A Chicago Catholic priest announced plans on Christian website Church Militant to destroy a flag that merged a cross with a rainbow. The flag had been hung up at a number of services at Ressurection Church since its establishment in 1991.

The Chicago priest wrote in his message, “We cannot let the current troubles keep us from our mission to go make more disciples for the Lord, nor should modern day distractions like global warming, LGBT ‘rights’ or even immigration issues ever take precedence over that mission.”

Fr Kalchik later added, “On Saturday, Sept. 29, the Feast of Ss. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, we will burn, in front of the church, the rainbow flag that was, unfortunately, hanging in our sanctuary during the ceremonial first Mass as Resurrection parish.”

After this announcement, the Archdiocese of Chicago intervened and reported that the priest had agreed not to go through with his plan to burn the flag, with the archdiocese’s communications director stating, “We can confirm that the pastor has agreed not to move forward with these activities.”

Flag Burning Event Takes Place Despite Orders

However, Church Militant report that Fr Kalchik still decided to cut up and burn the rainbow flag in a private ceremony. An article published on September 15 states that “Parishioners of Resurrection Parish in Chicago, Illinois, held a rainbow flag-burning event last week, cutting up and setting on fire an LGBT flag that once hung in the sanctuary at the parish’s first Mass.”

The article continues to report, “Father Paul [Kalchik] was asked not to go through with a public burning of the rainbow banner, as complaints were heard from the gay community, and those complaints
never fall on deaf ears in today’s culture. Therefore, the burning was carried out privately, by a few parishioners.”

The same article also attempts to defend and justify the priest’s actions, claiming that the burning was not borne out of hate for gay people:

“No one in this parish, especially our pastor, hates people who have a same-sex attraction. And, in spite of comments by many bishops and even the Pope, the Catechism of the Catholic Church has not changed, nor has scientific research proven that anyone has a gene that makes them born gay. The Church teaches that sex outside of marriage is sinful, and that sex between two people of the same sex is always sinful.”