Ending a weeks-long standoff, Cardinal Francis George lifted his suspension of the Rev. Michael Pfleger on Friday after the two men met and Pfleger apologized for statements the cardinal took as a threat to leave the priesthood.
Both men issued simultaneous statements, with Pfleger saying he would deliver a transition plan by Dec. 1 for St. Sabina Catholic Church, the South Side parish he has served for nearly 30 years.
But neither statement clarified how long Pfleger might remain at the parish. For now, he'll be back in the pulpit for the 11:15 a.m. Mass on Sunday.
It was George's suggestion that Pfleger take another post in the archdiocese that led to the latest clash between the two. George, archbishop of Chicago, suspended Pfleger on April 27 after the priest said on national radio that he would look outside the Catholic Church if forced to work at Leo High School.
George had suggested Pfleger consider taking a post at Leo, which is in the same neighborhood as the church.
"If my remarks in a radio interview seemed to be a threat to leave the priesthood, I am sorry," Pfleger said in his statement. "That was not my intention. I am committed to the priesthood and the Catholic Church."
The cardinal always intended to reinstate Pfleger if he apologized and clarified remarks he made last month on a national radio show, according to Colleen Dolan, communications director for the Chicago Archdiocese.
"In our conversations, Cardinal George and I recognized that the Church has been hurt, and this concerns us both," Pfleger's statement read.
George said he approved Pfleger's statement as a "genuine step toward healing the hurt and clarifying the confusion."
"Many people have been personally affected by these events, including the people of St. Sabina Parish, and I hope that our statements now will bring the peace necessary to strengthen the mission of the Church," George said.
Ralph Keen, chair of Catholic studies at University of Illinois at Chicago, said the time that passed since George's suspension of Pfleger "gives the impression of careful deliberation" on the part of both men.
Ernest Sanders, 47, a member of St. Sabina since 1990, said he was thrilled by the news of Pfleger's return to the pulpit. Although he emphasized that the clash with the cardinal was never a case of "us against them," Friday's resolution felt like a victory.
"It's about doing what's right for the community, for the church members, and also for the Catholic Church," he said. "As a man who follows Christ, it's great to know the end of the story. The end of the story is not death but life, not losing but winning."