Catholic Priest Calls for "Snuffing" of Gun Shop Owner and Politicos Who Support 2nd Amendment [UPDATED]
From Cybercast News Service:
(CNSNews.com) - An Illinois gun-rights group says it plans to complain to the Catholic Church after a Chicago priest at the weekend appeared to call for the murder of a suburban gun shop owner.My Comments:
On Saturday, as part of an Operation PUSH protest at Chuck's Gun Shop & Range, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina's Church, urged the crowd to "drag" shop owner John Riggio from his shop "like a rat" and "snuff" him, the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) said.
ISRA has posted online what is says is a recording of Pfleger's remarks.
In the audio clip, the priest is heard being introduced to the crowd by the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Immediately therafter, Pfleger launches into a tirade.
"I want the NRA [National Rifle Association] to understand - you have a lot of money, but money can't buy moral authority and it can't buy justice or freedom, and we will fight you, NRA," he says.
"We will fight you on every angle [sic], no matter how much money you've got, we will embarrass you, and we will embarrass every legislator that takes money from you. We will call them out by name, by district. We will expose you, legislators."
Pfleger then turns his attention to Riggio. "He's the owner of Chuck's. John Riggio. R-i-g-g-i-o. We're going to find you and snuff you out … you know you're going to hide like a rat. You're going to hide but like a rat we're going to catch you and pull you out. We are not going to allow you to continue to hide when we're here …"
"We're going to keep coming back, and like Reverend Jackson says, it takes civil disobedience, if it takes whatever it takes … we're going to snuff out John Riggio, we're going to snuff out legislators that are voting … and we are coming for you because we are not going to sit idly. Keep on fighting, people. Keep on fighting, keep on fighting."
St. Sabina describes itself as a "Bible-teaching" African-American Catholic Church.
The day before the anti-gun protest, the church hosted former Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who was making a rare public appearance. Pfleger was quoted as describing the controversial Muslim activist as "a gift from God to a sick, sick world."
ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson called it "shocking" to hear a priest advocate the murder of a gun shop owner "who has never committed a crime in his life."
"Pfleger's comments were disgusting and dangerous," Pearson said. "And, I seem to remember that the Fifth Commandment frowns on murdering one's neighbor," he added.
"This week, I'll be penning a letter to the Archbishop, expressing my concerns over Rev. Pfleger's comments," continued Pearson. "I would hope that the Archbishop would reply with words of comfort for Mr. Riggio, his family, state legislators, and all others who were injured by Rev. Pfleger's thoughtless, inflammatory remarks."
In a message on the church's website, Pfleger says he believes that "we are called by God to build this church in a world filled with division, alienation and racism in order that we may be a witness to the world that it is possible and that the love of God is stronger than the hate of Satan."
Such peaceful and tolerant folks these anti-gunner leftists. And a Catholic priest, to boot. I'm guessing that Fr. Pfleger is soon going to be looking for a new line of work.
UPDATE
Still waiting for a MSM outlet to cover this story. I won't hold my breath.
Let me ask a rhetorical question: Do you think we'd ever hear the end of this from ABCBSCNNBC, not to mention The Washington Post and The New York Times, if a Catholic priest had advocated "snuffing" an abortionist instead of a gun shop owner?
UPDATE #2
The story above now includes the audio of Fr. Pfleger's remarks.
Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Virginia Tells NYC and Bloomberg to Pound Sand
Toledo Blade Editorialist Wants Forcible Dis-Arming of America's Citizenry
To Our European and Australian "Friends" ...
Roanoke Times Columnist Compares Law-Abiding Gun Owners to Sex Offenders, Publishes Their Names and Addresses
Labels: "Religious Left", Dissident Catholics, Guns, Hypocrites, Priests
posted by Pro Ecclesia 10:36 AM
13 comments
13 Comments:
More likely Father will be serving in a new parish; Cardinal George is a famously forgiving fellow.
I'm guessing that Fr. Pfleger is soon going to be looking for a new line of work.
Nahh, it's not like he was advocating something evil like using Latin in the Mass.
Fr Pfleger is notorious. Just Google the guy...
I recognize the name. Isn't he the same guy who endorsed Barack Obama with a veiled threat against anyone who might "harm" Obama?
I bet this is the same St. Sabrina that just had Loius Farrakan speaking there.
Yeah, it's the same parish.
I wish I could say that Fr. Pleger is going to end up laicized or at least get the night back up assignment as chaplain of the district mourge but I doubt it.
Back up and think for a minute. The phrase "snuff out" has other meanings that a gun nut wouldn't think of. It doesn't necessarily mean murder and, from my reading, he's not calling for murdering the man.
At best, the priest's remarks were uncharitable, and unbefitting a priest.
At the very least, the term is ambiguous, and Fr. Flakey should have taken into consideration the meaning of the term in the environment in which he operates.
That's as charitable a reading as I can give to the priest's use of the phrase (that it was bad judgment) because I'm not convinced he didn't INTEND to be ambiguous as to his meaning.
The phrase "snuff out" has other meanings that a gun nut wouldn't think of.
Seems your charity is as sound as your objectivity. Regardless of whether your a gun nut, a candle nut, or even a nutty firefighter, "snuff out" means to extinguish - put an end to - kill.
I don't know if Fr. Pfleger was calling for murder. It is hard to tell what he meant. On my blog I propose he may have meant something like "flush out," i.e. find pro-gun folks and expose them for what he perceives they are. Of course, it is hard to believe he didn't know what "snuff out" means on the streets.
Either way, I think he was too fired up, too angry and is misguided about guns and other issues. I suspect living in an area where you get shot in the head for simply looking at someone the wrong way may do that to you. Nonetheless, a legal firearms dealer who has done nothing illegal shouldn't be subject to harassment. Why not harass the thugs who misuse the weapons instead. In fairness, I think Fr. Pfleger does stand against corruption in society (I think he had a row with Jerry Springer at one point).
His associations with racist Farrakhan, and now this, are certainly causing scandal in my opinion.
BTW, nice blog, from a fellow Ohioan who visits your area frequently (my fiancee used to live near Huron).
David
I just thought that the reading in today's Office of Readings was appropriate:
St Gregory the Great's commentary on Job: "Sound teaching avoids pride."
Now, Job, listen to my words, and attend to all I have to say. It is characteristic of the way that arrogant people teach, that they do not know how to convey their knowledge humbly and cannot express straightforward truths straightforwardly. When they teach, it is clear from their words that they are placing themselves on a pinnacle and looking down on their pupils somewhere in the depths – pupils unworthy to be informed and scarcely even worth the bother of dominating.
The Lord rightly admonished such people through the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel, saying You have ruled your flock cruelly and with violence. For they rule with cruelty and violence when they do not try to correct those under them with rational arguments but try to dominate them and crush them.
On the other hand, sound teaching is eager to avoid this sin of pride manifested in thought: just as eager as it is to attack with words the teacher of pride himself. Sound teaching does not promote him by imitating his arrogance but uses pious words to attack him in its hearers’ hearts. Instead it promotes humility, the mother and teacher of all virtues. It preaches humility in words and manifests humility in its actions. It commends humility to its pupils more by conduct than by speech.
This is why Paul seems to have forgotten his exalted status as an apostle when writing to the Thessalonians: We were babes among you. So also Peter: Always have your answer ready for people who ask the reason for the hope you all have, adding, to emphasize that the teaching must be presented in the proper way, But give it with respect and with a clear conscience.
When Paul says to Timothy Command these things and teach them with all authority, he is not calling for a domination born of power but an authority that comes from a way of life. “Teaching with authority” here means living something first before preaching it; for when speech is impeded by conscience, the hearer will find it harder to trust what is being taught. So Paul is not commending the power of proud and exalted words, but the trustworthiness that comes from good behaviour. This, indeed, is why it is said of the Lord, Unlike the scribes and pharisees, he taught them with authority. He alone spoke with unique authority because he had never, through weakness, done evil. What he had from the power of his divinity, he taught to us through the innocence of his humanity.
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