Cardinal George Rebukes Priest With Anti-Gun Stance

The Chicago-Sun Times reports:

Cardinal Francis George has taken an unusual step: issuing a statement about the Archdiocese of Chicago’s activist priest, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, for comments he made at an anti-gun rally.

It is the latest episode in longstanding tensions between George and Pfleger, who have clashed over everything from doctrine to politics.


Pfleger said Thursday, “I thought things were getting better.”

The cardinal said in his statement: “Publicly delivering a threat against anyone’s life betrays the civil order and is morally outrageous, especially if this threat came from a priest.”

But Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina parish, said he didn’t make a threat, and that no one from the archdiocese contacted him about the May 26 rally outside of Chuck’s Gun Shop in Riverdale, run by John Riggio.

“We’re going to snuff out John Riggio,” Pfleger told the estimated 200 people at the rally. “We’re going to snuff out legislators that are voting against our gun laws.”

No word yet from jail from William Hanhardt.