CHICAGO (IL)
WMAQ - NBC 5 [Chicago IL]
July 11, 2026
By Izzy Stroobandt
Rev. Pfleger denied the allegations in a statement sent to NBC Chicago, calling them “an absolute lie.”
St. Sabina’s senior pastor Father Michael Pfleger was asked to step aside after the Archdiocese of Chicago received an allegation that he sexually abused a minor at the ministry, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich said in a letter to the church community on Saturday.
The abuse allegedly occurred at St. Sabina more than 30 years ago, Cupich said in the letter.
“In keeping with our child protection policies, I have asked Father Pfleger to step aside from ministry and live away from the parish while the allegation is investigated. Yet, you should know that Father Pfleger strongly denied the allegation,” Cupich said.
Rev. Pfleger denied the allegations in a statement sent to NBC Chicago, calling them “an absolute lie.”
“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,” Pfleger said in the statement.
“For the 51 years of my ministry I have been threatened, slandered, and attacked. I was suspended twice because of my calling out of racism and suspended for unfounded accusations. 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,” Pfleger said in the statement. “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 Minister Farrakhan.”
Pfleger was reinstated after stepping aside in 2022 when a Chicago attorney filed a claim with the Archdiocese of Chicago alleging that Pfleger had sexually abused his client when he was a minor in the late 1980s. Prior to those allegations, Pfleger was also accused of sexual abuse by three different men, leading to an investigation into Pfleger that began in 2021. Pfleger was allowed to return to the church in June 2021 after the Archdiocese found the allegations to be unfounded.
Cupich addressed the previous allegations in the letter, stating: “As your parish has been through this before, I can well understand your distress in learning of this development. 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. During this time, I assure you of my prayers.”
Pfleger also said in the statement that he gets weekly hate calls and emails and “constant attack by the present administration which I have vocally condemned as unlawful, racist and wicked” but for that he “will not apologize.”
He continued to dismiss the allegations as an attempt to “destroy” him and “get money from the Archdiocese.”
“I will not stand by and allow my name, my ministry, and the church I pastor to be slandered or defamed,” Pfleger said in the statement.
Pfleger also raised issue with the way that allegations against priests are handled in the statement.
“Let me be clear, sexual abuse is wrong and I realize that the Catholic Church has a long history of not dealing with accusations and has spent a number of years putting strong policies in place, but I have said countless times I believe the current policy is wrong and unfair to the accused priest. Before an investigation or even a conversation has taken place a priest is removed and told to remain silent during their process. The presumption of innocence does not exist for priests,” he said.
Father Thulani D. Magwaza will continue serve as pastor in Pfleger’s absence.