Anger after Cardinal George compares some gay activists' rhetoric to Ku Klux Klan 
December 23, 2011
Cardinal Francis George, backing one of his parish priests, called upon organizers of Chicago's 2012 Gay Pride Parade to postpone the start of the parade so as to permit parishioners to attend morning Mass at a parish along the parade route. 
Over 750,000 people watched the parade in June 2011.
"Well, I go with the pastor," Cardinal George said. "I mean, he's telling us that they won't be able to have Church services on Sunday if that's the case. You know, you don't want the gay liberation movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism. So, I think if that's what's happening, and I don't know that it is, but I would respect the local pastor's, you know, position on that. Then I think that's a matter of concern for all of us."
Pressed by the interviewer, Cardinal George added, "The rhetoric of the Ku Klux Klan; the rhetoric of some of the gay liberation people-- who is the enemy? Who is the enemy? The Catholic Church."
Asked about the pastoral care of those with same-sex attractions, he said, "You start with people who are homosexually oriented, gays and lesbians. However they picture themselves, you start with respect."
"So, if they want to publicly be part of that community, you still have to see to it that they have the spiritual helps--the sacraments, the preaching of the Gospel that they need to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ, which means to live chastely if you're not married."
Supporters of the Gay Pride march professed outrage over the cardinal's comments. Martin Grochala said that he was "baffled" by the comparison with the Ku Klux Klan, and said that "many people are going to take great offense at the comparison."
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