This is great.
You remember that Card. Cupich of Chicago attacked the people who attended the south-side church in the care of the Institute of Christ the King by placing the Institute priests in an untenable position. He forced them to chose to agree to things he knew they would not agree to or else not be able to celebrate public Masses, etc. Thus, Cupich attacked the people who attended the Institute church.
Of course the priests can say Masses privately, but the people are denied.
Attacks on the Traditional Roman Rite are always an attack on the people.
However, a Chicago alderman has openly questioned Cupich and his attack on the people with a letter that brings up good points from the secular point of view.
By attacking the Shrine, the priests and, mainly, the people, Cupich has hurt the whole neighborhood.
Quote from the letter, below, to Cupich from the Alderman who is, of course, a Democrat.
Shrine faithful bring welcome dollars to our local coffee shops, restaurants, and small businesses. In addition, the restoration of the Shrine itself has attracted a significant amount of resources to a pan of our City which, as you know, is solely underserved. It has been inspiring for my constituents to see that both individual donors and prestigious organizations like the National Fund for Sacred Places consider their neighborhood worth investing in rather than divesting from. I know they share my concern that the instability introduced into the Institute’s position at the Shrine by your administration’s decision last summer will deter donors in the future and cut the Shrine off from the further millions it needs to be a fully functional and operational building up to City of Chicago code.
On behalf of my constituents. I am asking your administration to restore confidence in the Shrine’s restoration by allowing the Institute to operate according to the terms of your original agreement with them. I am hopeful that the Shrines restoration may continue to flourish.
This is well-conceived and well-written.
You can enlarge the image of the letter.
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I would at least hope that the faithful are able to participate in *private* TLM at the shrine. Considering that the shrine’s property actually belongs to the ICK, they should be able to carry on with the TLMs. In fact, the ICK should carry on with their TLMs at the shrine as long as there continues to be tolerance for certain groups, such as the so-called “Faith Community of Saint Sabina” in the Chicago archdiocese.
A Democrat pol I can actually agree with on something. The letter excerpt is well written, indeed. Play the game and make them play by their rules.
It’s good to have friends wherever you can find them, for whatever reason. It’s also helpful to have this abuse by Cupich to be understood as such far and wide.
It’s all contemptible.
Great letter and article. God Bless this Alderman.
My God is there no fear of HELL by these Sheperds? I have it.
Cupich couldn’t care less about the souls of the people who attended that oratory. He isn’t going to care for the temporal welfare of the people in the neighborhood or it’s buildings.
I heard this today through Catholic Vote. It’s good to see support for religious freedom.
I also liked the fact that parishioners purchase fuel in the neighborhood to drive home and most likely buy paper plates, cups, bread, canned green beans, coffee, doughnuts, etc. at the grocery store to have a breakfast social in the parish hall after the 7:30 am Sunday Mass or for a pot luck brunch after the 11 am Mass.
I am sure these parishioners are not wrecking the neighborhood either. Reminds me of the story of empty nesters snow birding in Florida. The police feel like they get a break.
When was the last time you saw someone in government REQUESTING that a church be allowed to continue and the pastors to be restored to their rightful place? I have never seen anything like this in my life. Usually it is the government attacking the Catholic Church.
I wonder if ICKSP could somehow continue re-building the church despite not being able to say public Masses there, or would that be too impudent and wasteful.
I attend an ICKSP parish here in Pittsburgh. We recite The Memorare after every Mass for this very issue. We are blessed here in Pittsburgh. I believe our Bishop is a holy and good man.
“the instability introduced into the Institute’s position at the Shrine by your administration’s decision last summer will deter donors in the future and cut the Shrine off from the further millions it needs to be a fully functional and operational building up to City of Chicago code.”
That’s cute that he thinks this wasn’t the plan (or unintended consequences) all along!
@patrick-k good friends of mine close to the architect building the Shrine say they’re continuing work. The ICKSP owns the shrine after the building and the land under it were deeded to them by ArchChicago a few years ago. They have the luxury of being able to wait out Cupich, which is a great blessing.