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EspañolMICHAEL PFLEGER
'The Reverend Michael Louis Pfleger' (born May 22, 1949Biography. DePaul University. Retrieved 8 July 2007.) is a Roman Catholic priest and social activist in Chicago, Illinois.
A German American[1] from the south side of Chicago, Pfleger attended Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary South, Loyola University and the University of Saint Mary of the Lake. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 14, 1975. Since 1981, Pfleger has been pastor of the mostly African American St. Sabina Catholic Church in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood. When he was appointed to his present position at the age of 31, he became the youngest pastor in the Chicago archdiocese.Biography. DePaul University. Retrieved 8 July 2007. His parishoners have affectionately referred to him as a "reverse Oreo" ("white on the outside, black on the inside").Robert McClory. "Blacks and Catholics are joint ventures at Chicago parish - St. Sabina Church led by a priest, Michael Pfleger." ''National Catholic Reporter''. 13 March, 1998. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
Father Pfleger's social activism has brought him recognition throughout Chicago and beyond. He has often collaborated with African American religious leaders such as Jesse Jackson and Louis Farrakhan.[2] What follows are some of his most notable campaigns.
Under Pfleger's leadership, the community of St. Sabina has demanded the shutdown of a number of Auburn Gresham businesses specializing in drug paraphernalia. Pfleger's parish has also campaigned for the removal of tobacco and alcohol billboards from their neighborhood. When billboard owners refused to cooperate in the early 1990s, Pfleger and others decided to climb ladders and deface the signs. Pfleger was charged with destruction of private property but was acquitted by a jury in 1991.Robert McClory. "Blacks and Catholics are joint ventures at Chicago parish - St. Sabina Church led by a priest, Michael Pfleger." ''National Catholic Reporter''. 13 March, 1998. Retrieved 8 July 2007. In September 1997, the Chicago City Council voted 44-1 to eliminate tobacco and alcohol billboards from selected areas in Chicago. Pfleger described the decision as "a tremendous victory for the children of Chicago, for our neighborhoods, especially black and Hispanic neighborhoods."[3]
Pfleger has become one of the best known critics of ''The Jerry Springer Show'', a controversial television program which is videotaped in Chicago. Believing the program to be immoral, Pfleger and his parishoners began picketing outside the show's studios in 1991. By 1998, he had organized a boycott of the show's advertisers. "[Springer is] glorifying violence every day.... Calling a woman a ho and a bitch is sick. This is not normal behavior," Pfleger declared. The show's producers eventually claimed that they would attempt to decrease the number of on-stage fights on the program.[4]
Pfleger later targeted radio personality Howard Stern in response to Stern's late 2005 advertising campaign to promote his move to satellite radio. Pfleger specifically objected to a pair of Stern's billboards in Chicago that featured an image of the black power salute and the caption "Let freedom ring. And let it be rung by a stripper" (a parody of a line in Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech). Pfleger told the media, "As we prepare to celebrate Dr. King's birthday, we will not tolerate this kind of disrespect. We should not have to tolerate it in our communities." Viacom, the owner of the billboards, eventually removed the signs because of Pfleger's protests. Pfleger received criticism from Howard Stern's fans, who questioned Pfleger's commitment to freedom of speech. Jesse Jackson came to Pfleger's defense, saying, "There are two freedoms at issue here. They have the right to advertise, and we have the right to resist it in our community. Sometimes freedom is challenged by a community's tolerance level. I think Father Pfleger is a man of great dignity and has an acute social conscious. And he deserves our support."[5]
In 2000, Pfleger received international attention for encouraging his parishoners to buy time from prostitutes as a means of inviting the women to counseling and job training.[6] The Chicago Archdiocese largely distanced themselves from Pfleger's efforts, to which Pfleger responded, "How is what I'm doing not part of the Gospel? The church leaders talk about evangelization. Well, if this isn't evangelization, I don't know what is." St. Sabina raised several thousand dollars for Pfleger's program, attracting many donors from outside their parish. St. Sabina has used similar methods to reach out to drug dealers.[7]
In 2001, Pfleger fired racism charges towards a mostly white elementary school athletic league, the Southside Catholic Conference, after they refused to admit St. Sabina's parish school. The league claimed that visiting teams and parents would be unsafe in St. Sabina's neighborhood. Pfleger responded, "Racism continues to be alive and well both inside society and inside the church. To be denied admission on the sole premise that certain coaches and parishes feared for the safety of their children is illegitimate, ridiculous and insulting. It is very troubling that the conference would insinuate that we would place their children in harm's way." [8] Chicago's Francis Cardinal George eventually pressured the league to reverse its decision.[9]
In May 2007, Pfleger received criticism for his comments at a Rainbow/PUSH Coalition protest outside a suburban Chicago gun shop. According to the Americans for Gun Safety Foundation, the store, Chuck's Gun Shop, had sold over 2,000 weapons that were traced to crimes committed between 1996 and 2004. It had been a longtime target of protests by Pfleger and Jesse Jackson.[10] Addressing the owner of the shop, Pfleger announced, "We're going to find you and snuff you out. Like a rat you're going to hide. But like a rat, we're going to catch you and pull you out." Cardinal George rebuked Pfleger, saying, "Publicly delivering a threat against anyone’s life betrays the civil order and is morally outrageous, especially if this threat came from a priest." Pfleger claimed that he did not intend to use the word "snuff" as a slang term for "kill."[11]
1. "Religion & Ethics: Black Catholics". PBS. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
2. Art Golab. "Pfleger draws key support." ''Chicago Sun-Times''. 25 July 2001. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
3. Fran Spielman. "Billboard blitz in Chicago." ''Chicago-Sun Times''. 11 September 1997.
4. Lindsey Tanner. "Springer battle just one fought by charismatic minister". ''Journal Record''. 7 May 1998. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
5. "Howard Stern Ads 'Disrespectful,' Priest Says". NewsMax.com. 4 January 2006. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
6. Ernest Tucker. "Church outreach creates buzz." ''Chicago Sun-Times''. 30 March 2000. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
7. Dirk Johnson. "A Priest Pays Prostitutes for Time, Offers Them an Escape." ''New York Times''. 12 April 2000. pg. A18
8. Robert McClory. "Black parish school shut out of league". ''National Catholic Reporter''. 15 June 2001. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
9. Cathleen Falsani. "St. Sabina ready to play first conference game". ''Chicago Sun-Times''. 28 November 2001. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
10. Lindsay Kishter. "Protest again takes aim at Riverdale gun shop". ''Chicago Tribune''. 30 June 2007.
11. Susan Hogan. "Cardinal rebukes Pfleger for 'threat'". ''Chicago Sun-Times''. 8 June 2007.
★ St. Sabina Parish Website
| Contents |
| Background |
| Social activism |
| Anti-drug campaigns |
| Jerry Springer and Howard Stern |
| Outreach to prostitutes |
| Southside Catholic Conference controversy |
| Criticism |
| Notes |
| External link |
Background
A German American[1] from the south side of Chicago, Pfleger attended Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary South, Loyola University and the University of Saint Mary of the Lake. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 14, 1975. Since 1981, Pfleger has been pastor of the mostly African American St. Sabina Catholic Church in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood. When he was appointed to his present position at the age of 31, he became the youngest pastor in the Chicago archdiocese.Biography. DePaul University. Retrieved 8 July 2007. His parishoners have affectionately referred to him as a "reverse Oreo" ("white on the outside, black on the inside").Robert McClory. "Blacks and Catholics are joint ventures at Chicago parish - St. Sabina Church led by a priest, Michael Pfleger." ''National Catholic Reporter''. 13 March, 1998. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
Social activism
Father Pfleger's social activism has brought him recognition throughout Chicago and beyond. He has often collaborated with African American religious leaders such as Jesse Jackson and Louis Farrakhan.[2] What follows are some of his most notable campaigns.
Anti-drug campaigns
Under Pfleger's leadership, the community of St. Sabina has demanded the shutdown of a number of Auburn Gresham businesses specializing in drug paraphernalia. Pfleger's parish has also campaigned for the removal of tobacco and alcohol billboards from their neighborhood. When billboard owners refused to cooperate in the early 1990s, Pfleger and others decided to climb ladders and deface the signs. Pfleger was charged with destruction of private property but was acquitted by a jury in 1991.Robert McClory. "Blacks and Catholics are joint ventures at Chicago parish - St. Sabina Church led by a priest, Michael Pfleger." ''National Catholic Reporter''. 13 March, 1998. Retrieved 8 July 2007. In September 1997, the Chicago City Council voted 44-1 to eliminate tobacco and alcohol billboards from selected areas in Chicago. Pfleger described the decision as "a tremendous victory for the children of Chicago, for our neighborhoods, especially black and Hispanic neighborhoods."[3]
Jerry Springer and Howard Stern
Pfleger has become one of the best known critics of ''The Jerry Springer Show'', a controversial television program which is videotaped in Chicago. Believing the program to be immoral, Pfleger and his parishoners began picketing outside the show's studios in 1991. By 1998, he had organized a boycott of the show's advertisers. "[Springer is] glorifying violence every day.... Calling a woman a ho and a bitch is sick. This is not normal behavior," Pfleger declared. The show's producers eventually claimed that they would attempt to decrease the number of on-stage fights on the program.[4]
Pfleger later targeted radio personality Howard Stern in response to Stern's late 2005 advertising campaign to promote his move to satellite radio. Pfleger specifically objected to a pair of Stern's billboards in Chicago that featured an image of the black power salute and the caption "Let freedom ring. And let it be rung by a stripper" (a parody of a line in Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech). Pfleger told the media, "As we prepare to celebrate Dr. King's birthday, we will not tolerate this kind of disrespect. We should not have to tolerate it in our communities." Viacom, the owner of the billboards, eventually removed the signs because of Pfleger's protests. Pfleger received criticism from Howard Stern's fans, who questioned Pfleger's commitment to freedom of speech. Jesse Jackson came to Pfleger's defense, saying, "There are two freedoms at issue here. They have the right to advertise, and we have the right to resist it in our community. Sometimes freedom is challenged by a community's tolerance level. I think Father Pfleger is a man of great dignity and has an acute social conscious. And he deserves our support."[5]
Outreach to prostitutes
In 2000, Pfleger received international attention for encouraging his parishoners to buy time from prostitutes as a means of inviting the women to counseling and job training.[6] The Chicago Archdiocese largely distanced themselves from Pfleger's efforts, to which Pfleger responded, "How is what I'm doing not part of the Gospel? The church leaders talk about evangelization. Well, if this isn't evangelization, I don't know what is." St. Sabina raised several thousand dollars for Pfleger's program, attracting many donors from outside their parish. St. Sabina has used similar methods to reach out to drug dealers.[7]
Southside Catholic Conference controversy
In 2001, Pfleger fired racism charges towards a mostly white elementary school athletic league, the Southside Catholic Conference, after they refused to admit St. Sabina's parish school. The league claimed that visiting teams and parents would be unsafe in St. Sabina's neighborhood. Pfleger responded, "Racism continues to be alive and well both inside society and inside the church. To be denied admission on the sole premise that certain coaches and parishes feared for the safety of their children is illegitimate, ridiculous and insulting. It is very troubling that the conference would insinuate that we would place their children in harm's way." [8] Chicago's Francis Cardinal George eventually pressured the league to reverse its decision.[9]
Criticism
In May 2007, Pfleger received criticism for his comments at a Rainbow/PUSH Coalition protest outside a suburban Chicago gun shop. According to the Americans for Gun Safety Foundation, the store, Chuck's Gun Shop, had sold over 2,000 weapons that were traced to crimes committed between 1996 and 2004. It had been a longtime target of protests by Pfleger and Jesse Jackson.[10] Addressing the owner of the shop, Pfleger announced, "We're going to find you and snuff you out. Like a rat you're going to hide. But like a rat, we're going to catch you and pull you out." Cardinal George rebuked Pfleger, saying, "Publicly delivering a threat against anyone’s life betrays the civil order and is morally outrageous, especially if this threat came from a priest." Pfleger claimed that he did not intend to use the word "snuff" as a slang term for "kill."[11]
Notes
1. "Religion & Ethics: Black Catholics". PBS. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
2. Art Golab. "Pfleger draws key support." ''Chicago Sun-Times''. 25 July 2001. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
3. Fran Spielman. "Billboard blitz in Chicago." ''Chicago-Sun Times''. 11 September 1997.
4. Lindsey Tanner. "Springer battle just one fought by charismatic minister". ''Journal Record''. 7 May 1998. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
5. "Howard Stern Ads 'Disrespectful,' Priest Says". NewsMax.com. 4 January 2006. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
6. Ernest Tucker. "Church outreach creates buzz." ''Chicago Sun-Times''. 30 March 2000. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
7. Dirk Johnson. "A Priest Pays Prostitutes for Time, Offers Them an Escape." ''New York Times''. 12 April 2000. pg. A18
8. Robert McClory. "Black parish school shut out of league". ''National Catholic Reporter''. 15 June 2001. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
9. Cathleen Falsani. "St. Sabina ready to play first conference game". ''Chicago Sun-Times''. 28 November 2001. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
10. Lindsay Kishter. "Protest again takes aim at Riverdale gun shop". ''Chicago Tribune''. 30 June 2007.
11. Susan Hogan. "Cardinal rebukes Pfleger for 'threat'". ''Chicago Sun-Times''. 8 June 2007.
External link
★ St. Sabina Parish Website
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