Chicago's Father Pfleger reinstated at St. Sabina Church after child sex abuse investigation

CHICAGO - Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich announced Monday that Father Michael Pfleger will return to his post at St. Sabina Church after internal and external investigations into allegations of child sexual abuse.

Effective June 5, Pfleger will be reinstated to his position of senior pastor at the South Side church.

"In accordance with our policies for the protection of children and youth, the archdiocese Independent Review Board assisted by our Office of Child Abuse Investigation and Review and outside investigators conducted a thorough review of the allegations. The Review Board has concluded that there is no reason to suspect Father Pfleger is guilty of these allegations," Cupich wrote in a letter to parishioners.

Pfleger was accused in January of sexually abusing two brothers over 40 years ago when he began his work at St. Sabina.

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The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has since said it found no evidence there was a current risk from Pfleger, although the archdiocese has emphasized the DCFS investigation did not look into the brothers’ claims. Since then, a third person came forward accusing the pastor of abusing him when he was 18 years old.

In a statement posted to the St. Sabina website in March, Pfleger’s lawyers said accusations against the longtime pastor are "wholly inconsistent with Father Pfleger’s character and the recollections of the thousands of young men and women who have known Father Pfleger for decades, including the accusers’ friends during the years that these alleged incidents purportedly occurred."

Leaders and parishioners at St. Sabina, a Black church in the city’s largely Black and low-income Auburn Gresham neighborhood, fiercely supported Pfleger, who is white, after the allegations. Upset by the removal of their pastor, they tied up the archdiocese’s phone lines, held rallies, sent letters and threatened to withhold $100,000 in monthly dues.

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Pfleger addressed the media Monday. He thanked church leaders and parishioners for supporting him in the "most difficult and challenging time" that made him frustrated, angry, depressed and discouraged.

"I’m a man of faith but I’m also a human being who hurts and who bleeds," he said. "I’ve been discouraged at times. I wanted to give up ... but I love this church too much to walk away."

Eugene Hollander, an attorney for the accusers, said his clients were disheartened and were considering whether to file a lawsuit.

"You had not one, not two, but three victims of alleged molestation," he said. "They are of course very, very disappointed with the findings."

While the third man, who lives outside Illinois, had been reluctant to tell his story, the brothers felt compelled to speak up, Hollander said.

"For them to move forward and complete themselves, make themselves whole, they had to tell their stories," he said.

The brothers, both Black and now in their 60s, alleged in January that Pfleger groomed them as children and abused them at rectories in the Chicago area. They accused the priest of taking advantage of two Black boys who trusted him.

The third man later accused Pfleger of grabbing his crotch over his clothes in 1979. The 59-year-old man said he was 18 at the time and pretended to sleep.

None of the men have been publicly identified.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services completed its own review in February, concluding there was no credible evidence of child abuse or neglect by Pfleger. A spokesman said the agency cannot investigate allegations of abuse by an adult victim but focuses on whether children are currently at risk.

Attorneys for the accusers and Pfleger have previously acknowledged a police investigation of the abuse allegations. Illinois has no statute of limitations for filing charges in major sex crimes.

A spokesman for the Chicago Police Department said its investigation is still open. A representative for Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said police have not presented any information for the office to review or determine if criminal charges are appropriate.

Pfleger was ordained in 1975 and assigned to St. Sabina Church, then became pastor six years later. He has been credited with reviving the parish. Dubbed "Father Mike" by parishioners, he is known nationally for his dramatic approach to activism aimed at chronic problems in the city, including defacement of alcohol and cigarette billboards and paying prostitutes to accept counseling.

Pfleger told the crowd at Monday’s news conference that he will return to work emboldened, stronger and "more ready to fight than ever in my life" with a focus on violence and inequality in their neighborhood and in Chicago.

"False accusations were put out against me ... and I was immediately put out," Pfleger said. "You’re guilty until proven innocent. And it’s been hell."

Cupich said Pfleger’s reinstatement is effective the first weekend of June.

"I have asked Father Pfleger to take the next two weeks to prepare himself spiritually and emotionally to return, realizing that these months have taken a great toll on him," Cupich said. "He has agreed to do so."

The archdiocese’s first statement on Pfleger’s reinstatement said its review found "no reason" to suspect Pfleger of abuse before sending a second statement that changed the phrase to "insufficient reason."

A spokeswoman said the Independent Review Board’s letter on its findings used the term "insufficient reason" and the public statement was updated to match that.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.