TURNING UP THE HEAT
More than 175 members of the Protestant faith and clerical community sent a letter to Cardinal Blase Cupich Tuesday asking the archdiocese to more strongly reject the recent burning of the LGBTQ-friendly flag by an Avondale priest.
The rainbow-colored flag which featured a cross was ceremoniously lit on fire behind the Resurrection Catholic Church by Rev. Paul Kalchik this month in what the priest dubbed an “exorcism.”
“We write to request a full investigation of these actions and for full transparency from the diocese concerning Father Kalchik” and his future with the church, the letter states. Kalchik burned the flag even though the archdiocese instructed him not to.
A copy of the letter, obtained by Sneed, identifies the groups as composed of “religious leaders and people of faith in Chicago and as colleagues in ministry who represent congregations and organizations from across the city.” The number of leaders that signed the letter was growing in size and includes at least one rabbi.
The group further demands “confirmation Father Kalchik has been removed from ministry.”
In addition, the group is also asking Cupich to issue a statement strongly asserting “the dignity and worth of all people and denouncing any connection between LGBTQIA+ people and their families with pedophiles and sexual abusers,” said Rev. Lindsay Mack, pastor of Luther Memorial Church in Ravenswood.
The group cites news accounts on Kalchik’s claims that the sexual abuse crisis plaguing the Catholic Church is caused by gay priests. In an interview last week, Kalchik told the Sun-Times the crisis is “definitely a gay thing.”
“We believe Rev. Kalchik is endangering the LGBTQIA+ people with hatred and violence using his authority as a Catholic priest when he burned that rainbow colored flag for the reasons he asserted,” said Mack.
Cupich has issued statements in the past saying he didn’t agree with the view that the sexual abuse crisis could be blamed on gay priests. Archdiocesan officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Stay tuned.