Photo from Nancy Stone, Chicago Tribune
Father Michael Pfleger returned to St. Sabina Parish in Chicago today. Did he learn anything from his two weeks away? It would appear not.
"I want to say one thing today. The [Chicago] Tribune asked, can you be Catholic and an activist? I say, absolutely. Absolutely. You cannot be Catholic and not be an activist. That's the Gospel," he said.
Fr. Pfleger is right, up to a point. One of the signal differences between Catholics and other denominations is the emphasis on both faith and works. Catholics believe that God does call us to service. Where it gets sticky is interpreting what works are needed.
The patroness of Fr. Pfleger's church was a wealthy woman who, legend has it, came to the faith through the intercession of her servant. Sabina was persecuted by the emperor Hadrian and was martyred some time in the early days of the Church. She would not necessarily be the model for the type of ministry that Fr. Pfleger espouses. Her faith was ultimately selfless. That's typical of most saints. And one of the reasons we pay attention to saints is that they provide a model for sinners like us.
And selflessness is precisely where Fr. Pfleger comes up short. Here is another passage from the Chicago Tribune article linked above. See if you notice something.
"I'm good. I'll speak Sunday and give my talk then," Pfleger said as he sifted through a desk full of papers. "I'm grateful to be back and to do what I'm called to do. I'm grateful to the cardinal for letting me back."
When asked if he was the same "Michael Pfleger" as before, he said: "I'm me, I'm not changing. This is how I've been since I've been born. I'm not changing."
Is Fr. Pfleger a little fond of speaking in the first person? It would appear so. Count 'em up - 12 first person references in two short paragraphs. These are the words of a narcissist.
Cardinal George does Fr. Pfleger and St. Sabina a disservice by allowing this to continue. As much as his parishioners love Fr. Pfleger, there is a danger in following a narcissist. It's easy to lose sight of God when all you see is the great man. Fr. Pfleger's narcissism was the reason he could stride to the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ and publicly mock a fellow Christian in such a callous and shocking way.
Fr. Tim Kernan was many things - he could be a firebrand. His politics weren't much different from Fr. Pfleger; were he still alive today, I could easily envision Fr. Tim trying to find a way to support Sen. Obama. He was much closer to Dorothy Day than Opus Dei. But the key to understanding why Fr. Tim was an effective pastor goes back to the things he told us that late autumn evening in 2000.
While people sometimes need sympathy, what they really need is dignity. Dignity is not something Tim Kernan bestowed on anyone. He came to Frogtown with humility and a keen understanding of his own human frailties. Because of his humility, Fr. Tim was able to treat everyone he met with dignity. Fr. Pfleger seems to lack that - he may be charitable a thousand different ways, but his wrath toward those he considers enemies is frightening.
Social justice is paramount, but it is not possible without social cohesion. Frogtown got better during Fr. Tim's time there, but it wasn't because of any political crusades. Things got better because he ministered directly to the community. And Fr. Tim, because he was part of the community, didn't make excuses for those who were not making an effort to make things better. He recognized that the social forces from without were only powerful to the extent that the social forces within the community were lacking. He didn't blame the guy who owned the liquor store or the gun shop. He tried to help people understand that there was a better way. Fr. Pfleger has done plenty of ministry in the community, but a lot of it has been to threaten the external forces. It hasn't worked.
People can change reality; their own, at least. If Fr. Tim were alive today, he would admit that his own failings had made some of his previous parish assignments unsuccessful. He did not do well at the helm of a large suburban parish. In some respects, St. Adalbert was his last chance. He had to change his own reality to make a difference and that meant getting sober and learning how to ask for help. He had to learn humility.
You don't have time to wait. Fr. Tim Kernan made the most of his tenure at St. Adalbert. Fr. Pfleger has done many great things at St. Sabina. Now the crusading young priest I saw on my television screen nearly 20 years ago is the comfortable. self-satisfied representative of the status quo. Fr. Pfleger may not understand it, but the hour is short, likely far shorter than he understands.
Cardinal George missed an opportunity - he could have sent Fr. Pfleger somewhere else, a place where he would have been outside of his comfort zone, a place where his passion for justice might have awakened Catholics who are too comfortable in their own sinecure. We'll see if Fr. Pfleger has learned anything in his all-too-brief time away from St. Sabina. He needs our prayers.
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