In the genre of Pastors and Ministers In the News Related to One Candidate or Another through Frail Associations or by Entering the Time Traveling Machine:
Father Pfleger agrees not to speak about specific presidential candidates, that is…. otherwise free to speak about whatever else.
At The Unity Church in Chicago recently, Father Pfleger, a Catholic priest, gave a sermon that some see as mocking white people. Unity is Reverend Wright’s church. Video of the sermon here wherein Father Pfleger gives 3:28 minutes of his insights additionally into why Hillary Clinton cried.
Watching the people in the church react to Father Pfleger’s words is poignant.
After Father Pfleger spoke at Unity, Cardinal George, the Catholic top boss-man of Chicago’s Archdiocese wrote this response, released today.
ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO
STATEMENT OF FRANCIS CARDINAL GEORGE, O.M.I.,
ARCHBISHOP OF CHICAGO
Friday, May 30, 2008Statement of Cardinal Francis George concerning remarks of
Fr. Michael Pfleger about Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton during
an address at Trinity United Church of Christ on Sunday May 25, 2008The Catholic Church does not endorse political candidates. Consequently, while a priest must speak to political issues that are also moral, he may not endorse candidates nor engage in partisan campaigning.
Racial issues are both political and moral and are also highly charged. Words can be differently interpreted, but Fr. Pfleger’s remarks about Senator Clinton are both partisan and amount to a personal attack. I regret that deeply.
To avoid months of turmoil in the church, Fr. Pfleger has promised me that he will not enter into campaigning, will not publicly mention any candidate by name and will abide by the discipline common to all Catholic priests.
Additionally, churches of all denominations are usually settled as 501 C.3 non-profits by the IRS, and are allowed to function as tax-free churches dependent on their following several Federal tax statutes, one being that the church will not lobby nor support political candidates. That old fashioned idea: separation of church and state, amongst others.