Controversial Priest Returns to the Pulpit

But Pfleger is also not backing down.

In his sermon on June 22 called "Ain't Nothing Like a Comeback," Pfleger told his parishioners at St. Sabina's Catholic Church that he would not "run and hide, nor allow them to cause me to 'play it safe' or become silent."

"We still have an unequal justice system -- we still have more people of color in poverty, in jail, in poor education systems, a lack of health care. All those statistics will tell us that we have not come as far as we've liked to come," said Pfleger.

Pfleger has been the leader of the predominantly black church since 1981. He has been described as "extremely Afro-centric," and has called the controversial former pastor at Trinity Church, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a "friend, mentor and hero."

Pleger denied that his or Wright's controversial comments will ultimately hurt Obama's presidential bid.

"I think that would be a cheap shot, to blame Rev. Wright or myself. I think it's easy to put the blame somewhere than to acknowledge what is the real reason," he said. "But I also think that [we should] be careful that we don't look for easy outs to blame for real problems we're not going to wrestle with or deal with and face."

Pfleger said his sermon at Trinity was supposed to be about race, not politics, but admitted he has to be more careful about what he says from the pulpit.

"You know, I was at a church family that I've spoken to many times, that I know well, and I think when you're around family, you're looser, you're friendlier," he said. "And, um, do you get carried away? Do you get more dramatic? Do you get caught up in the crowd when you're around your friends and your family? Absolutely. And I acknowledge that, and I over-dramatize, and I get carried away, no question."