Arrests during Easter services at Holy Name Cathedral

This just makes me so angry. Mass is not a place to push your political agenda.

Arrests during Easter services at Holy Name Cathedral
By Stacy St. Clair

Tribune reporter

2:53 PM CDT, March 23, 2008

Six people were arrested at Holy Name Cathedral today after disrupting an Easter mass to protest the Iraq War.

The group, whose co-ed members identified themselves as Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War, stood up at the beginning of Cardinal Francis George's homily and shouted their opposition to the conflict, which marked its 5th anniversary last week. As security guards and ushers tried to remove them from service, the demonstrators squirted fake blood upon themselves and parishioners dressed in their Easter finery.

The red substance, which one protester later described as "stage blood," initially drew gasps and a few terrified yelps from the 600 worshipers at the mass. The shock, however, quickly transformed into anger as people booed the six as they were escorted from the parish auditorium where the holiday service was taking place.

"Even the Pope calls for peace," the demonstrators chanted as the left. "Even the Pope calls for peace."

"And so should we all," said George, drawing strong applause from the parish.

George then returned to his Easter homily without further addressing the disruption. A small number of worshipers, however, followed the protesters into the lobby to berate them for disrupting the service and frightening children in attendance.

"Are you happy with yourselves?" Mike Wainscott of Chicago shouted at the demonstrators as they were being handcuffed. "There were kids in there. You scared little kids with your selfish act. Are you happy now?"

In a statement issued Sunday afternoon by Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War, the group said it protested at Holy Name "to reach both Holy Name's large Easter audience--including Chicago's most prominent Catholic citizens, who commonly attend Easter Mass at the church--and the many more viewers and readers of the local press, which usually extensively covers their services."

The statement also said that "the protesters reminded the churchgoers that on January 7, 2008, Cardinal George and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley met in Chicago with U.S. President George W. Bush--the principal public figure responsible for initiating the carnage in Iraq--and denounced this meeting."

After the mass, the cardinal reiterated the Catholic Church's opposition to the war, but he said Easter mass is not the place to protest the U.S.-led invasion.

"We should all work for peace," George said, "but not by interrupting the worship of God."

sstclair@tribune.com

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