St. Sabina Parish Pushes Archdiocese To Reinstate Father Pfleger

CHICAGO — Supporters of the Rev. Michael Pfleger on Wednesday called on the Chicago Archdiocese to reinstate the activist priest, who was removed from St. Sabina Parish after being accused of sexually abusing two boys in the '70s.

St. Sabina officials in a statement claimed that the Department of Children and Family Services has completed its investigation into the allegations against Pfleger and determined they were "unfounded" and they want Pfleger to be allowed to return to the South Side parish.

Parish officials also contend the Archdiocese Independent Review Board ruled allegations against Pfleger were "not corroborated," and the Catholic Church's lawyer recommended the priest be reinstated.

A DCFS spokesperson did not return messages seeking comment on the results of their probe into the claims of two brothers who claim Pfleger sexually assaulted them when they were children five decades ago.

But state Sen. Jackie Collins, a member of St. Sabina, which is in her senate district, said that a DCFS official told her that the agency sent a letter to the archdiocese via U.S. Mail on Feb. 4.

At Tuesday's protest, Collins called on the Catholic leaders act swiftly and transparently in handling the allegations against Pfleger, who has a long history of clashes with the Chicago Archdiocese.

"On February 4th, 20 days ago, a letter exonerating Father Pfleger was mailed to the archdiocese. So why the silence? Why the lack of transparency? Any delayed action now by the Archdiocese of Chicago would appear to be more punitive than restorative. By 'punitive' I mean: is Father Pfleger being punished for having the courage and audacity to speak truth to power and give voice to the voiceless?” Collins said.

“Is Father Pfleger being silenced because he has raised his prophetic voice for the Black community, a community long denied its humanity and respect? Is Father Pfleger being ignored because he has dared to question social and structural racism and the economic degradation and criminalization of our youth?"

Related: 'Devastated' Pfleger Responds To Child Sexual Abuse Allegation

Archdiocese officials issued a statement to "address the misconceptions ... and assertions" made by Pfleger's supporters, including the state legislator. Church officials said they haven't received a letter regarding the result of the investigation, claiming a DCFS official said there was no such determination letter generated.

"We were told then, by a DCFS official in Springfield, that a determination letter was not in their system, indicating that it had not been generated, let alone mailed. DCFS confirmed that it would not provide an electronic copy of the letter and that we would have to wait for its arrival via U.S. Postal Service. State Senator Collins stated today that DCFS sent the archdiocese a letter on Feb. 4. If she has a copy of this letter, we ask her to produce it or the name of the official who indicated that it had been mailed," church officials said.

"It is DCFS practice to report their findings to the accused or his attorney and the person who made the report, which in this case is the archdiocese. If [Father] Pfleger or his counsel has received a letter, we ask them to produce it. In any case, there seems to be a basic misunderstanding about the DCFS review in this case. Our understanding is that the DCFS is NOT directly investigating the veracity of the allegations against [Father] Pfleger. We have been told that, in light of the allegations, DCFS is investigating whether there is a “risk of harm” to children. Depending on the contents of the letter we ultimately receive from DCFS, there may be no conclusion about guilt or innocence in this case."

Related: Brothers Detail Sex Abuse Accusations Against Father Pfleger

St. Sabina officials accused the Archdiocese leaders of intentionally delaying its investigation of Pfleger, putting the South Side parish's finances and future in jeopardy.

"Many donors are pulling away due to this uncertainty. To date, we have lost $500,000 in previously committed funds to our community outreach programs. Donors have expressed their distrust, not in [Father] Pfleger, but in this investigation process and they are holding funds waiting to see if [Father] Pfleger returns," St. Sabina officials said in a statement.

"In a day when the very fabric of the Black Catholic Community is in jeopardy, we will not sit back and watch these allegations hurt our community and legacy. This process being dragged out without a lack of urgency perpetuates the belief that the Archdiocese of Chicago does not care about Black Catholics."

Pfleger's supporters demanded more transparency regarding the investigation into the decades-old sex abuse allegations.

Chicago Archdiocese officials responded with disbelief.

"It is mystifying why anyone would believe the leadership of the archdiocese, which has consistently supported [Father] Pfleger’s good works, would concoct a ruse to remove him,"officials said in a statement.

"Let’s be clear. This case began when an adult male came forward to the archdiocese on his own with an allegation of child sexual abuse. His brother subsequently came forward to the archdiocese with an allegation of child sexual abuse. The archdiocese did not have any prior contact with these men, nor did it look for them or anyone else. These men have made serious allegations, which demand that we follow the same process as we have in other cases."

Catholic Church officials said in the statement that Pfleger was free to publicly defend himself so long as he didn't mention the victims or specific details of the allegations.

On Tuesday, Plfeger made his first public statement on the matter in a Twitter post.

"Since the Archdiocese has now put out a statement saying I can comment on my Innocence... let me be clear and restate what my lawyers said in the beginning. I am innocent of these False [Allegations]. When this is over, which I hope is soon I will have much more to say," he wrote.