Cardinal Francis George and Racism
As a Roman Catholic, and a member of the Rainbow Sash Movement I understand that it is our call to preach good news and seek reconciliation and healing with our neighbors, whoever they may be. So it was with some interest I observed the controversy involving Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, Fr. Michael Pfleger, and Hillary Clinton this past week.
The controversy involved a May 25, 2008 a homily given by Fr. Pfleger, at Trinity United Church of Christ, in which Fr. Pleger was pretending to be Sen. Hillary Clinton crying because she felt as a white woman, she was entitled to the Democratic nomination for president and that Sen. Barack Obama, an African American, had stolen it from her.
Cardinal George’s response was quick in a May 30 statement he said that Pfleger had promised to “not publicly mention any candidate by name” and “abide by the discipline common to all Catholic Priests.” The statement went on to say “The Catholic Church does not endorse political candidates. Consequently, while a priest must speak to political issues that are also moral he may not endorse candidate not engage in parties campaigning.
The Cardinal also acknowledged that “Racial issues are both political and moral…” The challenge then becomes how do we find common ground in this situation? God said to the people in (Ex19: 5-6) “If you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be a kingdom a holy nation”.
Cardinal Francis George is the President of the National Council of Catholic Bishops so I take the Cardinal’s behavior very seriously in this matter. As a role model the Cardinal should be consistent in both his words and actions and reflect the positions of the National Council of Catholic Bishops. In November 2007, the bishops noted that “not all issues are equal” in politics: we believe that racism must always be opposed whether it found in society or the Church. That means if by challenging racism we challenge unity, than that is what must be done. Is removing Fr Pfleger from his parish adding or detracting to conversation about racism?
Catholics are called to full participation in political life the Catholic Bishops said “By fulfilling their civic duties, ‘guided by a Christian conscience,’ in conformity with its values, the lay faithful exercise their proper task of infusing the temporal order with Christian values, all the while respecting the nature and rightful autonomy of that order, and cooperating with other citizens according to their particular competence and responsibility.”
Fr. Pfleger has done a great deal of good for the Archdiocese of Chicago, and the City of Chicago. He is dearly loved by the wonderful people at St. Sabina’s Parish. Cardinal George on the other hand has shown a cavalier disregard for the rights of individuals within the Church and beyond. He has shown very poor judgement while handling the clergy abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Chicago, and has sided with racists in the past. I question his objectivity in removing Pfleger from St. Sabina's Parish.
The Rainbow Sash Movement challenges the Cardinal to recognize the racism that exists within the Archdiocese, and to join Trinity United Church of Christ in calling for a public dialogue around the issue of racism in the City of Chicago.
Certainly Sen. Hillary Clinton has been wronged, and Fr. Pfleger has asked for forgiveness and apologized for his imprudent words. It is our hope that that the Cardinal will take this opportunity as a teaching moment, and focus on Gospel Values, not hierarchal privilege and retribution.
I would remind the Cardinal that “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us…We were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will be saved by his life” (Rom 5: 8, 20). This applies to everyone not just the white hierarchal establishment.
