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Jun 3, 2008 10:33 pm US/Central

George Temporarily Removes Pfleger From St. Sabina

Reporting
Jay Levine

CHICAGO (CBS) ― CBS 2 News has learned that Francis Cardinal George is temporarily removing Father Michael Pfleger from his position as pastor of St. Sabina Roman Catholic Church on Chicago's South Side.

CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports the move comes after several days of deliberation and consultation by the Cardinal, who first learned about Pfleger's racially charged comments about senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton from the pulpit of Trinity Unity Church of Christ last Thursday night.

The Cardinal immediately contacted Pfleger who agreed not to refer to the presidential candidates by name, but as CBS 2 reported at the time, there remained the possibility of some further disciplinary action against Pfleger.

The Cardinal reportedly spoke to Pfleger again Tuesday morning.

"I have asked Father Michael Pfleger, Pastor of St. Sabina's Parish, to step back from his obligations there," the Cardinal said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon, "and take leave for a couple of weeks from his pastoral duties, effective today."

The order requires Fr. Pflger to at least temporarily leave the rectory he's called home for the past 24 years. It's clear that Pfleger tried to fight the move.

"Fr. Pfleger does not believe this to be the right step at this time," the Cardinal's statement continued. "While respecting his disagreement, I have nevertheless asked him to use this opportunity to reflect on his recent statements and actions in the light of the Church's regulations for all Catholic priests."

Those regulations ban the preaching of partisan politics.

The Cardinal also reached out to parishioners.

"I hope also that the life of St. Sabina's parish may continue in uninterrupted fashion. I ask the members...to cooperate with [Father William Vanecko, who will temporarily replace Pfleger] and to keep him and Fr. Pfleger in their prayers. They are in mine," the Cardinal's statement said.

Tuesday evening outside St. Sabina, parishioners were already handing out leaflets, calling an emergency meeting to make a powerful statement in support of their longtime priest.

"I do not agree at all with the decision the Archdiocese has made," said St. Sabina parishioner Denise Nicholes.

"He's committed his life, he's committed his ministry to this place. Even if he's at St. Sabina or not, the Auburn-Gresham area is part of his life and will be until he dies. And to have that type of commitment from a pastor and from a man like that, it will be a great loss," said St. Sabina parishioner Karon Nash. "We won't stand for it."

A strong show of support for Fr. Pfleger was expected and there was nothing less Tuesday night at St. Sabina. Vocal backers included Rev. Jeremiah Wright, as parish leaders demanded Pfleger's return.

"We, his family, know that he is repentant of his actions, and has taken the initiative to publicly apologize to the faith community and to those he has offended," said president of St. Sabina's parish council, Gerald Stewart. "We accept his apology and know his heart to be committed to the gospel of peace and justice."

Fr. Pfleger himself was in the building, but did not appear in the church where he has been a fixture for decades.

"While he was on the phone with the cardinal he did express on several occasions his disagreement with the decision," said Randall Blakey, a parish council member.

The support at St. Sabina was not unexpected. Pfleger took a struggling parish and made it thrive. His contributions to the community are impressive. And many of those there had no problem with the comments about Clinton that that got him in trouble in the first place.

"I think there are racist people in America and I'm not saying Hillary is racist but I think some of what he said is true," said parishioner Kimberly Miller.

"We restate our request for the immediate reinstatement of Father Pfleger and call for Cardinal George to meet with parish leadership at St. Sabina and have an open heart to discuss the future of Fr. Pfleger and our church," Stewart said.

On May 25, Pfleger was a guest preacher at the Trinity United Church of Christ, of which Sen. Obama was a member for two decades. In his sermon, he mocked Clinton and the emotion she showed before the New Hampshire primary.

"I really don't believe it was put on. I always thought she felt 'This is mine. I'm Bill's wife. I'm white. And this is mine. I just got to get up and step into the plate,'" he said. "And then out of nowhere came, 'Hey, I'm Barack Obama.' And she said, 'Oh damn, where did you come from? I'm white. I'm entitled. There's a black man stealing my show.'"

Pfleger then pretended to cry in a dramatization that included a handkerchief.

"She wasn't the only one crying. There was a whole lot of white people crying," he said.

On Sunday, speaking to his own congregation for the first time since the sermon at Trinity, Pfleger apologized for those comments.

"I apologize for anyone who was offended and thought it to be mockery. that was neither my intent nor was it my heart," Pfleger said Sunday in his first sermon at his home church of St. Sabina since the controversial remarks at Trinity United Church of Christ.

Previously, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the former longtime pastor at Trinity, drew fire for controversial remarks which infuriated Obama. The controversy with Pfleger was the last straw for Obama, who severed all ties with Trinity, where he had been a member for more than 20 years.

This past Sunday, Pfleger told St. Sabina's congregation that he's received more than 3,000 threatening e-mails – some calling for his death. The messages caused the church to beef up security for Sunday's services.

Pfleger has been pastor of the predominantly African-American St. Sabina parish, at 1210 W. 78th St., since 1981. He has gained notoriety for his political activism on behalf of gun control, racial and social equality, and intervention against youth violence.

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