Chicago, IL, United States (AHN) – Members of a Catholic congregation in Chicago’s South Side gathered in protest on Thursday against the suspension of their pastor, whose outspoken comments prompted action from the archdiocese.
Parishioners of St. Sabina gathered outside the residence of Cardinal Francis George to ask the reinstatement of Father Michael Pfleger.
Pfleger was suspended on Wednesday after saying in a radio interview he would likely leave the Catholic Church if he was reassigned.
The pastor, who has led his congregation since 1981, was offered the presidency at Leo Catholic High School, a post the cardinal said would let Pfleger continue his advocacy against gun violence in the black community.
George informed Pfleger of the suspension in a letter released by the archdiocese. He chastised the pastor for comments that “short-circuited” the process to determine whether to proceed with the transfer.
The cardinal said their private conversation about the reassignment was also “misrepresented publicly as an attempt to ‘remove’ him,” a move only done in cases of sexual or financial offenses.
But leaders of St. Sabina said the cardinal had failed to show respect for Pfleger by announcing the suspension in a letter that reporters allegedly received before being sent to the pastor.
They had been urging their congregation to write to the cardinal to let Pfleger stay as pastor.
“Considering the current state of the economy, we believe that removing him at this time would be devastating to both our parish and the Auburn Gresham community,” they said in a statement last month.
Pfleger, who was inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame in 2009, remains officially the pastor at St. Sabina but he has no priestly functions.
His associate pastor, Father Thulani Magwaza, will temporarily serve as church administrator. A priest at St. Ailbe Parish, Father Andrew Smiths, has been assigned as assistant.
View full post on All Stories
Comments are closed.