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Father Michael Pfleger Ousted From St. Sabina Over Child Sex Abuse Allegations
Block Club Chicago ^ | January 5, 2021 | Jamie Nesbitt Golden

Posted on 01/05/2021 7:04:58 PM PST by ebb tide

Father Michael Pfleger Ousted From St. Sabina Over Child Sex Abuse Allegations

AUBURN GRESHAM — Father Michael Pfleger, the longtime leader of St. Sabina Church and a prominent anti-violence activist throughout the city, has been removed from his church post following allegations of sexual abuse of a minor dating back more than 40 years.

Cardinal Blase Cupich issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying he’d asked Pfleger to step down from his role while the Archdiocese of Chicago launches an investigation into the decades-old allegation. Cupich said the incident has been reported to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.

Archdiocese leaders have offered counseling services to the alleged victim. Pfleger has complied with the request to step aside and will live away from the parish as the investigation continues, Cupich said.

Father Thulani Magwaza will step in as temporary administrator.

“It is crucial that you know nothing is more important than the welfare of the children entrusted to our care,” Cupich said in his statement. “The Archdiocese of Chicago takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and encourages anyone who feels they have been sexually abused by a priest, deacon, religious or lay employee to come forward.”

Pfleger, who has presided over St. Sabina since 1981, could not immediately be reached for comment. Members of the St. Sabina cabinet issued a statement Tuesday defending Pfleger.

“We understand there is a process and protocol of the Archdiocese of Chicago and we will fully cooperate,” the group said in its statement. “However, we believe that our Sr. Pastor will be fully exonerated from all accusations and we will stand with him during this process as he had stood with victims of injustice, and will continue to uplift his work and the life he has committed to serving others.”

Pfleger was ordained as a priest in 1975 and took over St. Sabina six years later when he was 31.

The same year he began his post at St. Sabina, he adopted an eight-year-old son, Lamar. He adopted another son, Beronti Simms, in 1992 and became a foster parent to Jarvis Franklin in 1997.

Franklin was fatally shot near St. Sabina in May 1998. Simms died in 2012, four days after undergoing surgery.

Over the last several decades, Pfleger has been a pillar of the predominately Black communities to which he ministers, though he’s drawn supporters from throughout the city and country. He’s been a vociferous activist, protesting gun violence and gun laws, alcohol and tobacco marketing targeting children in minority communities, and racial injustice, among many other issues.

Just this week, the pastor led an anti-violence march down the Magnificent Mile to protest the staggering spike of homicides in 2020. Pfleger and St. Sabina also have routinely put up reward money in an effort to break the code of silence that stops people from coming forward to identify people responsible for gun violence.

Among those reward efforts included tens of thousands of dollars raised in support of finding those involved in the brutal killing of 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee in 2015, and $15,000 raised in the aftermath of mass shooting outside a Auburn Gresham funeral home in July.

St. Sabina is the center of numerous community outreach programs, including mentoring and employment assistance for local youths and adults, violence intervention and food distribution.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Moral Issues; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: blmpriest; francispriest; gaypride; manboylove; michaelpfleger; obamapriest; pederast; pfleger
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1 posted on 01/05/2021 7:04:58 PM PST by ebb tide
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To: ebb tide

Couldn’t happen to a nicer Ahole.


2 posted on 01/05/2021 7:06:44 PM PST by HighSierra5
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To: Al Hitan; DuncanWaring; Fedora; irishjuggler; Jaded; JoeFromSidney; kalee; markomalley; ...

Ping


3 posted on 01/05/2021 7:10:03 PM PST by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: Saint Athanasius

Well well well well well.....


4 posted on 01/05/2021 7:11:38 PM PST by rhinohunter
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To: ebb tide

Is this Obama’s mentor, Father Pfleger?


5 posted on 01/05/2021 7:12:21 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: HighSierra5

Indeed. Is Wallace next?


6 posted on 01/05/2021 7:14:04 PM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear
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To: BenLurkin

Yes. One of them.


7 posted on 01/05/2021 7:14:49 PM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear
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To: ebb tide

He should have been removed a decade ago


8 posted on 01/05/2021 7:16:16 PM PST by Lurker (Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is. )
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To: ebb tide

How The Ancient Catholic Church Dealt With Priest Sex Offenders
https://www.ucatholic.com/blog/how-the-ancient-catholic-church-dealt-with-priest-sex-offenders/


9 posted on 01/05/2021 7:17:55 PM PST by tbw2
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To: ebb tide

I thought Father Phlegm was dead.


10 posted on 01/05/2021 7:17:57 PM PST by Old Yeller (Joe McCarthy was right.)
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To: Lurker

I spent a lot of time in Chicago in the last 22 years. Grew to hate this guy early on and he just got worse.


11 posted on 01/05/2021 7:18:52 PM PST by KC Burke (If all the world is a stage, I would like to request my lighting be adjusted.)
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To: ebb tide

I remember this jerk.


12 posted on 01/05/2021 7:19:57 PM PST by Bigg Red (Trump will be sworn in under a shower of confetti made from the tattered remains of the Rat Party.)
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To: ebb tide

Not surprising.


13 posted on 01/05/2021 7:24:53 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: ebb tide

Thanks for posting.


14 posted on 01/05/2021 7:25:29 PM PST by Anti-Bubba182
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To: ebb tide

FALSANI: Do you have people in your life that you look to for guidance?

OBAMA: Well, my pastor [Jeremiah Wright] is certainly someone who I have an enormous amount of respect for.

I have a number of friends who are ministers. Reverend Meeks is a close friend and colleague of mine in the state Senate. Father Michael Pfleger is a dear friend, and somebody I interact with closely.


15 posted on 01/05/2021 7:26:16 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: ebb tide

Friend of Obama.

And if nothing happened, why is the victim getting counseling from the church?


16 posted on 01/05/2021 7:31:02 PM PST by a fool in paradise (Who built the cages, Joe?)
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To: Old Yeller

We should be so lucky.

L


17 posted on 01/05/2021 7:31:57 PM PST by Lurker (Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is. )
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To: ebb tide; Lurker; Impy; Chi-townChief; usconservative; fieldmarshaldj
Yessssssss!!! FINALLY!!! This Marxist 0bama worshipping SJW turd should have been flushed YEARS ago! 2021 is looking better than 2020 already.

Interesting irony that it happened under Culprich instead of "conservative" Francis George though.

18 posted on 01/05/2021 7:35:51 PM PST by BillyBoy ("States rights" is NOT a suicide pact.)
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To: Impy; BillyBoy; NFHale; GOPsterinMA; LS; campaignPete R-CT; AuH2ORepublican; Clemenza; dp0622; ...

A step in the right direction when Catholics are leading the Catholic Church again. Marxists aren’t Christians. Who knows how many people Pfleger has misled during his reign of error.


19 posted on 01/05/2021 7:44:51 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj (DEFEAT THE COUP D'ETAT BY THE STALINAZI DERP STATE !)
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To: HighSierra5

Well said.


20 posted on 01/05/2021 7:48:13 PM PST by NotSoFreeStater (If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice)
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