Chicago Tribune Slams Cardinal Francis George

As noted previously on this blog, Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago - who the Dallas Morning News implicated in protecting sexual predator priests - has twice equated gay rights activists with the anti-Catholicism of the Klu Klux Klan. All because the route of the annual pride parade had been changed in a manner that had it run past a Catholic Church. Even after the parade start time was changed to accommodate parishioners attending mass, George repeated his nasty comparison of gays to the KKK. Frankly, if anyone acts like the KKK, it's the Catholic Church hierarchy and its insidious jihad against gay rights and its desire to suck up government funds like hogs at a trough and then enjoy the special right to discriminate against gays and others in defiance of anti-discrimination laws. The Chicago Tribune has weighed into the fray and slammed George for his batshitery. Here are some editorial highlights:

You don't want the gay liberation movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism." — Cardinal Francis George

Hours after Chicago's archbishop raised that astounding notion, organizers of the city's annual gay pride parade announced that they would delay the start of next year's march to avoid disrupting morning Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.

That should have been the end of it. A week later, gay rights groups are still demanding the cardinal apologize — or resign — and George is defending what he calls "an obvious comparison."

The change of venue was meant to address safety concerns, including accessibility for emergency vehicles. But the church's pastor objected, saying parishioners would have a hard time getting to Mass.

George wasn't fully in the loop when he made his on-camera remarks. But he forged ahead with his bizarre analogy. "The rhetoric of the Ku Klux Klan, the rhetoric of the gay liberation people — who is the enemy? The Catholic Church."

And here we thought this was about whether parishioners at Our Lady of Mount Carmel could get into the parking lot for 11 a.m. Mass. Responding to the blowback, a diocesan spokeswoman said the remarks were taken out of context and suggested people listen to the entire interview. We did. They aren't. George reiterated them on Wednesday, issuing a statement just when things might have been dying down.

"When the pastor's request for reconsideration of the plans was ignored, the organizers invited an obvious comparison to other groups who have historically attempted to stifle the religious freedom of the Catholic Church," the statement read.

What that has to do with the pride parade is lost on us. "We have not been violent in seeking out our rights, so for the cardinal to then equate our movement with one of the most heinous and murderous organizations in the history of our country is just baffling," Martin Grochala of Dignity Chicago told Fox Chicago.

George also joined the Catholic Conference of Illinois in a statement that ripped Gov. Pat Quinn for "rewarding" abortion-rights activists by appearing at an event. Quinn was attending to honor a rape victim who has become a victims' advocate. George later acknowledged the criticism went too far, but he didn't exactly take it back — a pattern he repeated with his harsh and regrettable KKK remarks.

Over the course of four decades, the Chicago Pride Parade has marched past hundreds of churches without stifling anyone's religious beliefs. Come June, it will do so again.

If George's involvement in protecting predator priests is true, rather than making outrageous inflammatory statements against LGBT citizens, George ought to be behind bars as an accessory to the sexual abuse of children and youths. As should many in the Catholic Church hierarchy.