The embattled pastor of St. Sabina Roman Catholic Church told radio show hosts Tavis Smiley and Cornel West this weekend that he would look outside the Catholic Church if offered no other choice but to work at a Catholic high school.
The Rev. Michael Pfleger also said on the “Smiley & West” public radio program that he had been banned from speaking at events in the archdiocese and blamed pressure from conservative Catholics and the National Rifle Association for his most recent clash with Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George.
“I want to try to stay in the Catholic Church,” Pfleger said. “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.”
In an interview with the Tribune, Pfleger clarified that he feels called to preach and push for social justice in a Catholic context. He said he loves the Catholic Church and prefers to stay there. But going to Leo full-time would not happen, Pfleger said.
“I’ve always said I could not do something that I don’t feel called or equipped to do,” he told the Tribune. “A full-time position at Leo is not something I’m equipped to do. I think Leo has made it clear they don’t see any need for me to come there. For both sides this would be a lose-lose. [source]
Well I would agree with half of that lose-lose.
I seem to be under some misunderstanding. I thought bishops directed where their priest went. Diocesan priests don’t make vows, they make promises to their bishop and one of those promises is obedience. Obedient priests don’t go on television questioning where there bishop is going to send them and they especially don’t talk about going outside the Church if they don’t get their way. Fr. Pfleger had developed a cult of personality over at St Sabina and his past antics have not served that congregation well.
In diocese with a bishop of a more liberal-bent they have no problem with priests faithful to the magisterium. They can ship them off to small country parishes knowing they will not complain in the least and I can think of circumstances where this has happened. Priests like Fr. Pfleger though seem to think it is all about them and there abilities and obedience only comes into play if they agree with what the bishop wants.
Earlier when I had read of Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George considering a new job assignment for Fr. Pfleger I thought this rather odd. Sending up seeming trial-ballons is out-of-place. The Cardinal should simply have made the assignment and while I can understand his pastoral approach with Fr. Pfleger considering his record, he must also consider the damage this priest does.
21 comments
I hear Reverend Wright needs an assistant pastor.
He doesn’t “feel” called? But, he “feels” called to preach? Preach his version of Catholicism is NOT needed in our world…I’m not saying this because I “feel” he’s not right, because I know what God’s word and our Catechism says…this guy shouldn’t be overseeing a high school either….poisoning young minds with his version of the gospel is detrimental beyond belief!
If Fr. Pfleger were assigned to a school my children attended I would remove them immediately. Likewise, though I’m not a fan of parish-hopping, I would leave a parish if he were there, probably even if only as an assistant pastor. I wonder how many liberal Catholics will follow him if he leaves. And I’m not sure whether to hope that he does or that he doesn’t. I hate to think of his soul’s peril and the peril of the souls who follow him, but at the same time, anything that rids the Church of a cancer is welcome.
I really don’t understand why he wasn’t firmly corrected in the past. Allowing Fr. Pfleger to continue with such disobedience to the Church and his bishop has only deepened the damage done in many, many ways.
This from the guy in 2002 who stood on the steps of the diocesan offices talking about how the bishop didn’t have the “balls to fire me”
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=%22doesn't+have+the+balls+to+fire+me%22#sclient=psy&hl=en&safe=off&source=hp&q=%22balls+to+fire+me%22+pfleger&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=9fcadcd316939f76
I figure he hasn’t been Catholic, nor has his parish, for a while. Time to cut him loose…
I have two words for this self-absorbed creature: Episcopal Church.
I guess obedience means nothing.
Pfleger has been thumbing his nose at the Archdiocese for decades.
I hear there are franchise opportunities with George Stallings and the Imani Temple.
Well Fr. Flakey, don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out. yes I am sure Rev. Wright could use your important cotnribution to liberal banter>
No big loss, don’t let the door hit your butt on the way out.
Did you say his name was Narciso Pfleger?
Pfleger is already a lost cause. He has already left, just not physically. Eventually he will. So they might as well cut their losses and cut him loose. He would rather follow his own path then be in Christ’s Church? That’s enough for me. Good riddance.
I am with Sarah! Our children are the precious future AND present of the Church. My children would be out of that school the very day of an official announcement. Is the Cardinal seriously planning to send him to Leo High?? Or, is this a rumor and Pleger’s talk?
Fr. Pfleger is using the Church – if he hadn’t been a Catholic Priest he would have no standing. Saying he will leave the Church if he doesn’t get his way shows just how much he loves the Church…it’s his way or he’s gone. I would not want him teaching young, impressionable students…Card. George might want to put a faithful Priest in there right now, one with a great character, charismatic and able to connect with his people, while remaining absolutely faithful to the Church. But Fr. Pfleger needs to go…Card. George should send him to a Monastery for prayer and guidance…our bishops allow rabidly pro-abortion politicians to receive the Eucharist, indicating that they are Catholics in good standing…Joe Biden went to Africa and coerced their government to include abortion rights in their new constitution promising them that if they did, the ‘money would flow’…and Joe Biden is considered a Catholic in good standing, permitted to receive the Eucharist. Pelosi receives honors from Planned Parenthood and is a Catholic in good standing, advocating for the termination of the lives of human babies in the wombs of their mothers…I could go on. No wonder Priests like Fr. Pfleger feel they can thumb their collective noses at the Bishops…
Who cares what the soon to be formere priest has to say or think. He is apparently forsaken his vows and duties, or so it appears, so it’s up to the good Father P to go where the Bishop tells him to go or go out the door.
It is indeed sad to see a passion for one’s message as more important than than union with Christ and the Church.A priest preaches what
Christ wants and MUST recognize that his formal utterences must be in line with Christ who gives His Bishops the power to rule in His Name.To leave the Church is to leave Christ there is no other Catholic way of thinking.
I must be getting a little senile in my old age Jeff cause for a second, I thought that I had left a comment on this post and I had to double check and make sure that “IT” wasn’t one of Joe Carter’s post.
I hear ya Joe! Low blow sinner vic!
You’ll get yours in time Victor! 🙂
Hey Jeff! If I may take a moment and go off topic again, I would like to tell you why I think I’ve already got mine like my brother Joe said or was that just “ONE” of his imaginary spiritual so call loving cells trying to help me out again? 🙂
Go ahead Victor! You caught me in a good mood but I can’t promise that I won’t have another post already UP before you even finish your comment!
Thanks Jeff! That’s OK! Between you, me, myself AND, for what “IT” is worth, I knew you would understand.
Anyway, this pass Friday or was that yesterday? Whatever!!! I again got to church a little earlier cause my wife had an early appointment and forced me out of bed. Because of the price of gas and everything else concerned, sinner vic and I decide that we would go to church a few minutes earlier and do in, i mean take in, the road of the cross of Jesus. Don’t tell any body’s spiritual and/or reality cells Jeff, but between you and me, I really never know what to say and so I usually just play “IT” by ears. In other words, thank God for my conscience cause I usually let “IT” do all the work for U>S (usual sinners) and just say whatever my conscience tells U>S to say.
While at the first road, I mean #1, “IT” got a little scary because I honestly thought that I was having a heart attack. It was as if a million so called cells were dancing on my chest and although sinner vic tried to make light of my pain, “IT” wasn’t very funny and long story short, I called sinner vic’s bluff and finished all of them and then knocked on The Holy SACHRISTY’s Door.
Long story short, the day before, on Thursday, I had forgotten or was that left my hat at the back of the church and today, Friday, “IT” was not there so I thought they might have got “IT” and to make another long story short cause you’ve been too generous with your time already.
As I was about to say, long story short, I got my Montreal Canadian hat from “The SACHRISTY” or should I simply have said, i got MY HABS hat back? Go HABS go! 🙂
Victor! Victor! Victor!
What is “IT” NOW sinner vic?
I just wanted to say I’M SORRY!
What could you possibly be sorry for sinner vic?
Listen here Victor! Your soul is no better than you are and just because some of your spiritual cells can fool some of the people some of the time and most of the people most of the time but long story short, you know as well as any gods that you can’t fool all of your spiritual loving cells all of the time and we also know that some of your so called Jesus cells were hoping that you really were “Jesus Christ” and NOW we know “The Truth” You’re not and you can take that to the bank if you know what I mean?
Listen Victor! “IT” is really not as bad as some evil humans, I mean humans who live, try and make “IT” out to be and don’t tell any body’s cells but between me and you, Red and Green are having a little play at Your Hotel of Fools for Easter and they need some body to play you know “WHO?” So you interested?
Listen here sinner vic! Can you tell the boys at the lounge, “I’M SORRY,” I know that i couldn’t bring myself to allow them an Amber light cause you know as well as I and me that if we allowed a woman in there, no work would get done and besides what would the wifes say? Listen just tell them that if they can’t be handsome, they can at least be hand daddy, I mean handy so keep your stick on the ice until “The Playoff” OK Guys?
Really sinner vic! You can put your arms down NOW cause those nails in your left hand and that hammer in your right hand don’t scare me one bit cause you know that you can’t fool me, “April Fool” has come and gone and you’ve all missed “IT” but “Nice Try” just the same! 🙂
Thanks again Jeff
God Bless Peace
This is the same priest to whom Cardinal George gave an award.
Does Cardinal George thing so little of forming children in the Faith that he would put their Faith formation in this man’s hands?
It causes scandal to let him continue.
Pray for him;alas,he joins politics and religion and I think he’d make a wonderful imam in that ‘religion of peace.’
I cannot understand why the church is so tolerant of this man. I am not sure where would be a good place him, perhaps Ethiopia and allow him to do his missionary work. He is always on the wrong side of the issue for me. If he were the only spokesperson for the Catholic faith, I would have to leave.