DE PERE, Wisconsin (WBAY) – After taking heat for some controversial comments made about gay rights activists, Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Francis George spoke at the St. Norbert College Commencement.
The controversy started back in December when St. Norbert College announced George as its graduation speaker.
Hundreds of students and alumni told the college to rescind the invitation, using online petitions after the cardinal made this remark to a Chicago TV station:
"You don't want the gay liberation movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism," the Archbishop said.
"That's a little strong analogy, don't you think?" the reporter asked.
"It is, but you take a look at the rhetoric," George responded, "the rhetoric of the Ku Klux Klan and the rhetoric of some of the gay liberation people."
The Archbishop later issued an apology, which was accepted by one of the gay Catholic groups in Chicago.
St. Norbert students decided to demonstrate their opinions Sunday afternoon in a peaceful manner – by wearing rainbow ribbons.
During the commencement speech, Cardinal Francis George made no mention about his opinions on the gay liberation movement that sparked the controversy.
"I just wanted to share a vision of where we are as a country in the world, and as a church in this country and the world, so that they'll be able to be free and work that out in the context of their lives as they go forward," said Cardinal George.
