Tom Roeser tears into “the lay pragmatists” running the church in Chicago as in l’affaire Pfleger, sparing for the sake of Catholic tradition the hapless parsing cardinal who is looking for something or someone else to rid him of or somehow deal with this turbulent/meddlesome priest. But he digs deep into his faith in Christianity, 2,000 years old and counting:
Once more the archdiocese has kicked the can down the road. Once again its lay leadership has shown it doesn’t have the starch to run a corner grocery much less the Chicago outreach of a Church founded by Christ. But then that it has survived for 2,000-plus years with such earthen vessels indicates it shall endure to the end of time.
Amen, Brother.
On the other hand, harassment with a thousand ecclesiastical cuts has its merits, as I suggested weeks ago. If I were the cardinal, after deciding lay pragmatists don’t know everything, I would make and publicize some conditions of St. Sabina employment, beginning with a prohibition of pulpiteering by non-Catholics.
Hell, he’d never do that, would he? Which brings us back to Roeser and his philippics, which are as painful to read as they are accurate.
Ping-pong eyes? Roeser:
[K]eeping Fr. Pfleger at St. Sabina’s far too long was sign of a weakness, a caving in to a rambunctious mob, many members of which are not Catholic at all but have flocked there for a good show on Sunday morning to catch the local rabble-rouser flail around putting on his ping-pong balls for eyes routine as he shouts.
Later, from Reader D:
Headline: ‘Pattern of behavior’ costs Benson his job:Embattled running back Cedric Benson was waived by the Bears Monday, just two days after he was arrested for the second time in five weeks. “Cedric displayed a pattern of behavior we will not tolerate,” said general manager Jerry Angelo. “Everyone in this organization is held accountable for their actions. Those who fail to understand the importance of ‘team’ will not play for the Chicago Bears.”
Sounds simple enough, Cardinal George.
Blithe Spirit 
Really sad commentary about the Chicago Archdiocese from Roeser because it is all too true. If the bishops had courage and stuck together in their teaching, they could be quite effective, as in the past. It is their desire to be modern that is their and our undoing.
We have no one to rally behind. Worse, conservative Catholics are undercut by the statements of these cowardly bishops when they try to lead in their stead.
Christ promised to “be with you always even until the end of the world.” Are we approaching the end times or has the Church always been so weak?
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