Chicago Daily Observer

The Roman Catholic archdiocese went eyeball-to-eyeball with Fr. Michael Pfleger…and the archdiocese blinked. The incendiary priest is to return to his pulpit and pastorate June 16 to a forest of high-fives from those to whom the Mass and reverent ceremonials have always meant not much more than a circus.

Not surprising.

All along the archdiocese has forfeited its authority because it has been afraid. Afraid of black anger at St. Sabina’s. Afraid it couldn’t find a replacement that could build support to succeed him. Afraid the media…headed by the Bohemian Girl reporter, Cathleen Falsani…Carol Marin’s little sister…who has Catholic antecedents but is a Wheaton College grad (even though little evangelical propriety is observed in her hippie writing) who disses Roman Catholic cardinals as “men in red dresses” would portray the archdiocese as…gasp…unfeeling, untrendy.

All along the archdiocese had seven points to consider which authenticists say doesn’t rank very high with ... Read More...

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 hope also that the life of St. Sabina’s parish may continue in uninterrupted fashion. Fr. William Vanecko, Pastor of St. Kilian’s parish, will be temporary administrator of St. Sabina’s and will assure the full complement of ministerial services during this period. ... Read More...

Catholics will wait a long time if they expect that the timid, mild, semantically parsing archdiocese will punish Fr. Michael Pfleger on its own. But nevertheless the day of penitential reckoning may be near for the fiery Saint Sabina’s pastor. Wait-how can those two statements be reconciled?

Easy-Pfleger’s scandalous pastorate may well have angered the one institution that carries massive weight in Catholic circles: the Democratic party. He has already brought serious harm to the Barack Obama campaign from a ranting pastor run amok. The archdiocese has stood by and allowed him to rant. But Democrats are on the verge of saying: enough. Then the archdiocese will have to act.

A few evenings ago, Fox TV talk show host Bill O’Reilly criticized the ultra-bland nature of the formal disclaimer issued by the archdiocese to Pfleger. As well he should. The truth is that Pfleger has become more than a media ... Read More...

Statement of Cardinal Francis George concerning remarks of
Fr. Michael Pfleger about Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton during
an address at Trinity United Church of Christ on Sunday May 25, 2008

The Catholic Church does not endorse political candidates. Consequently, while a priest must speak to political issues that are also moral, he may not endorse candidates nor engage in partisan campaigning.

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.

Preparing for growth beyond its proposed new hospital in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood, Children’s Memorial Hospital said it paid $18 million Tuesday for a 99-year lease on a building from the Archdiocese of Chicago at 155 E. Superior St.

The six-story building is less than one block from the future site of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. That facility, which is scheduled open in 2012 and cost $1 billion, will replace Children’s Memorial’s Lincon Park hospital.

If you ask the average man on the street, regardless of his religion, he’d probably tell you that anyone who would disrupt an Easter Mass with a political protest—complete with stage blood and attempted “die-in”—is a jerk with little if any reverence for God or the sanctity of a church as a place of worship.

But according to the Chicago Tribune’s Manya Brachear the so-called Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War are representative of a “frustrated faction” of Catholic faithful (emphasis mine):

On Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008, several adults interrupted the Easter Mass being celebrated in the auditorium at Holy Name Cathedral Parish. This is a profoundly disturbing action.

The celebration of the Holy Mass is, in Catholic faith, the action of Jesus Christ through His Church that changes water and wine into Christ’s real Body and Blood. No one should be allowed or encouraged to use this sacred rite to voice protests or perform guerilla actions under any circumstances. It is a sacrilege that should be condemned by all people of faith and good will. Freedom to worship God should be inviolable.

Many children and adults were traumatized by the sudden sight of what appeared to be blood and by the screaming of several protesters who dropped to the floor. Church attendees were also hit by the red-staining stage blood. Several individuals have indicated that they and their children were ... Read More...

Sun-Times religion writer Susan Hogan/Albach reprises her rundown on how Chicago churchmen prospered in the wake of the Rev. Daniel McCormack scandal in this (farewell) blog. She did well in her short time at that newspaper, now being axed beyond recognition in paroxysms of budget-cutting.

Two years ago this month, the Rev. Daniel McCormack was arrested for molesting boys. He’s in prison now. And the top leaders in the Archdiocese of Chicago who might have stopped him have risen in their church positions.

George Will is not all that hard to figure out. He just wants to be. So he will start a column something like this (a parody):

“DES MOINES, Ia.—As every Iowa schoolchild knows, the first known caucus in the Western world was convened at Lillebonne, France in 1066 in the form of an assembly of French mercenaries by one William the Bastard who, after his victory at Hastings, became known as William the Conqueror.”.

Well, thirty years of this kind of thing wearies me. And maybe you. But I doggedly work through it. Yesterday, however, in the “Tribune” was not work worthwhile. So you do not have the same experience, I will parse with you.

I would like to express my deepest sympathies to the family of Representative Henry J. Hyde on his passing to eternal life today.

The death of Representative Hyde is a significant loss for our country. As a member of the House of Representatives for more than three decades, Henry Hyde contributed a great deal to the good of our nation and was a powerful champion for those who had no voice in the public square.

Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, has been elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for a three year term beginning in 2008. The election occurred November 13 during the bishops’ general meeting November 12–15 in Baltimore. Cardinal George received 188 votes out of 222 votes cast for a total of 85%.

Author and Director Jason Berry writes editorial in the LA Times very critical of Cardinal Francis George and his candidacy for the chair of the USCCB.

Our Tom Roeser evaluates, refutes, and reinforces the Berry editorial with criticism here.

Mary Ann Glendon, who has served in key Vatican posts for years, may soon represent her native country before the Holy See.

U.S. President George Bush announced today his intention to nominate Glendon, Harvard law professor and president of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences, as ambassador of the United States to the Holy See.

Hey Abdon! Who Lied and Made You Boss? !!! A Reporter’s Privilege

Nothing to read at Kean Gas station at 111th & Talman this morning – Gino Ford grabbed the last Daily Southtown and Dawna said that Sunday edition wouldn’t be in until about 11AM. The Kean dark roast was still slowdripping.

Against Dr. Vargas’ orders – I picked up the Sun Times ( HOWLS OF DERISIVE LAUGHTER emitted by your your humble servant) – The Progressive-Independent Conscious of the City that ‘s better than endless Seinfeld loops on two competing channels.

Keep Your Hands Where They Belong—Off our Propagandizing for

Gay Rights No Matter What the Church Says.

But Understand We Intend to Keep Mis-Advertising that We’re a Catholic University, Caveat Empteor!

DePaul President Reverend Dennis Holtschneider, C. M. responded last week to The Catholic New World column written by Francis Cardinal George critical of the university for promoting the “Out There” conference for teachers and students to make them “sensitive” to homosexual behavior. While the archbishop stressed the obligations of all Christians not to be hateful to others on grounds of sexual orientation, he nevertheless pointed out that portions of the conference promoted gay behavior.

The response acknowledges this but is as intellectually dishonest as is possible to be, evading Holtschneider’s own and his misnamed “Catholic” university’s obligations and hiding behind the tattered fabric of “academic freedom.” His naked rationale has become a part of secular universities. But for so-called ... Read More...

Top officials of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops met privately with Pope Benedict XVI Oct. 18 for a wide-ranging discussion about the church in the United States, including the pope’s planned visit to the U.S. in the spring.

I was in Chicago this week, speaking on Thursday to the Illinois Catholic Health Association on “Trends in Ministry.” While in town I arranged an interview with Cardinal Francis George, who marks his 10th anniversary this year at the helm of the one of the largest and wealthiest dioceses in the world. If things hold to form, George will also take over as the new president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at their fall meeting in Baltimore Nov. 12–15, becoming, in effect, the public face of the church just as America plunges into an election cycle.

That combination makes George an important figure indeed in the Catholic firmament.