President Obama's close friend Father Michael Pfleger is in hot water with the his bishop again. After announcing on a radio show that he would not accept an assignment to be principal of Leo High School, Cardinal Francis George sent the liberal priest a letter telling him he was suspended:
The Chicago Tribune:
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.
"A Catholic priest's inner life is governed by his promises, motivated by faith and love, to live chastely as a celibate man and to obey his bishop," the cardinal continued. "Breaking either promise destroys his vocation and wounds the Church.
"Many love and admire you because of your dedication to your people," the cardinal wrote. "Now, however, I am asking you to take a few weeks to pray over your priestly commitments in order to come to mutual agreement on how you understand personally the obligations that make you a member of the Chicago presbyterate and of the Catholic Church.
"With this letter, your ministry as pastor of Saint Sabina Parish and your sacramental faculties as a priest of the Archdiocese are suspended."
Pfleger, who is also close friends with Reverend Jeremiah Wright and a supporter of Louis Farrakhan, is a half crazed "social justice" radical whose violent language directed toward whites, gun owners, capitalists, and other targets has more than once gotten him in trouble with the Catholic church. Cardinal George and his predecessor Cardinal Bernardin have never quite figured out how to handle the troublesome priest. Pfleger has a large following among African Americans - both Catholics and non-Catholics - and his political clout is considerable. Politicians court him as if he were another politician. Obama has known him since his days as a community organizer.
If Pfleger leaves the church, it will free him to become even more outspoken and noxious. But it may weaken him with his African American base of Catholics who would be torn between their loyalty to him and to the Church represented by George.
Wonder if he'll call his friend Obama who unceremoniously dumped him as a "spiritual advisor" when he become too hot.
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