Jesus would vote or not???

 

[estesbob]

Must every thread be a debate on abortion? It gets monotonous.

Perhaps when Catholics quit claiming one can vote for pro-abortion politicians it won’t come upB in addition his support of Obama is another example of his rejection of Church Authority

 

[Beau_Ouiville]

Perhaps when Catholics quit claiming one can vote for pro-abortion politicians it won’t come upB in addition his support of Obama is another example of his rejection of Church Authority

That means that most Catholics in America reject Church authority. Change the record!

 

[catharina]

yes or perhaps it will teach that looking out for others in regards to several moral issues also leads to humility.

As a Catholic social worker, I am
anti-death penalty,
pro-immigration,
… line it up, I salute it.

Yet I am 100% clear that
the PRIORITY for all Catholics,
concerned with MORALITY,
**must be to oppose abortion. **

 

[catharina]

That means that most Catholics in America reject Church authority. Change the record!

… and most Catholics in America
(if one accepts that view)
should be following Our Lord
in His Church, should be following the Vatican.

Therefore most Catholics in America
will pay a very heavy price for their immorality.

No joke.

 

[Beau_Ouiville]

The priest has simply been suspended for disobedience. Others here take this as an opportunity to criticize the liturgy in the church or his oratorical style.

"George’s letter said Pfleger’s disobedience was not related to his activism or style of ministering. Last year, when Pfleger received a social justice award from the archdiocese, the cardinal praised him and said he “acts out of love.”

chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-cardinal-george-pfleger-0501-20110430,0,288482.story?page=2

 

[catharina]

The priest has simply been suspended for disobedience. Others here take this as an opportunity to criticize the liturgy in the church or his oratorical style.

"George’s letter said Pfleger’s disobedience was not related to his activism or style of ministering. Last year, when Pfleger received a social justice award from the archdiocese, the cardinal praised him and said he “acts out of love.”

chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-cardinal-george-pfleger-0501-20110430,0,288482.story?page=2

… and I have disagreed with those others.

 

[estesbob]

That means that most Catholics in America reject Church authority. Change the record!

Which is why it is necessary that Faithful Catholics keep proclaiming the truth

 

[catharina]

Which is why it is necessary that Faithful Catholics keep proclaiming the truth

Precisely.

 

[Brendan]

: The sanctity of life goes beyond just abortion…death penalty, euthanasia, contraception, immigration…etc.
!

But they all start with the issue of abortion. As I pointed out from Pope John Paul II’s own words, all other rights are false and illusory if the right to life itself it not defend from conception.

So we have to ensure that right before the others are even possible.

 

[Beau_Ouiville]

Which is why it is necessary that Faithful Catholics keep proclaiming the truth

OK, let’s have one subject heading for all forums on this site. We’ll call it abortion and that’s the only topic that will be discussed. No hijacks and no digressions.

 

[gatewood1988]

What a wierd priest. I just looked up online info about him and the parish. He adopted 3 children Can priests do that? And all the other times he went against the Cardinal. Wow! I am just lacking words for this. I mean even the parish’s website barely even hints that they are Catholic, it looks like more of a Open Bible church Evangelical or something. It’s very strange.

 

[Robert_Bay]

MODERATOR NOTE

Please stay on the topic of the original post

 

[PaulinVA]

Thank you Robert, but I’m not too sure where the conversation can go from here.

I will say that I am surprised by the whole black church experience in Chicago, from the Rev Wright and the President’s church to St Sabinas to something known as the “14 black churches in Chicago”.

I grew up in the South, and live in a suburb of Washington that is like the United Nations. However, I worship in a parish that is almost entirely white. I guess some would say that I don’t understand the black experience in the country, must less the Church.

I am most troubled by what appears to be the protestant influence on the black Catholic experience. I guess it goes to style of worship, but it seems to be more at work here. Is the theology sound but the expression of it is more protestant?

 

[catharina]

Thank you Robert, but I’m not too sure where the conversation can go from here.

I will say that I am surprised by the whole black church experience in Chicago, from the Rev Wright and the President’s church to St Sabinas to something known as the “14 black churches in Chicago”.

I grew up in the South, and live in a suburb of Washington that is like the United Nations. However, I worship in a parish that is almost entirely white. I guess some would say that I don’t understand the black experience in the country, must less the Church.

I am most troubled by what appears to be the protestant influence on the black Catholic experience. I guess it goes to style of worship, but it seems to be more at work here. Is the theology sound but the expression of it is more protestant?

The central issue and what should trouble all Catholics is that
this priest made a public statement of disobedience to his bishop,
with the certain implication that he had no intention of being obedient.

All else is irrelevant.

 

[PaulinVA]

The central issue and what should trouble all Catholics is that
this priest made a public statement of disobedience to his bishop,
with the certain implication that he had no intention of being obedient.

All else is irrelevant.

Well, yes, I agree that this is, on the surface, a clear cases of disobedience.

But when I dig deeper, I see a lot this is interesting in that it is a totally foreign to me. A Catholic parish that downplays it’s catholicity. A parish with an “associate minister”. A parish with a “leadership team” that thinks it’s “insulting” for the Cardinal to move a parochial vicar (associate pastor) into the rectory. A “leadership team” that actually thinks it’s in charge.

This is the parish that Fr. Pfleger has nurtured for decades. Does the Cardinal think it is a valid expression of Catholicism, and it’s just the disobedience he’s concerned with?

 

[Tigg]

The central issue and what should trouble all Catholics is that this priest made a public statement of disobedience to his bishop,
with the certain implication that he had no intention of being obedient.

All else is irrelevant.

Well, yes, I agree that this is, on the surface, a clear cases of disobedience.

But when I dig deeper, I see a lot this is interesting in that it is a totally foreign to me. A Catholic parish that downplays it’s catholicity. A parish with an “associate minister”. A parish with a “leadership team” that thinks it’s “insulting” for the Cardinal to move a parochial vicar (associate pastor) into the rectory. A “leadership team” that actually thinks it’s in charge.

This is the parish that Fr. Pfleger has nurtured for decades. Does the Cardinal think it is a valid expression of Catholicism, and it’s just the disobedience he’s concerned with?

I’m discerning the same thing as you are, Paulin……

As others have pointed out, it’s not just the disobedience to the boss that is causing the real harm to the faith. I do not think it irrelevant at all that this priest is promoting ideas contra to the very teachings of the Church!

What kind of a “faith community” is this when the leader of the parish council threatens to leave not only the parish, but perhaps the Church herself? Have they replaced their Catholic FAITH with “social justice” concerns and politics?