News

Friday April 16, 2010


Fr. Pfleger on Apology: They Made Me Do it, But I Didn’t Mean it

By Patrick B. Craine

CHICAGO, Illinois, April 16, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In the latest episode in an ongoing controversy, Fr. Michael Pfleger has again publicly voiced his support for women’s ordination, this time in a comment posted to his Facebook fan page. In that comment, he also notes that the archdiocese made him issue the apology he put out on Wednesday.

“Sunday, I mentioned in my Sermon that I believe in married Priests and Woman Priests,” the Facebook comment reads. “I was then told that I had to apologize for saying it durning [sic] a Sermon because that is not allowed, even though that is my opinion.

“I have received much hate from the right-winged who want my removal,” he added. “Amazing… Nobody Blogged me or youtubed me about helping Save our children or Stopping the Violence…”

His comment follows a Wednesday statement published on the Archdiocese of Chicago’s website, which has since been removed. In the statement he admits that he advocated for women priests and bishops in his homily, but then says that, “While this is my personal opinion, I do respect and follow the Catholic Church teachings and I am sorry I failed to do this.”

Pfleger’s Sunday homily had been posted to the website of his parish, Saint Sabina’s Catholic Church, and the 30-second clip in which he made the controversial remarks quickly made it onto Youtube. The homily and Fr. Pfleger’s call for women’s ordination remained posted on the parish website as of press time.

According to Diogenes of CatholicCulture.org, Pfleger’s apology “won’t do.”

“If you ‘respect and follow the Catholic Church teachings,’ you don’t hold a ‘personal opinion’ completely at odds with those teachings,” the pundit wrote yesterday. “If you respect the teachings of the Church regarding priestly ministry, you don’t use the pulpit to advance a ‘personal opinion’ of any kind, let alone an opinion critical of the Church.”

“Based on the statement above, would you say that Father Pfleger understands, accepts, and submits to the authority of the magisterium?” he asks. “No. Do you think Cardinal George has the intelligence to reach the same conclusion? Yes. Will the cardinal allow a priest who disregards Church authority to remain in place as a pastor? Wait and see.”

Calls and an e-mail to the Archdiocese of Chicago were not returned by press time. LSN also did not hear back from Fr. Pfleger by press time.

To contact the Chicaco Archdiocese:

Office of the Archbishop

Archdiocese of Chicago

PO Box 1979

Chicago, IL. 60690-1979

Phone: 312-534-8230

E-Mail: [email protected]


See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Chicago’s Fr. Pfleger Apologizes but Reaffirms Support for Women’s Ordination

https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/apr/10041504.html

Chicago Archdiocese-Honored Priest Pushes Women’s Ordination

https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/apr/10041405.html

Cardinal George at Pfleger Award Ceremony: ‘Abortion Kills Racial Justice’

https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/apr/10040815.html

Chicago Archdiocesan Office to Honor Pro-Obama Fr. Pfleger

https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/apr/10040606.html