Cardinal Francis George has apologized
for comments comparing gay rights activists to the Ku Klux Klan.
“I am truly sorry for the hurt my
remarks have caused,” George told the Chicago
Tribune. “Particularly because we all have friends or
family members who are gay and lesbian. This has evidently wounded a
good number of people. I have family members myself who are gay and
lesbian, so it's part of our lives. So I'm sorry for the hurt.”
George, the head of the Catholic
Conference of Illinois and the Archbishop of Chicago, commented
during a Fox Chicago interview that he believes a Gay Pride parade
route in Chicago should be altered to avoid passing in front of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel's front doors.
“I go with the pastor,” George
said. “He's telling us that he won't be able to have services on
Sunday if that's the case. You don't want the gay liberation
movement morph into something like the Klu Klux Klan, demonstrating
in the streets against Catholicism.”
George defended his stance when the
host called it “a little strong.”
“It is, but you take a look at the
rhetoric. The rhetoric of the Klu Klux Klan, the rhetoric of some of
the gay liberation people. Who is the enemy? Who is the enemy? The
Catholic Church.”
George defended his remarks in
subsequent interviews, which led to several gay groups to call for
his resignation.
Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality
Illinois, said in a statement that George's apology was “important
and will go some way toward healing the pain he has caused.”