TIME FOR A COUNCIL OF CHICAGO?

4/28/11

A loyal friend and reader asked what I thought about the imbroglio surrounding Father Michael Pfleger, who has served as pastor of St. Sabina Church on Chicago’s south side for thirty years and who was suspended by Cardinal Francis George after Pfleger once again mused about leaving the Church if the Cardinal enforced the Archdiocese’s 12 year limit for pastors in Father Pfleger’s case.

Since my readers may enjoy (or be infuriated) by my thoughts, I have posted a redacted version of my reply:

4/28/11

I have, or had, a theory about Father Pfleger that may or may not hold up in light of yesterday’s events. I don’t know any more than I read in the papers; this is just a theory.

The Cardinal was confronted with a dilemma; there was an outcry, albeit a muted one, from parishioners of the many parishes, and from their former pastors, who had lost beloved pastors because of the 12 year rule. Why did they have to give up their pastors when St. Sabina could keep Mike Pfleger? On the other hand, Pfleger has been instrumental in keeping black Catholics in the Church and attracting blacks to the Church. Forcing him out of St. Sabina might, and probably would have, serious ramifications for the black Church in Chicago and maybe beyond. So the Cardinal went to Mike Pfleger with a deal: Pfleger would nominally leave St. Sabina to serve as principal of Leo High School. Leo is on 79th and Sangamon; Sabina is at 78th, just west of Racine, approximately three blocks from Leo. Pfleger would not be running Leo and whoever was selected to nominally succeed him at Sabina would not be running St. Sabina; it would be something of a ruse. In reality, Pfleger would still be running Sabina but appearances would be satisfied. Everyone would be happy. Pfleger turned down the deal either because he was too obtuse to see it for what it was (unlikely), too proud to take it (more likely), or didn’t trust the Cardinal (likeliest).

After Pfleger went on the radio with the latest of his threats to leave the Church, the Cardinal had little choice but to suspend him, given the premium the Church puts on obedience to the hierarchy. Since the Cardinal is enforcing a doctrine of the Church that many, including yours truly as well as many black Catholics who are loyal to their pastor and to their parish rather than to the Church, do not find the most attractive of the Church’s doctrines, the Cardinal is probably going to come off looking petty and vindictive to many but as decisive and strong to the people about whom the Cardinal really cares: the pray, pay, and obey crowd.

Again, just a theory, but one worth considering.