CHICAGO — A Chicago priest responsible for burning a gay pride flag displayed in his Northwest Side church earlier this month has been removed as leader of the Avondale parish. The Rev. Paul Kalchik of Resurrection Catholic Church was ordered by Cardinal Blase Cupich to step away from his position and receive pastoral support, according to the Chicago Tribune.

“I do not take this step lightly,” the Archdiocese of Chicago’s archbishop wrote in a letter to the congregation. “Rather, I act out of concern for Fr. Kalchik’s welfare and that of the people of Resurrection Parish. I have a responsibility to be supportive of our priests when they have difficulties, but I also have a duty to ensure that those who serve our faithful are fully able to minister to them in the way the Church expects.”

Cupich’s decision came following protests by Ald. Deb Mell (33rd Ward) and others demanding Kalchik’s removal over the banner’s destruction. Mell, who is gay, called the priest’s actions a hate crime and led a demonstration outside the church last week.

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An archdiocese spokeswoman told the Tribune on Saturday, however, that Kalchik “taking some time away from the parish” had been previously planned and was “not directly due to the flag burning.” It’s unclear if that means Kalchik will eventually return to his leadership role at the church.

Kalchik burned the banner — a white cross superimposed over a rainbow that had hung in the church — and conducted a prayer of exorcism Sept. 14. The priest followed through with the burning despite Cupich previously forbidding him from doing so.

As of Friday night, Monsignor James Kaczorowski, pastor of Queen of Angels parish on the North Side, had been named Resurrection Church’s administrator, the Tribune reports.

More via the Chicago Tribune

Resurrection Church (Image via Google Earth)