UPDATED – INTERVIEW – @ArchChicago parish burns a “rainbow flag”

UPDATE: 27 Sept

Part 2: HERE

UPDATE: 26 Sept

Church Militant has a video interview with Fr. Kalchik. Father is in hiding, concerned for his safety.

Some of the content is NOT for kids. Be aware.

UPDATE: 23 Sept

It just gets worse.

UPDATE: 22 Sept

From 2 Peter and Mahound.

Chicago Priest Who Burned Gay Flag Flees After Archdiocese Threatens Forcible Removal

Just hours ago, new Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Mark Bartosic arrived unannounced at Resurrection Parish on Chicago’s Northwest side and told Pastor Paul Kalchik that he had just minutes to get his belongings together and vacate the premises or the police would be called to arrest him for trespassing.  [… in mercy, of course, this is called “accompanying”.]

Fr. Kalchik was about to perform a wedding.

Soon after, Fr. Kalchik left for an undisclosed location, accompanied by his brother who had been visiting the parish.

Bp. Bartosic performed the wedding instead, hastily slipping out the door of the church only seconds after concluding the ceremony.  [Gosh it must have been special for them to have had a bishop.]

Fr. Kalchik had been ordered by Cardinal Cupich and the archdiocese to report for psychiatric counseling and perhaps confinement yesterday after controversy broke concerning the exorcism and burning of a “gay rainbow flag” on parish grounds last week.

Fr. Kalchik had also called for Catholics to “boycott” masses celebrated by Cardinal Cupich due to Cupich’s alleged involvement in the current clerical sex abuse scandal.

[…]

Today, a small group of parishioners not involved in the wedding but who had heard of the sudden appearance of Bp. Bartosic, stood stunned outside the Church. The group also included two employees who were hastily told by the bishop to report to work as normal on Monday.

One of the parishioners, a Chicago policeman, told me of some of the bizarre events of the last week, including numerous threats of death and rape against Fr. Kalchik, at least two probable attempted break-ins or acts of vandalism, one of which included breaking keys into all the locks in the doors of the church office. And then there was the visit by two Archdiocese representatives, yesterday, ordering Fr. Kalchik to vacate his parish and commit himself into psychiatric confinement.

One of these was Fr. Dennis Lyle, the same prelate who had visited St. John Cantius a few months ago to inform parishioners that their pastor, Fr. Phillips, had been relieved of his position there.

Fr. Kalchik had written of his own psychological trauma after being molested as a boy and young man by two priests in separate incidents. It is assumed that he will not comply with the order of the archdiocese. He is not now “hospitalized” as some reports have suggested.

The parishioners outside told me that Fr. Kalchik, who has been at Resurrection Parish for eleven years, has the full support of his parish.

Many of them will no doubt only discover what happened, tomorrow, when coming to Mass assuming it will be celebrated by Fr. Paul, will instead encounter Bp. Bartosic.

UPDATE: 22 Sept

Some of you will remember what I wrote recently about bishops sending priests for “evaluation”.

UPDATE:

Right on cue, homosexuals are after this priest’s chitlins.  An Alder… woman?  Aldergal? is on his case, calling for protests.

Chicago Tribune

WGN – with the obligatory comments of shock from a protestant ministrix.

It’ll be interesting to see what the Archdiocese does to this priest.  I hope he is left alone, but that is not what I expect.    I expect that he will be “mercy-ed”.  Maybe even “accompanied”… out the door.

UPDATE:

I see that the Church-hating McClatchy newspaper group is spreading the story.

 


NBC news’ local affiliate had informative video interview with Card. Cupich of Chicago. Remember?  He said that Francis has better things to do than investigate clerical abuse, like protect fish from plastic straws – HERE).

NBC now reports that there was an act of defiance in Chicago recently.  But they left out some critical information.   Better is ChurchMilitant and also Chicago Sun Times:

Priest defies Cardinal Cupich, burns LGBTQ flag on church grounds

A North Side priest who says he “can’t sit well” with Cardinal Blase Cupich burned a gay-friendly flag outside his Avondale church last week — against the wishes of the cardinal he claims is trying to minimize the clergy sex-abuse crisis.

Rev. Paul Kalchik says the banner, featuring a cross superimposed over a rainbow, had been featured prominently in the sanctuary at Resurrection Catholic Church but had been taken down and was forgotten in storage at the parish at 3043 N. Francisco for more than a decade.

Kalchik led seven parishioners in a prayer of exorcism Friday, and the flag was burned inside a portable fire pit placed the schoolyard next to the church. The ashes of the flag now rest in a church compost heap.

“That banner and what it stood for doesn’t belong to the Archdiocese or Cardinal Cupich. It belongs to the people of this parish who paid for it,” Kalchik said. “What have we done wrong other than destroy a piece of propaganda that was used to put out a message other than what the church is about?”

[…]

Kalchik, 56, claims he was preceded by three “bad priests” who were “big in promoting the gay lifestyle” before he was ordained as pastor of Resurrection by Cardinal Francis George in 2007.

The flag was first displayed prominently at the church’s altar in 1991 to welcome LGBTQ worshippers to the faith, according to Kalchik, but it was later taken down and put into storage — along with priestly vestments and candles emblazoned with rainbow colors.

Kalchik said he found the vestments and destroyed them when he arrived in 2007, but somehow missed the flag until another cleaning session last month.

“The people of this parish have been pretty resilient and put up with a lot of B.S.” Kalchik said in an interview in his office Tuesday night. “And it was just by accident that this banner that was made to celebrate all things gay … did not get destroyed when I first got here.”

[…]

In a church bulletin dated Sept. 2, Kalchik announced that he planned to burn the flag Sept. 29 for “the Feast of Saint Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.” But a few days later, the archdiocese told him to scrap the burning after officials were notified of his plans by a reporter for the Windy City Times.

The priest says the archdiocese threatened him with “canonical penalties” if he went through with the flag burning, and that Cupich has since blocked Kalchik’s request to transfer to a diocese in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where Kalchik has family.

Despite the orders from the archdiocese, Kalchik admits he went ahead and destroyed the flag “in a quiet way” on Friday.

Kalchik — who says he was sexually abused by a neighbor as a child, and again by a priest when he began working for the church at 19 — says the sex-abuse crisis plaguing the church is “definitely a gay thing.” Cupich has rejected a connection between the scandal and gay priests but has drawn criticism in recent weeks for comments claiming the church should focus on other priorities instead of being “distracted” by the sex-abuse crisis.

“I can’t sit well with people like Cardinal Cupich, who minimizes all of this,” Kalchik said. “Excuse me, but almost all of the [abuse] cases are, with respect to priests, bishops and whatnot, taking and using other young men sexually. It’s definitely a gay thing.”

Of gays in the church, Kalchik says “scripture is crystal-clear. It’s against God’s law.”

As of Tuesday night, Kalchik said the archdiocese had not contacted him since the flag was torched.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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84 Comments

  1. Joy65 says:

    GOOD FOR HIM And may God Bless him!

  2. Ellen says:

    It really bothers me that the symbol of the rainbow has been taken over by the LBGTQRSTUV+ (or whatever the latest acronym they are using).

  3. JohnE says:

    I remember as a teenager wanting to get sweatpants that had a rainbow stripe down the leg. My how times have changed. We need to take back the rainbow.

    God bless Fr. Kalchik!

  4. teomatteo says:

    “…and that Cupich has since blocked Kalchik’s request to transfer to a diocese ” Like Fr. Z intimated in the opening sentence. Doesn’t Cdl. Cupich have better things to do like deal with the influx of Oriental Ca…er…Asian Carp in Lake Michigan? Those undocumented migrants.

  5. Marion Ancilla Mariae II says:

    I agree with Father Kalchik about the abomination that is having a rainbow flag in the church; I agree it should not only be burned, but that all rainbow flags in all Catholic churches should be confiscated and dropped by a squadron of helicopters into the caldera of an active volcano. However, I wish Father had not disobeyed his bishop; I wish he had not described his brother priests as “bad priests.” I wish Father Kalchik had privately, informally, and discretely arranged with some of the sacristy team to bring a pair of shears each, and to come and cut the flag into Rolodex card-sized bits, and then place them in the church’s compost pile, (perhaps while reciting some of the imprecatory Psalms over them.)

    The article mentions that immediately before he burned the flag, (in disobedience to his bishop) he recited prayers of exorcism. I wonder if Father has faculties from his bishop to perform exorcisms, (or if perhaps, the pastor of a church automatically has the necessary faculties within the confines of his own parish church.) If this is not the case, and in disobeying his bishop, Father may have opened doors he’ll come to wish he hadn’t.

  6. QuietContemplative says:

    How can Cdl. Cupich not realize how bad this makes him, and, by extension, those he’s been vociferously defending, look? As an above comment says, I wish he hadn’t been disobedient as there are any number of creative ways he could have made as good a statement without breaking the restriction he was dealt. C’est la vie. I’d have probably given that kind of order a bronx cheer, too.

    I read a version of that article at PJ Media that had some other tidbits. Link: https://pjmedia.com/faith/sexual-abuse-survivor-priest-who-burned-rainbow-flag-punished-by-chicago-archdiocese/

    The cardinal presiding under that flag was Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, who apparently has a track record. On top of that, they quote this as the content of the order given to Fr. Kalchik:

    “They said, ‘the cardinal wants you to know three things. First, you are not to burn the flag and if you do you should know there are canonical penalties for disobeying the cardinal. Second, you have put in a transfer request to move closer to your parents and that will not happen if you do this. Thirdly, the cardinal thinks you should get a psychological evaluation.'”

    It makes me glad I don’t live anywhere near Michigan, let me tell you. Although just sharing a planet with that cardinal is occasionally stomach churning. I seriously fear for his soul.

  7. chantgirl says:

    Does Cupich really want to be seen as punishing an abuse victim who is fighting back against the vice that lead to his abuse?

  8. Adelle Cecilia says:

    The executive director of DignityUSA said, “When we see this symbol flying at our churches, we know this will be a place of welcome and affirmation and a place where God’s creativity is truly celebrated.”

    Fr. Martin, SJ said that he “cannot imagine a more homophobic action by Catholics, short of beating up an LGBT person in the church parking lot.”

    Both of these individuals are misinformed as to what the flag or the reported action means to most practicing Catholics.

  9. Dismas says:

    The past fifty odd years were but the opening skirmishes of the Crisis. Cardinal Cupich is the gold standard for the kinds of bishops to be elevated for the foreseeable future. If you have a decent bishop, or even one marginally better, consider his age, and how long he has left.

  10. Sonshine135 says:

    Let me get this straight (no pun intended):

    +Priest finds a rainbow banner used to welcome people who keep themselves in perhaps one of the worsts mortal sins possible to a church which is not calling them to repentance.

    + The church is in the middle of a major pedophilia and homosexual scandal.

    +Priest decided that he wants to eliminate the evil of his predecessors by burning said banner.

    +Diocese finds out about the scheduled removal of said evil and threaten him with “canonical penalties”

    Well, that about sums up the current state of the Catholic Church now doesn’t it?

    I really have to believe we are being winnowed and the wheat and chaff here are being separated. No one, unless they truly believe in the real presence of God, would ever darken the doorstep of a Catholic Church. Chastisement from outside of the church can be dealt with. Chastisement from inside one’s own church, giving ammunition to the enemy outside of the church, gets the point of being intolerable. How much scourging must the faithful receive? How many parishes will say- enough is enough? How can anyone give to a Bishop’s appeal in a diocese like Chicago, or even to their home parish, faithful as it is, who will be assessed by the Diocese for a certain amount?

    Pray for the parishioners and priests of these poor Dioceses that have to struggle and endure this scourging. Pray Cupich and his ilk repent of the great evil they have brought upon the people of Holy Mother Church before it is too late. My heart is broken and the depth of my sorrow is deep, because of the numerous offenses to our Lord, His Mother, and His people.

  11. SanSan says:

    they hung that disgusting flag over the altar covering up our precious Jesus. Cdl. Bernadine stands under it in a picture that Church Militant obtained and showed us. Just so sadden.

  12. Marion Ancilla Mariae II says:

    Chantgirl asked: “Does Cupich really want to be seen as punishing an abuse victim who is fighting back against the vice that lead to his abuse?” Yes, he does. Because to Card. Cupich, this abuse victim is punishing victims within yet another class – and that other one is the more esteemed class; the class more in favor; the class held dearer, the class deserving of more especial protection, in short, the class of LGBTQ people, whose symbol is the rainbow flag.

    And publicly to burn it, would be to suggest that this parish hates LGBTQ people.

    And the act probably would be taken that way by many. And spun that way by the media.

    And no one wants that. Even I don’t want that. (And I’ve been accused of being hopelessly unreconstructed on the issue of “gays,” which is to say, I think with the Church. I hope. Most of the time.)

    Providence might have used a defective instrument to bring about a more favorable ending to this story. God might have planned to write straight with crooked lines. That is to say, Father’s act, while understandable, was objectively imprudent, and although Card. Cupich would seem not to be one who thinks with the Church, God might have used his decision to say “no” to the public flag-burning (had Father obeyed it) to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings among the general public about what the Catholic Church is, and what she stands for.

  13. Suburbanbanshee says:

    If a cardinal or bishop wants to command things contrary to the Faith, he should do himself, and confirm it in writing.

    Hearsay from flunkies is not a command, if the command is extraordinary. It is only the word of an abusive dishonorable blackmailing flunkie.

  14. KT127 says:

    “To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings”

    Oh please. We have spent most of my life trying to “avoid unnecessary misunderstandings” with the general public and it has done nothing for us other than create even more confusion and weaken our Church.

    The general public who do not care or actively dislike the Catholics don’t go out of their way to “avoid unnecessary misunderstandings” with us. They wait and jump all over every slight mis-step. Instead of calling them out on their uncharitable and intellectually dishonest behavior we cower, lest people think we are “mean.”

    When the general public say we hate homosexuals we should reply “That’s ridiculous.” We will get much further than the current attitude of let’s tear down everything you find offensive so maybe you will say nice things about us.

    I applaud Father’s actions. Good for him! I pray God will protect him from any harm. Given that God seems to prefer us with some passion and fiery tongues….I don’t think the good Father will have too much to worry about.

  15. Marion Ancilla Mariae II says:

    KT127, I don’t advocate at all, “‘let’s tear down everything you find offensive so maybe you will say nice things about us.'”

    I think priests should denounce from the pulpit so-called same sex marriage, contraception, abortion, divorce and civil remarriage, etc.

    And priests should remind parishioners from the pulpit about the Four Last Things: Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell. And make it five, Purgatory, too.

    But all this should be done in an elevated, scholarly, dignified, and paternal way, in accordance with the supremely elevated position of a holy priest of God, whose consecrated hands are touching the host when the miracle of Transubstantiation occurs, changing that host into the Sacred Body and Precious Blood of our Lord and Savior, and our King, Jesus Christ.

    Priests are royalty. And so, too, are we . . . in a different way, and to a somewhat lesser degree.

    Imagine Prince William of England – Charles and Diana’s boy, the Duke of Cambridge – publicly setting flags of his enemies on fire in the courtyard outside Buckingham Palace. The flag of ISIS, for example.

    I can’t imagine him doing such a thing. Not in a million years.

    Royalty don’t behave in that way. It’s a very provocative thing to do, and thus not befitting the dignity of royalty, which priests partake in.

    In any case, LGBTQs aren’t the enemy. We do battle against powers and principalities. That’s our enemy.

    To the extent that the rainbow flag represents the infiltration of the powers and principalities of Hell into our society and into the Church, we ought to object to having such things in our churches, in our homes, in our cars, as we would ouija boards and tarot cards.

    But since a large segment of the larger society holds all things LGBTQ very dear, to be so provocative, without a clear objective, seems to me imprudent.

    IDK, maybe Father Z would have a very different view on this matter, and if so, I would bow to his greater wisdom.

  16. tho says:

    As Jesus Christ set an example for us, by driving the money changers out of the temple. I firmly believe that priests like Father Kalchik, along with Archbishop Vigano, are setting an example for us. There is no way that we can purge the church, and society in general, from the rot that accompanies the homosexual lifestyle, without strong men and women, willing to take a stand against what is harmful to individuals, and disastrous to the church.
    It defies my comprehension, to think that an institution founded by Jesus Christ, and led by St. Peter our first Pope, would evolve into a bedlam of perverted behavior. May God in His infinite goodness protect men like Father Kalchik.

  17. hwriggles4 says:

    Thank you Fr. Paul Kalchik. The Church needs more priests who are leaders. The Church needs less of “Fr. Nice and Fr. Yeah Whatever.” A good deacon said months ago to a group of us at a singles’ conference that “the Church in the last 50 years has raised a bunch of volunteers, not disciples.” After I thought about it, I realized the good deacon was right.

    Just within the past 60 days, I have heard homilies from two priests and two deacons (spread out among four parishes, two in my diocese and two others in my brothers diocese) where these four men were not afraid to Express (with tact and in a manly way) how upset these recent scandals have been for them.

    Catholic men, lets stand up. 10,700 men have signed the petition for Pope Francis to take action at the Catholic Men United website.

  18. Anneliese says:

    I watched a little bit of the video posted by Channel 9 and I’m annoyed by some of these protesters who say hate has no home in their neighborhood. I noticed that the signs that were being held said that hate isn’t holy had large fists printed on them. Do they not recognize the hypocrisy and the irony of those signs? I don’t remember a fist being a sign of love. We live in strange times.

  19. RunsOnDecaf says:

    Father Z, in your opinion, did he disobey? Fr Kalchik announced he would do this in a public ceremony. The Archdiocese said do not. So he did so privately. It wasn’t a public act. The information became public. Am I misunderstanding the story? Is this an important difference? Maybe I’m just equivocating… please enlighten me!

  20. mattg says:

    When are we going to call out these posing sodomites as the Marquess of Queensberry did to the man who had corrupted his son? That is exactly what we need right now. There should be no mincing of words for bishops and priests who push the homosexual agenda. No more of this cowardly “he supports the homosexual agenda, possibly out of self-interest” crap. We need to call them out.

    [I refrain from doing so here without Fr. Z’s express permission for many reasons. You ought to likewise hold your tongue so as to not get Fr. Z in any trouble he does not wish upon himself.]

  21. Dismas says:

    Per the second update – In the spirit of reclaiming language, the term would be “Alderman”, as the term “man” indicates species first and foremost. Strange that language is the only place where feminists take offense for getting the name brand instead of the generic.

  22. RunsOnDecaf: did he disobey?

    I honestly don’t know the whole of what he was told or who told him. I found one post by a guy in Chicago who strikes me as well-informed. At PJM we read:

    While the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is notoriously slow to punish priests engaged in improper sexual behavior, the Chicago Archdiocese acted with urgency to cancel Fr. Kalchik’s event. After announcing his intention to burn the flag, Fr. Kalchik received a phone call from the Vicar for Priests Office, which is the disciplinary arm of the archdiocese. “It was a joint phone call with Fr. Dennis Lyle and Fr. Jeremy Thomas, who told me the cardinal had a message for me,” Kalchick told PJM. “They said, ‘the cardinal wants you to know three things. First, you are not to burn the flag and if you do you should know there are canonical penalties for disobeying the cardinal. Second, you have put in a transfer request to move closer to your parents and that will not happen if you do this. Thirdly, the cardinal thinks you should get a psychological evaluation.'”

    What I find chilling is the point about “psychological evaluation”.

    In the last few months I know of quite a few priests who have been forced by bishops to go for an “evaluation”. They all get the same initial diagnosis and are then forced into months of treatment in some psych shop. Invariably, the ones I have heard about are conservatives a/o traditional.

    Anyway, the priest did “disobey” in that the flag was burned. It wasn’t done publicly, however.

    Also, another thing to consider, is that burning it was more respectful than simply throwing it in the trash with the rest of the garbage. It had a Cross on it. The way we get rid of sacred things is to burn them and put the ashes into the ground.

    Finally, I suppose the Cardinal could argue that the flag was not the priest’s to burn. If I am not mistaken, since Chicago is corporation sole, then the flag might actually have been Cupich’s property. Perhaps that’s why he is so upset.

  23. Marion Ancilla Mariae II says: However, I wish Father had not disobeyed his bishop; I wish he had not described his brother priests as “bad priests.” I wish Father Kalchik had privately, informally, and discretely arranged with some of the sacristy team to bring a pair of shears each, and to come and cut the flag into Rolodex card-sized bits, and then place them in the church’s compost pile, (perhaps while reciting some of the imprecatory Psalms over them.)

    Disagree. First of all, we in the pews need to see good priests openly nailing their colors to the mast on these issues. If they are too afraid to take on the wolves for the sake of their flocks, what good are they? There needs to be visible and open standing up for the Gospel against its enemies, and public calling out of said enemies. There needs to be forthright naming of names instead of squishy euphemisms. Jesus Himself called his enemies children of the devil. What could be stronger than that?

    Secondly, for too long the liberals have weaponized obedience. But they can only legitimately command obedience within the sphere of their competent authority. I question whether that is the case here.

  24. Marion Ancilla Mariae II says:

    What I find chilling is the point about ‘psychological evaluation.’

    “In the last few months I know of quite a few priests who have been forced by bishops to go for an ‘evaluation.’ They all get the same initial diagnosis and are then forced into months of treatment in some psych shop. Invariably, the ones I have heard about are conservatives a/o traditional.”

    O Lord! It sounds like a Chinese re-education camp.

    I will pray for conservative a/o traditional priests who have been consigned to re-education camps.

    May Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary guard them and shield them from the evil plotted against these faithful sons of the Church.

  25. scotus says:

    Might it have been a mistake of the priest to have announced the burning beforehand? Might it
    have been better for him just to have burned it without telling anybody? Was anything useful achieved by making the announcement? Anytime, before or after, he could have given a sermon about the evils of sodomy. Perhaps he could have made an announcement beforehand that he was going to give a sermon on the evils of sodomy. That might have put Cupich in a difficult position. Either he tells the priest not to go ahead and thus makes it clear that he, Cupich, approves of sodomy or he says nothing and, by implication, approves of the sermon on the evils of sodomy.

  26. Marion Ancilla Mariae II says:

    Re: re-education of conservative a/o traditional priests: It’s too bad someone with contacts with The Agency doesn’t reach out to set up a “training to withstand so-called re-education;” or “how to withstand brainwashing and other forms of psychological abuse” for members of the clergy who find themselves facing this kind of ordeal. I’m sure some of the people in The Trade have figured out a lot of tactics and methods to deal with this kind of thing!

  27. Dismas says:

    @Fr. Z: Don’t forget the carbon footprint!

  28. maternalView says:

    Even though there are canonical penalties for disobeying a Cardinal does that automatically mean the disobedience was a sin?

    [The fact that Cupich is a Cardinal is irrelevant. He the the Archbishop of Chicago. Regarding sin: not necessarily. That depends entirely on what has been ordered, or commanded, etc. A priest owes obedience to the bishop in those things that pertain to ministry which are outlined in the law. The priest doesn’t have to obey a bishop in those things that are outside his authority.]

  29. chantgirl says:

    The rainbow flag has become, not just a symbol of people with a certain sexual preference, but a symbol of active homosexuality, which is one of the sins crying to Heaven for vengeance. If the former priests hung this flag in front of the crucifix in the sanctuary, I would argue that they turned it into a false idol, and the priest probably has the duty to destroy it.

  30. Fr. Reader says:

    @chantgirt. Yes.
    “”Fr. Martin, SJ said that he “cannot imagine a more homophobic action by Catholics, short of beating up an LGBT person in the church parking lot.” “”
    This fallacy or way of thinking forces people with SSA to be identified to certain lifestyle, and then uses this identity as victim to promote an ideology that damages precisely these people.

  31. LatinMan says:

    I have to agree with the poster above that he should not have disobeyed, or even haven given the appearance of having disobeyed, since we are not to disobey a legitimate superior unless what’s commanded is evil in itself or what’s prohibited is explicitly commanded by either natural or Divine law (or a superior human law). None of these were met here (there’s no per se obligation to burn rainbow flags, execrable as they are).

    Having said that, I think it’s fair to day that the Cardinal and this priest have hacer y different understandings of the term “sin against nature”.

  32. Hans says:

    Surprisingly enough, as I understand it, ‘alderman’ and the plural ‘aldermen’ are the only variants allowed by Chicago ordinance. That may have changed in the couple decades since I last heard it discussed, but I don’t think so. As an example, Alderman Michele Smith’s website calls her just that; I know nothing about her as I try not to follow Chicago politics closely so as to avoid the nausea it causes me, but her wiki-wiki page is interesting.

  33. Elizabeth D says:

    There is a need here for fraternal correction by Cupich’s fellow bishops. What he is doing here seems quite terrible to me, but I think many observers would see it as part of Cupich’s ongoing meltdown.

  34. tominrichmond says:

    Ah, of course, the old Stalinist move of sending him for “psychiatric evaluation.” Anyone who opposes the agenda is not just wrong, they’re nuts! Off to the reeducation camp for this priest who was reckless enough to call out the King for being naked.

  35. Semper Gumby says:

    This incident in Chicago brings to mind a sub-plot in Michael O’Brien’s “Eclipse of the Sun,” a novel about a looming totalitarian government and a culture increasingly hostile to Christianity. [US HERE – UK HERE]

    There was a priest in a small town in Canada, a good priest with a few mild quirks and flaws. One evening he realized that the modern world had become too much of a distraction and was increasingly harmful to him and also to his parishioners. And he set out, with some anxiety, to do something about it.

    One Sunday he stood in front of his parishioners to deliver a sermon. For a moment he paused, unsure of himself, and his parishioners became a little restless. Then he thundered out a sermon on the End Times. Now, the priest did not say that The End Times had arrived, but the priest did say, to paraphrase here with Fr. Z’s excellent phrase, that the times did call for “Spiritual situational awareness.”

    Then, directly after Mass, the priest retrieved his TV from the rectory and carried it out to the parking lot. His parishioners followed, curious. The priest set down the TV, doused it in lighter fluid, and set it ablaze.

    Well, that got people talking. The next day his bishop phoned, inquired politely as to the priest’s health, and invited the priest to a round of golf on Saturday. The priest expressed to his bishop a lack of interest in golf, upon which the bishop repeated the invitation and the priest accepted.

    That Saturday, over a drink after golf, the bishop began to understand the priest’s motivation for doing what he did. The priest began to understand the bishop’s perspective. They parted on good terms, agreed to meet again for golf the next Saturday, and promised to pray for each other. Then, after Mass the next day…

    Well, I’ll stop there. O’Brien writes some fascinating dialogue between the priest and bishop, expands on their interaction as Canada goes to hell in a handbasket, and explores the effect of the priest’s sermons and behavior on the priest’s parishioners.

    This scene from “Eclipse of the Sun” is not meant to be a stand-in for Cdl. Cupich or Fr. Kalchik. Nor is meant to imply we should all destroy our TVs. The Cubs may win the World Series next month, so TVs should be unobstructed by piles of books and the screens dust-free.

  36. Hidden One says:

    Fr. Kalchik’s recent actions, particularly after the order was given not to burn the flag, may have been imprudent, although I think they could certainly be carried out by a priest not suffering from mental illness. I don’t think that psychological evaluations should be used as either threats or punishments, as it appears has happened here.

    I’ve known priests who have discretely burned and/or buried vestments and other articles that were not appropriate for a Catholic church to possess or use, the keyword being “discretely”. None of them, to my knowledge, were ever punished, perhaps in part because these acts were never made public.

  37. Joy65 says:

    God have mercy on him and help him through this terrible ordeal.

  38. fr.ignatius says:

    It is heartening to hear of true priests out there…… the resistance in growing, and right now Fr may be experiencing the persecution but in a few years time guys like this will be running seminaries. Praise God for heroic priests.

  39. The Astronomer says:

    Welcome to homo AmCurch’s VERY Soviet/KGB-style of dealing with good priests. You get sent away for psychiatric ‘evaluation’ and then re-education.

    Christ save us from sodomite wolves dressed as shepherds.

  40. Atra Dicenda, Rubra Agenda says:

    Involuntary psychiatric confinement is really only medically indicated if a person is an immediate threat to their own or other’s safety.

    I’m not sure Cupich can medicolegally do what Voris’s team is suggesting. I mean they could mandate an outpatient psych eval since he is an employee, but not inpatient “confinement.”

    And from a purely legal standpoint, the priest still has a first amendment right to burn a rainbow flag as far as I know.

  41. Sawyer says:

    I never thought the Church would become like academia, with administrators/HR directors/bishops pushing political correctness in such a heavyhanded manner, using their authority to impose sanctions and add contrived evaluations to personnel files in an effort to reeducate and force compliance in a subordinate who is resisting the groupthink. These are Soviet-style tactics, and Cupich has his own KGB.

  42. “Thirdly, the cardinal thinks you should get a psychological evaluation.”

    Edition 2, 2018 of Maria Legionis, the magazine of the Legion of Mary, gives the text of a talk given by the Servant of God Frank Duff, founder of the Legion of Mary, on “Legion Humour”. It includes this story:

    “Another example would be St. John Bosco in whom humour was as a running river. Like many another saint, he was accused of eccentricity. And on one occasion this caused him to be put into the custody of two Canons to convey him to a mental home. Arriving there, he got out of the vehicle first and formally handed over to the custodians of the institution the two high dignitaries who were with him. He explained that they would probably be a little violent at being held, which certainly proved to be the case. All the excited expostulation of the two Canons and their efforts to explain things were not heeded. John Bosco, who was calm itself during the incident, finally took his leave and departed in the vehicle leaving his former escort struggling in the hands of their captors.”

    Fr. Z's Gold Star Award

  43. ChrisP says:

    For Cupich to do this means it hurt the enemy. Combined with the upcoming excoriation of Pope Francis in Der Spiegel, the enemy knows something not good for them is coming their way and they will fight more viciously.

  44. Unwilling says:

    So, that’s what would happen to Viganò, if…

  45. roma247 says:

    Antifa and others burn the US flag on a regular basis. In fact, they even burn effigies of US Soldiers.

    I don’t recall anyone in the media so much as sneezing over that for a long time.

  46. Dismas says:

    What puzzles me the most is that Fr. would have so much as whispered his intentions prior or mentioned it afterwards. Cardinal Cupich’s actions in this matter are entirely predictable.

    That said, he is the gold standard for bishops nowadays.

  47. Sword40 says:

    And so the persecution begins. We must pray and persevere and then pray some more.

  48. Joe in Canada says:

    Regarding reclaiming the rainbow – when I see the rainbow painted on crosswalks, if possible I congratulate the municipality for commemorating the covenant God made with Noah never to destroy the world again with rain. I sometimes add, “He didn’t promise to stop with the fire and brimstone”

  49. Looks like the good Cardinal sent his Storm Troopers of Accompaniment & Mercy to evict the priest under threat of police arrest and he is now on the run and in fear a la Viganó. I’m angry and disgusted!
    https://onepeterfive.com/chicago-priest-who-burned-gay-flag-flees-after-archdiocese-threatens-forcible-removal/

  50. KateD says:

    Seems to me Father Paul Kalchick is neither a threat to himself nor others, therefore he cannot be forcefully detained in a mental institution.

    Priest or not, Father Kalchick’s rights are protected by the Bill of Rights. In Texas v Joshnson the Supreme Court of the Untied States of America determined that the act of flag burning is protected free speech under the 1st Ammendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. An employer may not coerce an employee nor retaliate against an employee for exercising his or her free speech. This priest’s 1st amendment rights have clearly been violated by his employer, Cardinal Cupich and the Catholic Church, for whom the Cardinal works.

    It would be wise of the Cardinal to issue and apology and transfer Father Kalchick to another diocese. If not, the Catholic Church to avoid legal liability, should immediately sanction Cardinal Cupich and remove him from all positions of authority and grant Father the requested transfer.

  51. KateD says:

    Bishop Bartosic also evicted the resident priest unlawfully? I can’t imagine that Chicago would allow that under their landlord-tenant laws. Sounds like he has also, unfortunately opened himself and the entire Church to legal liability.

  52. MrsMacD says:

    but they don’t have time to deal with the ‘sodoclericalism’ in the Church, because there is plastic in the ocean… right. Sounds like gas-lighting to me.

  53. MrsMacD says:

    @Fr Sean Coyle THAT story has been a real joy. Thank you for that! Chuckle. Chuckle. Thank you!

  54. ArthurH says:

    If this psych action is in any way true, this whole affair becomes yet another surreal Orwellian moment– a nightmare from which we seem unable to awaken. It seems the stuff of a bad novel

  55. Bthompson says:

    Not as novel as you might think. Psych evaluation/treatment and the threat thereof are a moderately common kudgel wielded against seminarians, priests, religious. (Now, not all such are unjust; some need it, I suppose, but most of us know of incidents where it was capricious or the threat used to control)

  56. hwriggles4 says:

    I am one guy who is growing tired of “the making gay OK agenda. ”

    That said, I for one am going to be on the lookout for Male same sex couples (no, not roommates – it’s perfectly normal for two heterosexual males to share an apartment or home to save money) who want to join a men’s fraternal organizations. A same sex couple (particularly with a civil marriage in certain states) is not living in accordance with the Church. I am one who will say no to membership.

  57. Being put in a mental institution was a routine punishment in the Soviet Union.

  58. maternalView says:

    Fr. Kalchik is an abuse survivor. Surely the Cardinal could show a little more mercy and accompaniment than that!

    So the takeaway is the Cardinal ISN’T on the side of abuse survivors?

    So the day Father flees is the feast of Padre Pio. Paste Pio pray for this priest!

    I suspect the Illinois investigation into the Chicago Archdiocese will end up making Cupich (and Bernadine) look bad and Fr. Kalchik will be vindicated.

  59. Dismas says:

    @KateD – Laws in Chicago do not apply to those opposed to sodomy.

    @maternalView – Cardinal Cupich isn’t going down that rabbit hole.

  60. hwriggles4 says:

    I am wondering if there is an Anglican Ordinariate parish within the Archdiocese of Chicago.

    Why? One priest at my parish is a Pastoral Provision priest (i.e. former Episcopalian) and one reason (not the sole reason of course) he swam the Tiber 10 years ago was obvious. I wouldn’t be surprised if many Pastoral Provision priests have burned rainbow flags and vestments (maybe more discretely).

    For what it’s worth, there have been priests in my area that when they got assigned to a new parish took the time to go through the parish library and get rid of the books that were written by dissenting Catholics and those that are contrary to Church teaching. If you know any of these priests, thank them. 20 years ago, I wouldn’t have known the difference. I would of thought “oh, a priest wrote it, must be fine” and ” a priest discussed this in a homily, a retreat, a conference, or a study session, must be okay.”

  61. aviva meriam says:

    Allow me to make a few assumptions:
    1. That the reporting at CM was accurate and the threats were heard by witnesses
    2. Reporting at CM was accurate and priest was ordered into psych treatment
    If either of those assumptions are correct, it appears as if the personell/representatives of the Archdiocese of Chicago may have violated US law (Criminal and Civil).
    Further if this isn’t the first time they’ve done either one (or both) that would be a pattern of disregard for the US law…..
    This should be investigated by law enforcement….. and quite frankly, IF this happened as reported, this must be stopped. I don’t trust the ecclesial authorities to stop themselves so therefore it’s up to the Civil Authorities (I know, it’s Chicago so….) . An investigation with ensuing criminal and civil penalties will encourage others within the hierarchy to NOT ENGAGE in these acts.
    Somewhere along the line it appears as if many within the hierarchy came to believe that US law doesn’t apply to them.
    Further, any Medical of Psych professionals that willfully participated in the inappropriate and/or unlawful application of psych treatment or confinement should have their licenses STRIPPED (at a bare minimum).

  62. Kathleen10 says:

    A student at Providence College (where the amazing Anthony Esolen taught until he was harassed into leaving) had a similar issue not long ago. The student simply defended marriage as one woman and one man, and was subject to systematic abuse by fellow students AND administrators of PC, as they stood by and did nothing while the homosexuals did their usual thing, leaving threatening notes stating intentions of “raping” or killing the young student. They often threaten rape, as in Sodom. Admins did nothing. This is how it goes in the oh so lovely and sweet world of homosexual tolerance. “But they’re such nice guys!”

    God bless Fr. Kalchik, if only we had a church full of Fr. Kalchik’s!

    This was an outrageous incident of cruelty on the part of Cupich. To do this to a couple as their wedding day is unfolding! A wedding day that has no doubt been dreamt about, planned for, anticipated with so much happy expectation. Every church wedding requires logistical care, a year of planning, so to do this is also unbelievable in this regard, and perfectly demonstrates that to these men, the flock are nothing, mere tools providing them with their comfy digs and parties and rent boys. Who cares about a wedding! One priest is as good as another, so what if they have a relationship with Fr. Kalchik, and that this puts a permanent tarnish on the memory of their day, forever remembered as the day when their priest, at the ceremony, suddenly became a hunted man who had to leave them standing, and another they probably didn’t know jumped in, then ran out the door right after he had done his minimal duty.

  63. chantgirl says:

    Perhaps Fr. Kalchik, (and any other victim of homosexual abuse) had good reason not to want to be sent to St. Luke’s:

    https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/the-city-gates.cfm?id=1445

    Say you were traumatized as a young boy when an older man violently sodomized you. Say you froze and could not fight back, or you tried to fight him off, but weren’t strong enough. Say you felt guilt and shame for not being able to defend yourself. Then as a young man, trying to pursue a vocation, you found yourself in the same situation, only this time the perpetrator was a trusted priest. Perhaps you froze, finding yourself in the same trauma all over again. Perhaps this time you felt a great amount of shame that you had not fought the priest off. You manage to get ordained to the priesthood, go to counseling for years, and try to trust people again. Then when news stories start to break out about homosexual predation in the Church, you finally find your voice and your courage to fight back, for yourself and for all the other young victims. Then your bishop tries to send you to a “treatment facility” which is known for homosexual activity. Would you not flee?

    I can’t judge Cupich’s intentions, but what he has done appears to be objectively very cruel, and I can see why any sex abuse victim would feel threatened and flee.

  64. Peter Stuart says:

    What does this say to same-sex-attracted men like me who have come back to the Church and try to live the whole faith?

    What it says to me is, keep your head under the radar, Peter (not my real name, btw, for obvious reasons), before they try to steer you to the nut ward for “reeducation” or whatever. So much for the welcoming-and-accompaniment B.S.

  65. LarryW2LJ says:

    Methinks Cardinal Cupich ought to remember the old saying …… “What goes around, comes around.”

  66. Cradle Catholic says:

    Wow…Catholics are angry about this….Church Militant has a petition asking for the resignation of Cupich, and already (in just 8 hours), over 3,000 signatures.

    David Kalchik, Fr. Kalchik’s brother, who I understand was with him when the Cupich thugs came to
    see Fr. Kalchik says the following on the petition:

    David Kalchik·6 hours ago
    My Brother Paul is a TRUE CHRISTIAN. He was very courageous to come forward & share his story publicly. Churches reaction is to remove & shut him up, not support him. I thought the Catholic Church was supposed to share God’s word; not be the Persecuters like the Pharisses that helped crucify Christ.

    Here’s the petition:

    https://www.change.org/p/cardinal-cupich-must-resign

  67. Ben Kenobi says:

    Cupich must go. Even before this incident he was already on the list of the cardinals in the US (including Wuerl and McCarrick, and a few others). God works in mysterious ways. I am certain that Kalchik felt motivated by the holy spirit to burn the flag after the response of his bishop. Obedience cannot be compelled against the Spirit in the removal of idols held up in the Temple of God. What this does is highlight all the bishops who support homosexuality and allows us to see them for what they truly go. Kalchik will suffer some, but Cupich will leave as did McCarrick.

  68. maternalView says:

    Bless Fr. Kalchik!

    Cupich’s letter is revealing himself for what he is.

    While this must be extremely hard for Fr. Kalchik it is a good thing because it’s unmasking Cupich.

    Keep praying folks!

  69. tamranthor says:

    Cupich is putting the lie to the old “wisdom” about the Catholic Church persecuting homosexuals. He has certainly turned the tables. Now it is the faithful who are persecuted, by the homosexuals. I suspect ever was it thus. Just to hear a few tales from the seminaries…. well, I guess all crooked paths will be made straight in time.

    I do hope Fr. Kalchik stays strong. I certainly pray for his deliverance.

  70. JonPatrick says:

    @semperGumby, unfortunately the Cubs will lose to the Red Sox in game 5 of the World Series as Chris Sale repeating his stellar performance in game 1 at Fenway Park, mows down the Cubs batters in front of the silenced Wrigley Field fans. Only a home run against Steven Wright in the 8th gives them momentary hope, but it is soon dashed when Kimbrel comes in for the 9th and retires 3 batters to preserve the 3-1 win.

  71. Michael Haz says:

    “…..report for psychiatric counseling and perhaps confinement…”

    Soviet-era tyranny courtesy of Cdl Chipich. Those accused of wrongthink must be institutionalized and re-educated. Is there an archipelago in Lake Michigan, somewhere off Navy Pier?

  72. chantgirl says:

    If Cupich has the “duty to ensure that those who serve our faithful are fully able to minister to them in the way our Church expects”, then surely his seminarians are learning Latin in the seminary, as well as learning the Extraordinary Form.

    Where was this pastoral concern for the parishioners of Immaculate Conception Church in Rapid City when Cupich had them locked out of their own church from Holy Thursday to Easter morning in so that they could not celebrate the Triduum?

    https://rapidcityjournal.com/bishop-bans-latin-services/article_b37a5c37-b5a4-5af6-8014-48d9f5ef9da7.html

  73. chantgirl says:

    Can we ever imagine Cupich locking the doors of a church so that an LGBT group could not celebrate a rainbow Mass?

    Some Catholics aren’t as welcome as other Catholics.

  74. GregB says:

    I’ve posted comments earlier this year about the Soviet abuse of psychiatry. The left-wing character assassination of people accusing them of various phobias without one bit of proof is also the abuse of psychiatry. It is the verbal equivalent of the stoning of St. Stephen.
    *
    It looks like Cupich is now the Chicago zampolit, insuring the left-wing political orthodoxy of the priests.

  75. May Our Blessed Lady protect Fr. Kalchik. That parish and diocese too, needs and exorcism and needs it now. All things concealed will be revealed. I am sickened at the previous pastor and the evils he was into. Good grief!

  76. Nathan says:

    Hmmm. I wonder if a few thousand laypeople collectively burning their Weekly Offering Envelopes in front of the chancery there might communicate a message to His Eminence?

  77. Semper Gumby says:

    Michael Haz wrote: “Is there an archipelago in Lake Michigan, somewhere off Navy Pier?”

    Good question. Solzhenitsyn’s “Cancer Ward” and “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” also seem perhaps relevant again. Deo Volente, we won’t reach the point of Stypulkowski’s “Invitation to Moscow.”

    JonPatrick: A Red Sox win would be unfortunate, because a Cubs win would be a Gift from God to All of Humanity…

    After Game 1 not going well for the Cubs, the Cubs went from strength to strength in 2, 3, and 4. In Game 5 Chris Sale never made it out of the dugout due to a pregame visit to Taco Bell resulting in an unfortunate encounter with a Chalupa. So, after the Cubs scored 17 in the first inning and 33 in the second the Red Sox surrendered and went for burgers at Billy Goat Tavern.

    By Opening Day of the 2019 season the Cubs infield had cured cancer, the outfield the common cold, and the pitchers busied themselves in the laboratory until they discovered Cold Fusion.

    Inspired, Barack Obama scrapped his Presidential Library and solved Chicago’s gang problem. Hilary Clinton repented, converted, and took the veil. Cardinal Cupich shaved his head and reported to a monastery. Libs, instead of wilding on Michigan Avenue, spent quiet evenings reading Reagan’s autobiography, discovering to their joy that Reagan was a Cubs announcer in the 1930s.

    Throughout the blessed metropolis of Chicago every day was a Holiday, every meal a Feast, and everyone wore Harry Caray glasses.

    C’mon JonPatrick, do it for the children, root for the Cubs. Don’t you want the urchins to have Harry Caray glasses?

  78. Eoin OBolguidhir says:

    I couldn’t read all the posts, but has anyone mentioned that the banner was blessed; it was a sacramental. To dispose of it, it had to be burned or buried in sacred ground to avoid sacrilege.

  79. Unwilling says:

    Quos ego…!

    But here, it seems, Cupich is Neptune and Juno has emasculated Jove. Eheu!

  80. jravago says:

    Bishop Malloy of Rockford has been oppressing priest since he became Bishop of Rockford. He will not reinstate at least two priests who were exonerated from false claims nor will he release them. They are just sitting in limbo.

  81. TonyO says:

    Cardinal Cupich’s actions here illustrate in the best possible way: the proper letters to identify the conglomerate nonsense of gays and lesbians and transgender and several other disorders should ALWAYS be denoted with the correct initial first 3 letters: KGB. After those letters, it hardly matters which letters come or the order in which they are given, and you should make use of a broad diffusion of chaos in the ranks of those disordered groups by indicating the confused mass of them. You can call them the KGB-LQXNTBF, and later on refer to them as the KGB-PVLXRDZ, and in another place the KGB-TNXBQMLVF, and so on. Don’t worry, there certainly is some malformed “group” that claims each one of those letters, and leaving them out of the list in favor of only a certain 5 groups is unjust and exclusionary.

    Remember, the tactics Cupich is using are marxist tactics, and we have every right to identify them with the KGB. This is what marxism handed us, this totalitarianism exercised on the mind not through honest debate but through terror and mind-altering drugs and mind-erasing emotional and psychological pressure and mind-deadening inhuman actions forced on the subject. They are the KGB brought to America, so call them by what they do.

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