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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Community Comment

Father Pfleger has returned!

Good morning, Netizens...

Scarlett Washington celebrates at St. Sabina when it was announced that the Rev. Michael Pfleger (inset) would be back soon. (Jean Lachat/Sun-Times/AP)

That's right! After being removed from the pulpit by Chicago archbishop Cardinal Francis George two weeks before, last Sunday Pfleger was reinstated at Saint Sabina's parish in South Chicago and preached from the pulpit. Pastoral associate Kimberly Lymore, speaking for the diocese, stated that Pfleger will continue as the pastor of the church he has led for 30 years with “no restrictions”-- other than not being able to publicly mention the names of Presidential candidates nor to campaign for them.

In a sermon delivered Sunday, it seems that Pfleger was not letting up one bit on the primary theme of his ministry when he stated, "If we are to move forward and become who God has called us to be as a human family, we must be willing to have an honest and open discussion on race and justice."

There are some in the blogs who state emphatically that Saint Sabina makes more money on any given Sunday than any other parish its size. There are even more who rail mightily about the mural of the Black Jesus that hangs in Saint Sabina's. There have even been death threats made against Pfleger for his outspoken speeches, including the infamous rant about Hillary Clinton and white entitlement.

No matter what your opinion, Father Pfleger has returned to the pulpit, and you can bet his message, while devoid of such direct and incendiary comments about politics in America as put his sermons on U-Tube, will nonetheless continue his mission of broadcasting the word, as he sees it.

One thing his U-Tube sermons did better than anyone in history is expose the mindless racists who have written their hatred in various blogs for all to see. That, by itself, is a shame. While I do not entirely espouse many of the teachings of Rev. Michael Pfleger, I have a zero tolerance for hatred of all forms.

Of course, your thoughts may differ...

Dave



Spokesman-Review readers blog about news and issues in Spokane written by Dave Laird.