Is anyone else as surprised as I am that Cardinal George allowed Fr. Pfleger to return to his parish, St. Sabina's, after only a week? "The quality of mercy is not strain'd," as the Bard wrote, "it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven..." I guess this is what His Eminence has in mind.

I thought Fr. Pfleger would be transferred to other duties, that Cardinal George would recognize that the symbiosis betweeen the pastor and the congregation of St. Sabina's was not such that it would suddenly become a-political.

The congregation was committed to making the Cardinal's life miserable if they did not get their way -- and Fr. Pfleger himself went on the record saying he disagreed with any suspension of duties at all.

Did he watch the video of himself in the pulpit of Trinity Church? Evidently he saw "something" there that led to his apology to Sen. Clinton, but nothing that justified taking at least a week off.

The suspension being only a week means it amounts to what is usually termed a "slap on the hand."

Fr. Pfleger, by the way, is quite an interesting fellow -- the Wikipedia entry is well worth reading. You might find yourself, as I did, nodding your head in agreement with some of the things he has done in his parish.