Fr. Michael Pfleger is a rather notorious priest in the Chicago area who for decades as positioned himself with elements of the political far-left. He has been featured on many television shows and been a source of political as well as ecclesiatical discontent.
However, according to a story from the Chicago Sun Times, Fr. Pfleger has been removed from his position amid allegations of child sexual abuse, prompting an investigation.
Father Michael Pfleger, the longtime pastor at St. Sabina Church and one of the most prominent priests in Chicago, has been removed from the Auburn Gresham parish following revelations of a decades-old sexual abuse allegation against a minor.
Cardinal Blase Cupich announced “the difficult news” in a letter to the St. Sabina community Tuesday, saying he has “asked Father Pfleger to step aside from ministry following receipt by the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office for Child Abuse Investigations and Review of an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor more than 40 years ago.”
Cupich said Pfleger agreed to his request and will live away from the parish during the course of the archdiocese’s investigation. The allegation has also been reported to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, Cupich said.
Pfleger, 71, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.
A group of parishioners released a statement on the church’s website, saying, in part: “We, the Cabinet of the Faith Community of St. Sabina, believes that these accusations are unfounded and we boldly stand behind the integrity, passion, work and ministry of our Sr. Pastor, Rev. Michael Pfleger.” (source)
What will come out is yet to see. The trend of sodomitic abuse from among priests is not a new trend, reflecting problems that were initially exposed in the Boston-Hartford-New York area and which have brought about more revelations from around the world of crimes of a similar nature.
That said, due to Fr. Pflegers’s well-known community and political stances in Chicago, what appears to be his fall from the public graces will be interesting to watch, as it may be a sign of further seeds of discontent in the Church in the US as well as political fighting for the future.
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