Scholarships aim to help needy Catholic school students

These two schools are really close to my house. I pass St. Priscilla's every day on my way to work. This is really sad news, but I can certainly see how parents have problems keeping up with the tuition.

$1 million in scholarships aim to help needy Catholic school students

By Margaret Ramirez | Tribune reporter
January 31, 2009

Responding to jobless and cash-strapped parents, the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Big Shoulders Fund on Friday announced a $1 million emergency scholarship fund for Catholic school students.

At the same time, Catholic schools Supt. Sister Mary Paul McCaughey released news that two Catholic schools will close by the end of the year: St. Priscilla, 7001 W. Addison St., Chicago, and St. Beatrice, 4141 Atlantic Ave., Schiller Park.

The news comes as Catholic and private schools nationwide grapple with the recession that is forcing many parents to fall behind on tuition. Catholic school officials said some parents who have recently lost their jobs have been forced to transfer students to public schools in the middle of the school year.

Cardinal Francis George said the establishment of the emergency fund is needed in these tough times to help parents keep their children in Catholic schools.

"We have to try and keep that opportunity alive," the cardinal said.

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Bishops Warn Obama on Abortion

November 12, 2008
BISHOPS WARN OBAMA ON ABORTION; CATHOLIC LEFT REBUKED

In a statement released today, Francis Cardinal George, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, made it clear that the bishops will fight any expansion of abortion rights that may occur under the next administration. Specifically, the bishops are objecting to the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), a bill so sweeping and draconian that it would not only repeal every single state restriction on abortion, it would seriously jeopardize the right of Catholic hospitals and doctors to opt out of performing abortions.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue released the following remarks:

“Cardinal George is right to label FOCA ‘an evil law that would further divide the country.’ At stake are two issues: a) the rights of the unborn and, B ) religious liberty.

“First, those who admit that abortion should be rare unwittingly acknowledge that there is a reason to limit its frequency: as Cardinal George said, ‘abortion kills.’ By contrast, no one maintains that root canals should be rare, and that is because this medical procedure—unlike abortion—does not result in the total denial of someone else’s rights.

“Second, religious liberty is enshrined in the First Amendment and cannot be trespassed upon lightly, and certainly not by abortion zealots. Those who support FOCA must realize that if Catholic hospitals are ever required to perform abortions, the bishops will close every one of them; no one would be hurt more than the poor.

“Cardinal George explicitly rejected the ‘common good’ mantra of the Catholic Left that justifies legal abortion while pursuing ameliorative social policies that may reduce abortions. At stake, he said, is the ‘legal protection of the unborn,’ something which is rejected by Catholics United, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholic Democrats. We hope they amend their ways and fall in line with Catholic thought on this grave matter. If they do not, they will become indistinguishable from Catholics for Choice, a fully discredited organization.”

Susan A. Fani
Director of Communications
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
450 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10123
212-371-3191
212-371-3394 (fax)

Well Its a Start...

Cardinal removes Pfleger from St. Sabina parish
June 3, 2008
BY KARA SPAK Staff Reporter

Sun-Times exclusive: Pfleger opens his heart, soul Read Pfleger's apology Read Francis Cardinal George's official statement

The firebrand pastor of St. Sabina parish was removed from his duties there Tuesday, according to a statement released by the Archdiocese of Chicago.

In the statement, Cardinal Francis George says he asked the Rev. Michael Pfleger, 59, to "take leave for a couple of weeks from his pastoral duties." The statement said Pfleger "does not believe this to be the right step at this time." "While respecting his disagreement, I have nevertheless asked him to use this opportunity to reflect on his recent statements and actions in the light of the Church's regulations for all Catholic priests," George said.

The recent statements in question were video clips broadcast on You Tube where Pfleger mocked Hillary Clinton for crying on the campaign trail. He suggested her tears were due to "white entitlement" leading Clinton to believe the Democratic nomination should go to her, not Barack Obama.

Pfleger has been a priest for 33 years, serving nearly all that time at St.

Sabina's in the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood.

Fr. William Vanecko, Pastor of St. Kilian's parish, will be temporary administrator of St. Sabina's, the statement said.

"I ask the members of St. Sabina's parish to cooperate with him and to keep him and Fr. Pfleger in their prayers," the statement reads. "They are in mine."

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Oh Just Shut Up

I usually try to keep a positive tone on this blog, especially since I always figured it would look bad to see some really angry posts coming from a Catholic blog, but I just can't contain myself - Fr. Pfleger just shut up already.

I think I wrote about him a few months back, the last time that he said something stupid and it got national attention, and here he's gone and done it again.



He's gone and said so many stupid things now that even Cardinal George has told him basically to shut up. Now you know if I was in charge I would have said a lot more than he did, but luckily for all I'm not.

STATEMENT OF FRANCIS CARDINAL GEORGE, O.M.I.,
ARCHBISHOP OF CHICAGO
Friday, May 30, 2008

Statement of Cardinal Francis George concerning remarks of
Fr. Michael Pfleger about Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton during
an address at Trinity United Church of Christ on Sunday May 25, 2008

The Catholic Church does not endorse political candidates. Consequently, while a priest must speak to political issues that are also moral, he may not endorse candidates nor engage in partisan campaigning.

Racial issues are both political and moral and are also highly charged. Words can be differently interpreted, but Fr. Pfleger’s remarks about Senator Clinton are both partisan and amount to a personal attack. I regret that deeply.

To avoid months of turmoil in the church, Fr. Pfleger has promised me that he will not enter into campaigning, will not publicly mention any candidate by name and will abide by the discipline common to all Catholic priests.

Now the question is will Fr. Pfleger abide by his promise? Good question. My hope is that he has made so much trouble that when everything dies down a little bit he can be moved. Frankly, I don't know that he deserves a parish, maybe he needs an office job somewhere where he can spend the whole day stapling papers together.

Cardinal George

Monsignor David Malloy kisses the ring of Pope Benedict XVI as he arrives at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Tuesday, April 15, 2008. From left is Malloy; Bishop of Tucson Gerald Kicanas; Pope Benedict XVI; Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago; and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Watching the Pope's arrival yesterday I was all excited to see Cardinal George there, although I'm not quite sure why. Its not like they've never met before, but it was all kinds of awesomness to think Chicago was being represented.

Chicago is not on the pope's agenda, but Francis Cardinal George is among those who are hosting him.

The pope may be turning 81 Wednesday, but you'd never know from his stride and his smile. The new job may have made the former Joseph Ratzinger a new man.

"Our conversations used to be about doctrine, now he's talking about everything, more of a pastor, anxious to touch base with peoples' experience," Cardinal George said.

Cardinal George and Archbishop Gerald Kicanas, the vice president of the U.S. Bishops' Conference, both Chicagoans, greeted the Pope.

"To see his comfortability with people, his warmth and interest, you a sense of that immediately," Kicanas said.

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