A Profile of a Local "Social Justice" Priest

A couple of years ago, while attending an Opus Dei evening of recollection, I picked up one of the bulletins to see what was happening at St Charles Borremeo parish. Fr. Tillman, it seems, was upset over the passage of Missouri's Concealed Carry law and other things, as can be seen in his bulletin...

When will we find leadership that actually leads us to become better citizens and better human beings rather than follow the opinion polls and vote to be re-elected? By doing so they are taking away the opportunity for young people to see leadership. Jesus makes it clear that the true leader shares his or her knowledge of the ways of God with all who will listen. God sent His Son to bring peace on earth. Guns do not bring peace or security in the hands of unstable, immature or angry people. May God protect us from all harm!

It seems as if the good priest thinks that people should not have the right or the means to protect themselves or their loved ones from the thugs, the rapists and murderers roaming the world...As we know, only the "unstable, immature or angry people" are the ones who sought to obtain a CCW license...

Anyway, on to the Post Dispatch article:

The Rev. Richard Tillman has come full circle in his ministry and quest for social justice. The St. Charles Borromeo pastor will celebrate his final Mass at Borromeo on June 11. He will take over as pastor of St. Cecilia Catholic Church in south St. Louis, where he will minister to a growing Hispanic membership.
...
"Just as I was involved in the civil-rights movement in the 1960s, I'll be involved in immigration reform in the 2000s," he said.

Scary thought...One might wonder what his immigration reform would look like...

Tillman, 66, took over as pastor of Borromeo 15 years ago. The interior of the church was refurbished during his tenure...He instituted an annual tribute to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., an event held at the church for the past 12 years.

The interior refurbished? This was at the time when the interiors of many churches were being destroyed - altars replace, tabernacles relocated, communion rails removed, statues hidden, side altars destroyed, etc...St. Charles Borremeo is no different as far as the sanctuary is concerned. While the rest of the church looks to have been spared any sort of "renovation", the sanctuary looks completely out of place in the church.

I have never been to one of the "celebrations" for "Saint Martin Luther King", but I see the promotions for this event every year...

With a degree in social work and a belief that social justice is gospel-driven, Tillman pulls no punches from the pulpit and in his writings in the church bulletin.

As if a degree gives one knowledge and wisdom...

He has decried tax cuts for the wealthy at the expense of the poor and middle class...He chastened those parishioners who voted against a MetroLink line connecting St. Charles and St. Louis because they feared the transit system would "bring riffraff into the community." He chastised President George W. Bush for using scripture to justify attacking Iraq.

Clueless rhetoric...

"If I don't speak out about injustice, people feel isolated and they lose their energy to create change or to find a way to work together to find a solution," he said.

We need fewer priests promoting the Democratic Party platform and more priests engaged in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of souls...Thankfully, we have a number of great priests in the archdiocese and more and more men are answering God's call to proclaim the Gospel for the salvation of souls in fidelity and obedience to His Church.

Tillman was asked about some of the challenges facing the church regarding a shortage of priests, the celibacy issue and the pedophilia scandal. He suggested that those who are active in the church at the grassroots level will maintain lively congregations and discourse and will push for change.

The only ones pushing for changes are dissidents...What other "grssroots level" groups are looking to change the Church's position on celibacy or the non-changable teaching on male only priests? It would be nice to know about which groups he is referring...

He said he hopes that eventually those priests who left the church to be married would be allowed to return and that young priests should have the option to marry.

There is simply nothing as uplifting as a priest who publicly defies the Church with respect to the discipline of celibacy or lauds those groups who would reinstate those who, of their own volition, renounced their promises and left the priesthood...

Are we to believe that those who abandoned their vows or promises and left the priesthood have determined what their true vocation is? If anything, we need to pray for all of these matters, and let the Church decide what is to be done.

As it is, I find this nattering of mindless rhetoric unbecoming of a priest. Perhaps it's just me, but this is the kind of reporting and talk that always challenges my charity and patience - stories of priests fomenting dissent under the guise of "social justice". Of course, many commendable efforts appear to have been undertaken and for those, one should be grateful.