Sharpton not the dullest tool in the shed (STRANGE TITLE)

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | February 10, 2003 | MARK BROWN

[Chi-townChief]

At my parish, people would protest - St. Sabina's a whole different story.

[TheRightGuy]

RUN AL RUN!

Amen to that.
In my wildest dreams I see him running as a 3rd party independent after the dem establishment disses him.

[heyheyhey]

Under Canon Law, no one can preach there except a priest...

There are a few threads on this topic in the Religion Forum. You might be interested in the background information about St. Sabina and Fr. Pfleger posted in one of the treads. Sharpton's appearance in the church was just another one in a series of regretful events at St. Sabina in the recent years.

It's important to know that Cardinal George is responsible for the salvation of souls in the Archdiocese, and there is a very good chance that a chastised Pfleger would leave the Catholic Church dragging a couple of thousand of parishioners with him.

It's a jungle of nonsense and high emotions. I respect the Cardinal's response because I don't see a miracle recipe for how to fix the terribly complicated situation.

[irish_links]

heyheyhey:

Thanks for the direction to the related thread. I will make a point to check it out.

Your counsel regarding the Cardinal's treatment of Pfleger is good. I ask, however, what good are sheep who follow a bad shephard?

[Mudboy Slim]

"...there is a very good chance that a chastised Pfleger would leave the Catholic Church dragging a couple of thousand of parishioners with him."

Seriously, how regrettable would that actually be?! As it is, Pflegler's law-breaking and anti-Catholicism demeans the Catholic Church...if he is allowed to continue to spread his ridiculous views, Catholicism will continue to bear the inevitable damage and those who follow him out the door will not necessarily be missed, IMHO.

FReegards...MUD

[Mudboy Slim]

"...what good are sheep who follow a bad shephard?"

That's the point I was trying to make...LOL!!

FReegards...MUD

[Mudboy Slim]

"In my wildest dreams I see him running as a 3rd party independent after the dem establishment disses him."

And I shall be there to support him right up until just before Election Day...LOL!!

FReegards...MUD

[heyheyhey]

what good are sheep who follow a bad shephard?

I think they are confused and exceedingly emotional in their confusion, mainly. The fact that we live in the post-Trent-Lott world doesn't make things easier for the Cardinal.

St. Sabina (originally Irish) is a hiccup from the past and the sorry result of the Black Americans being neglected, for the most part, by the US Catholic Church for centuries. Their website says St. Sabina is a Word-based, Bible teaching church that believes in the power of praise and worship. My guess is that no one there even knows who was Sabina the Saint. IMHO, only a solid in faith and morals and dedicated religious community could take it over after Fr. Pfleger.

[heyheyhey]

Seriously, how regrettable would that actually be?!

I imagine that things look very different from Cardinal George's point of view. He is responsible for his flock, not so much before the massmedia, as before God Almighty. He is called to be the good shepherd who leaves 99 sheep and looks for the one who got lost.

[irish_links]

... St. Sabina (originally Irish) is a hiccup from the past and the sorry result of the Black Americans being neglected, for the most part, by the US Catholic Church for centuries....

HHH:

Again, your heart is in the right place but I think your admirable sentimentality is getting in the way of clear thinking. At least from the vantage point of 2003, it is hard to see how it is that the Church is neglecting the Black community. Considering that the diocesan schools are providing quality education to thousands of black children (abandoned by the government-monopoly schools), many of whom are not Catholic, at considerable cost and has for years, belies your argument. That catholic hospitals are often the only source of medical care in the urban core does as well.

All diocese have revenue sharing arrangements of some sort. There is only so much revenue that can be directed from financially self-supporting parishes to those with fewer resources.

...Their website says St. Sabina is a Word-based, Bible teaching church that believes in the power of praise and worship.

Translation: a Babtist church with a Catholic pastor.

[heyheyhey]

At least from the vantage point of 2003, it is hard to see how it is that the Church is neglecting the Black community.

I agree with you.
The present day Catholic Church is very very generous, more than fair, to the so-called "minorities." But the fact that generations of Black Americans are mostly Baptist is noteworthy.

[heyheyhey]

Translation: a Babtist church with a Catholic pastor.

LOL!!!

[irish_links]

...The present day Catholic Church is very very generous, more than fair, to the so-called "minorities." But the fact that generations of Black Americans are mostly Baptist is noteworthy....


HHH:

I think we agree that the Church should permit wide latitude to parishes to choose the music and "tone" (for lack of a better word) of worship to meet the needs of the parishioners, so long as the liturgy remains intact and the canon law is followed. Ergo, "Rev." Pfleger is correct in adapting the spirit of a Baptist service to the Catholic Mass in a predominately black parish but errs when canon law is violated and sins when he leads his flock astray.

As for the statement above, however, it would be equally correct to say that the present day Southern Baptist Convention is very generous to Americans of Irish descent, but the fact that generations of Irish Americans are mostly Catholic is noteworthy.... I don't mean to be (entirely) flip, but denominational affinity has a lot to do with cultural context and little to do with a lack of welcome.

Regards, Irish_links