Cardinal Tells Priest Who Mocked Clinton to Take a Leave and ‘Reflect’

By MONICA DAVEY
June 4, 2008

CHICAGO — The priest whose mocking of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton stirred more racially tinged controversy in the presidential campaign was effectively placed on leave from his pastoral work Tuesday at the Roman Catholic parish he has led since 1983.

The archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George, called on the priest, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, to “step back from his obligations” at St. Sabina and “take leave for a couple of weeks.”

Father Pfleger has been a friend of Senator Barack Obama and served until several weeks ago in an unpaid role on the Obama campaign’s Catholic advisory council. He has apologized for remarks he made last month as a guest speaker at Trinity United Church of Christ, where Mr. Obama resigned as a member last week. the rest