Chicago Priest Banished By Archdiocese After Parishoners Stage Anti-Sex Abuse Demonstration

[Valin]

The Daily Wire

Chicago Cardinal Blaise Cupich did not appreciate the priest's sentiment.

Emily Zanotti

Sept. 23 2018

A Chicago priest has reportedly been banished from his parish and forced to undergo a psychiatric evaluation after members of his parish staged an anti-sex abuse protest last week, burning a gay pride flag found in the Church's storeroom — a remnant from when the church was named an LGBT outreach parish decades ago.

Fr. Paul Kalchik was reportedly sexually assaulted twice by men, once by a neighbor when he was 11 and a second time by a priest when he was 19. After such an experience, he would be understandably skeptical of the Church's handling of abuse, particularly in light of allegations that high-ranking Catholic clergy ignored and even covered up multiple allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, and even elevated McCarrick to the position of senior adviser to Pope Francis.

Fr. Kalchik did not, it seems, take part in the anti-sex abuse protest, where parishoners burned a flag that merged the cross with the gay pride rainbow, but he did not stop the protest, even when pressured by Chicago's Cardinal Blaise Cupich.

Last week, Fr. Kalchik was denied a petition to be re-assigned to his home parish in Gaylord, Michigan. Friday, Catholic bloggers reported that Fr. Kalchik was visited by two representatives of the Chicago Archdiocese who requested a private meeting. Fr. Kalchik was subsequently ordered out as pastor of Resurrection Catholic Church and referred to St. Luke's, a treatment center where he is to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

(Snip)