Last week, we shared with you the story of Pastor Fr. Paul Kalchik.
Kalchik, who presides over the Resurrection Catholic Church in Chicago, discovered a rainbow flag in his church building. He then announced that he would be burning the flag as sacrilege later this month.
As he wrote in the initial church message:
"We cannot let the current troubles keep us from our mission to go make more disciples for the Lord, nor should modern day distractions like global warming, LGBT 'rights' or even immigration issues ever take precedence over that mission.”
Thankfully, the Archidose of Chicago stepped in and told Kalchik that he couldn’t go through with the burning. At the time, Kalchick regretfully followed the orders.
Though, he didn’t follow them for long.
We now learn that Kalchik later went through with the burning despite the orders placed upon him.
After he did so, Kalchik’s life took a drastic change, according to the Chicago Tribune. He allegedly received multiple hate messages and even death threats from the community around him. These threats became so bad that Kalchik had to start using police escort to travel to and from the church and his home.
In addition, the Alchidose of Chicago has decided to remove Kalchik from his position at the Resurrection Catholic Church effective immediately. He was then replaced with Monsignor James Kaczorowski.
“For some weeks now, I have become increasingly concerned about a number of issues at Resurrection Parish,” read a letter by Chicago’s Archbishop, Cardinal Blase Cupich. “It has become clear to me that Fr. Kalchik must take time away from the parish to receive pastoral support so his needs can be assessed.”
“I do not take this step lightly,” the note read further. “Rather, I act out of concern for Fr. Kalchik’s welfare and that of the people of Resurrection Parish. I have a responsibility to be supportive of our priests when they have difficulties, but I also have a duty to ensure that those who serve our faithful are fully able to minister to them in the way the Church expects.”
That said, Annel Maselli, the spokeswoman for the archdiocese, says that this removal of Kalchik was not based on the burning of the rainbow flag.
“He is taking some time away from the parish,” Maselli said in an email on Saturday. “This has been in the works for some time and is not directly due to the flag burning.”
There’s currently no word on whether this removal is permanent or not.
As for Kalchik, who says he was sexually abused by a Chicago priest while he was a seminarian, his only words on the issue are that he doesn’t hate gay people. He says he only has hate for homosexuality itself.
“I’m about as much of a ‘gay basher’ as Mother Teresa of Calcutta,” the 56-year-old said in an interview with the Tribune on Friday. “Love the sinner, hate the sin — that’s as harsh as I get.”
h/t: Chicago Tribune
Shame on him…and shame on
Shame on him…and shame on archdiocese spokeswoman Annel Maselli for saying distancing his "time out" from the flag burning, that it had already been planned and the timing was just a coincidence. Such cowardly response to owning up and supporting the diversity and love that Pope Francis preaches.
Google his pic. A true
Google his pic. A true closet case.