Cardinal Was Much Slower to Remove a Pedophile Priest
By Mary Mitchell
Chicago Sun-Times
June 5, 2008
http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/989330,CST-NWS-mitch05.article
There's good reason for St. Sabina parishioners to be outraged that the Rev. Michael Pfleger is being forced out of St. Sabina.
On Tuesday, Cardinal Francis George announced that Pfleger was asked to "step back" and take a "couple of weeks" leave from St. Sabina — a response to the fallout over Pfleger's insulting remarks about Sen. Hillary Clinton during a sermon at Trinity United Church of Christ.
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| Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell |
Although Pfleger, who is both beloved and despised in Chicago, apologized for mocking Clinton — characterizing her fierce campaign against Barack Obama as an example of "white entitlement" — it wasn't enough to save him from exile.
But I'm curious.
It took just eight days — and that includes the Memorial Day holiday — for Cardinal Francis George to react to the fallout.
George moved a heck of a lot slower when it came to removing the Rev. Daniel McCormack, a pedophile priest, from St. Agatha Catholic Church in 2006.
As you may recall, George came under fierce criticism for failing to follow the advice of a review board at the Archdiocese of Chicago that called for the removal of McCormack over allegations that he was abusing boys in the parish and Our Lady of the West Side School.
The charges against McCormack exploded in the media in January of 2006 when Cook County prosecutors charged McCormack with sexually abusing two boys.
Although George knew months before that McCormack had been questioned by police, he refused to remove the priest from his duties because McCormack had not yet been charged with a crime.
Later, George apologized profusely for his stunning lack of judgment:
"I must accept responsibility for the tragedy of allowing children to be in the presence of a priest against whom a current allegation of sexual abuse had been made," he said.
McCormack pleaded guilty to molesting five boys.
Last year, he was sentenced to five years in prison, although he may serve only half that time. Also, one of the victims settled a $1.6 million lawsuit against the archdiocese.
That's serious stuff.
But apparently, Pfleger's depiction of Clinton's lowest moments in her race against Barack Obama as an example of "white entitlement" is worse in George's book.
Despite George's contention that he is simply ordering Pfleger to take a "cooling-off" period, parishioners are concerned that the period will be a lot longer than that.
In fact, they are worried that George will use the Clinton fallout as an excuse to move their longtime pastor to a new parish.
That's overkill.
Besides giving cable television shows something to talk about, the only person Pfleger hurt with his parody of Clinton was himself.
And he didn't mock Clinton from St. Sabina's pulpit.
Frankly, if George can be forgiven for failing to follow rules designed to protect boys from pedophile priests, Pfleger certainly can be forgiven for getting carried away and making offensive remarks about Clinton.
Come to think of it, I can see why Pfleger mocked Clinton, can't you?
How she is acting may not fall under the heading of "white entitlement," but her so-called "determination" is beginning to look more like some kind of entitlement.
Here's what I mean:
Having landed in second place, the idea that Clinton can force Obama to put her on the Democratic ticket as VP smacks of, well, entitlement.
Having agreed to play by the rules set by the Democratic Party, then being able to get around those rules when she needed to smacks of entitlement.
Having forced the DNC into crafting a compromise that allowed the Florida and Michigan delegates to be seated — a deal that gave Clinton's campaign a desperately needed boost — she is still exaggerating her popular vote count . . . which smacks of entitlement.
And finally.
Having made history herself by becoming the first woman to ever get this far in a presidential primary, the fact that Clinton still couldn't bring herself to give Obama his props stinks of entitlement.
Pfleger, a man who has fought to improve the human condition by fighting against racism, inequality, poverty, and crime, offended a lot of people when he labeled Clinton's behavior "white entitlement." He shouldn't have done that.
Hillary Clinton's actions have spoken a lot louder than Father Pfleger's words.
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