Don’t get me wrong: I think he needs to be held accountable for what he did (and I hope the Archdiocese of Chicago responds strongly).
Kalchik is the sole person responsible for such actions. Paul Kalchik decided to perform such a bizarre and violently symbolic act: I think that the current climate in Catholic Church and civil society has reached such a hateful pitch that hateful displays have become the “logical” next step. Still, I would like to propose that another cause also be considered about why Fr. Some think the priest may be a self-hating gay man himself.Ĭausality is always a difficult thing to prove, and without enough facts and intimate knowledge of the individual, it is hard to state anything with certainty. Others think that he did not receive adequate training during his seminary and formation days. Some say the priest my be reacting to his experience of being abused by a clergy member when he was younger. A number of theories have been floating around about what might have caused a Chicago priest to burn and “exorcise” a rainbow flag–even in defiance of an archdiocesan directive not to do so.
