Father Michael Pfleger, a prominent activist Catholic priest based in Chicago, Illinois, has again been accused of sexually abusing a minor and put on leave as part of an investigation. He has denied the claim, saying he has been attacked over his political activism.
Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago issued a letter on Saturday to St. Sabina Parish in Chicago, where Pfleger serves as senior pastor.
According to Cupich, the Archdiocese’s Office for Child Abuse Investigations and Review received an allegation that Pfleger engaged in sex abuse of a female minor over 30 years ago.
While the investigation is underway, the cardinal wrote, Pfleger will remain away from the parish, and Father Thulani D. Magwaza will serve as pastor of St. Sabina.
“We do not presume the truth or falsity of an allegation until the process is complete and our Independent Review Board has made a recommendation that I accept. Only by conducting a thorough and impartial review can we ensure fairness to all concerned,” Cupich wrote.
“As is also required by our child protection policies, the allegation was reported to law enforcement authorities and the person making the allegation has been offered the services of our Victim Assistance Ministry.”
Cupich said that “the welfare of the children entrusted to our care is our paramount concern” and the archdiocese “takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously.”
“As your parish has been through this before, I can well understand your distress in learning of this development,” he added. “I appreciate your patience and ask you to recall that our process of investigation and making a determination has proven effective in protecting the rights of all.”
For his part, Pfleger posted a statement on St. Sabina’s website in which he labeled the accusation “an absolute lie” that was part of past efforts on the part of others to try and ruin him due to his activism. He said the complaint came from a woman who attended school at St. Sabina and claims she was abused between 1993 and 1995.
“My background has been investigated from high school, college, graduate school, and all the years of my ministry and all accusations were determined to be unfounded,” he said.
“I have been publicly attacked due to my public position against gun violence, my opposition against the inhumane policies and practices of Donald Trump, and even because of my friendship with [Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan],” Pfleger continued.
“I have been under constant attack by the present administration which I have vocally condemned as unlawful, racist and wicked. For this I will not apologize.”
Regarding the specific allegation, Pfleger said, “I have no memory of this girl nor do countless others who have been at St. Sabina for those years.”
“The statement she has supposedly made is absolutely not true, and the facts will show that this is just an attempt by someone who is either being unfairly manipulated by others to hurt my reputation, or who is simply trying to make money by making false accusations,” he continued.
“I believe this is another attempt and another attack by those who have sought to destroy me for years and another attempt by someone to get money from the Archdiocese and to silence me.”
Pfleger has served as pastor at St. Sabina since the 1980s and has garnered attention for his activism, including efforts to combat gun violence and past support for President Barack Obama.
He has been accused of sexual abuse on other occasions. In January 2021, two brothers claimed he had abused them more than 40 years earlier. However, following a five-month investigation, Pfleger was cleared of any wrongdoing.
In October 2022, Pfleger was again accused of abuse, this time by an individual who claimed the priest had abused him as a minor decades earlier. By December, Pfleger had again been cleared of wrongdoing and returned to the pulpit.
“It’s good to be home,” Pfleger told mass attendees in December 2022 after returning to his ministry, saying there was nothing comparable to “being with the fellowship of the believers.”
“I thank you and apologize for the hurt and the pain that you had to go through also,” he continued. “I thank you for standing by me and believing in me, that you know who I am.”
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