Fr Michael Pfleger, the senior pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church on the South Side of Chicago, has been removed from ministry pending investigation of a new child sex abuse allegation. Four previous accusations in recent years have not been substantiated.
The 77-year-old priest, who has led the church since 1981, announced the news personally on social media on July 11, noting that the accusation came from an adult woman who says she attended St. Sabina Academy in the 1990s.
“First, this is an absolute lie,” Pfleger said of the allegation, noting that he believes it is connected to a pattern of false allegations.
“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.”
Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, released his own statement the same day, addressed to members of St. Sabina, one of the most well-known Black Catholic congregations in the nation. Following standard Church policy, Cupich removed Pfleger from active ministry until the conclusion of the Church’s probe into the accusation.
“You should know that Father Pfleger strongly denied the allegation,” Cupich wrote. “The Archdiocese of Chicago takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously.”
The allegation against Pfleger is one of five reported since 2021, which have now resulted in three separate suspensions. The first, reported by three adult men, two of them brothers, involved alleged abuse dating to the 1970s, and resulted in a five-month removal for Pfleger. He was ultimately cleared by the archdiocese’s Independent Review Board and reinstated to ministry.
A fourth allegation, reported in late 2022, involved an adult man who alleged abuse from the 1980s. Pfleger’s suspension lasted just under two months and also ended with him being cleared by the IRB.
Notably, Pfleger’s supporters responded to the previous allegations with strong support, eventually engaging in prolonged protests against the archdiocese during the lengthy suspension in 2021. This included withholding monthly payments to the chancery, flooding the archdiocese with phone calls and support letters, and hosting public rallies declaring Pfleger’s innocence.
Similarly, a wave of support has already materialized regarding the latest allegation, including a number of high-profile defenders such as Dr. Cornel West—one of several Black intellectuals close to Pfleger who have spoken at St. Sabina Masses in recent years. Pfleger’s parish community also stood in solidarity with him as Cupich’s letter was read during Mass on Sunday, July 12, celebrated by the church’s pastor, Fr Thulani Magwaza. (Pfleger has held the unconventional title of “senior pastor” at St. Sabina since at least 2021.)
A second statement from Pfleger, released on Monday, saw the embattled priest hit back against what he called a “broken” investigation process regarding accused Catholic clergy.
“I want you to know that I do not intend to let this drag on and drain this church family,” he said, adding an ultimatum. “If it is not over very soon, I will make a decision.”
An eminent figure in his own right, Pfleger has become known over the years as an activist voice, opposing harmful policies and activities on Chicago’s South Side, including exploitative business practices as well as the scourge of gun violence. He is also popular nationally, having tens of thousands of followers across his social media platforms.
He has at times been in open conflict with archdiocesan leadership, including in 2008 when he was briefly suspended from ministry after controversial political comments made during a sermon at a Protestant church service. He was again suspended in 2011 after refusing a request from the then-archbishop, Cardinal Francis George, OMI, that he transfer out of St. Sabina to a new priestly assignment.
The latest abuse allegation against Pfleger comes amid his parish’s weekly summer peace walks, which protest violence in the church’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood and beyond. The church is also scheduled to host popular gospel artist Yolanda Adams on Sunday, July 19, for which she is described as the “guest minister.”
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
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