A Squishy Catholic Church?

I thought only squishy churches gave up their pulpits to unbelievers.

A packed house welcomed Minister Louis Farrakhan to St. Sabina Catholic Church on Friday night with a standing ovation and cheers for his health.

The 74-year-old provocative Nation of Islam leader, who has endured a series of health setbacks, didn't speak from the Quran but from the Bible.

"Even though I am a Muslim -- I don't apologize for that -- I'm also a Christian," he told the crowd at 1210 W. 78th Pl. "Islam considers the Bible a sacred book."

"A good Muslim is a Christian, and a good Christian is a Muslim," he added later, stressing the common aspects of the faiths. "Whenever Christ's name is mentioned, I feel at home."

Farrakhan flashed a wide smile as he entered the sanctuary alongside his friend, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of the church.

A few months ago, Pfleger was at Farrakhan's bedside as he recovered from surgery. Farrakhan promised to speak at the church, as he has done many times before. (emphasis by the Spider)

"Tonight, we're celebrating a healed man," said Pfleger, who called Farrakhan "one of the most prophetic voices of our times."

Whose speaking next Sunday? Jim McGreevy? Mitt Romney? Joe Redner? Me? I have no problem with extending comfort to Calypso Louie, but what is this obsession with offering up the pulpit to unbelievers? Unbelievers who spout Pferdkaese?

On Sundays in my church, an evangelical guy is at the pulpit teaching evangelical doctrine. I would assume in a Catholic Church on Sunday a Catholic guy is at the pulpit teaching Catholic doctrine and not some nutjob from the Nation of Islam. What if some guy walks into that church the Sunday Calypso Louie is speaking and hears this "a good Christian is a good Muslim" crap? What conclusions would he draw?

Fly, Pope Benedict needs to crack down on this before the American Church goes Episcopalian. Or you guys will have openly gay bishops quicker than you can say Gene Robinson.

Correction: Calypso Louie was speaking on a Friday night, not Sunday - but still!