Father Pfleger Hopes New Cardinal Will Have the Heart of Pope Francis and Remember the Poor

Lauds police work in arrests of 4

Reacting to an Associated Press story that Pope Francis has chosen a new Cardinal for Chicago, Father Michael L. Pfleger late Friday night said he hopes the new Cardinal will have the heart of Pope Francis and reach out to the poor, the disenfranchised and the forgotten.

Earlier, Pfleger attended a press conference convened by Police Supt. Garry McCarthy who announced the arrest of four youth in the shooting death of 9-year-old Antonio Smith, Jr. Arrested and charged with first-degree murder were: Jabari Williams, 22, Derrick Almon, 19 and Michael Baker, 19.

Pfleger said the gang members reportedly thought Smith was trying to warn their rivals they had planned on shooting; so they took out the little boy. Pfleger said he had been shot multiple times. McCarthy said neither Smith nor his family had any gang ties.

Pfleger praised with two officers who did a “really good job” and the calls that have similar valid information. “It looked like they were hunting two guys from another gang. They saw them and got out to get after them. Antonio Smith, who had nothing to do with this, screamed out. It’s unclear whether they were screaming to warn them or because he was scared. He’s a little boy…. Anybody who would kill a 9-year-old child will kill anybody.”

Interviewed at the end of his last peace march for 2014, Pfleger reacted to the Pope’s appointment of 65-year-old Spokane, Washington Bishop Base Cupich to replace 77-year-old Cardinal George who is undergoing a special cancer treatment at the University of Chicago Hospital.

Vowing to keep Cardinal George in his prayers and that he hopes he will be completely healed “and enjoy his days of retirement, be healthy and to live out the fullness of his life,”  Pfleger said he hopes the new cardinal “will have the heart of Pope Francis.

“My hope is that he will have the heart as Francis did to call the world back to caring again about the poor…caring about the disenfranchised…those who feel forgotten along life’s road on the Jericho road of life,” he said.

“My hope is also that he, like Pope Francis, continue to broaden us beyond the church has been very narrow on in the last few years as if the only issues were abortion and same sex marriage. What the Pope has said is that we must be concerned about every issue affecting humanity.

“I pray that coming to Chicago, he will have the courage to deal with race because racism is alive and well in Chicago and in America,” Pfleger said. He also hopes that the new Cardinal will “have the courage to deal with violence and to stand up to the NRA on guns. I hope he will be open to dialogue.

“Pope Francis has not just only opened the windows but the doors of the church and said everything is on the table” to discuss. Pfleger hopes this new Cardinal will have “the same kind of openness and be inclusive and not exclusive. I hope he will bring a new return of the church to the gospel of Jesus Christ” which Pfleger said is “very radical. It’s very courageous. It’s very strong.

“What we need in America and in the world right now that is full of racism, poverty, unemployment and war. We need love. We need justice and we need peace,” Pfleger said hoping that the new Cardinal will “come to be a voice for that in Chicago as Pope Francis is to the world at this time.”

Earlier, Pfleger, who was joined by scores of supporters, marched throughout the Auburn Gresham community calling for an end of shooting and chanting, “put the guns down” and an end to the violence. He changed his route to include 81^st and Laflin where a girl was shot.

In a closing prayer, Pfleger said, “Violence is every where. It has seeped into every community. We can stop it when we decide to stop it. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We’ve been given power and authority. When we stand up and walk in it, live in it and speak it, then we can change the face of the earth.”

Pfleger said what they have done throughout the summer on his peace marches have made a difference. We are agents of change and we are Disciples of Christ. We will make a difference. We will transform atmospheres into the very Kingdom of God…. We accept our charge. We’re not afraid. We’re not weary. We’re not compromised…. We stand up to the enemy and say, ‘Here we are with justice, peace and love….’ ”

Chinta Strausberg is a Journalist of more than 33-years, a former political reporter and a current PCC Network talk show host. You can e-mail Strausberg at: Chintabernie@aol.com.