Statements

The Archdiocese of Chicago’s policies and protocols for dealing with allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy have been developed and refined over 30 years. They have served as the framework for national and global policies and aim to address the crime and sin of abuse that has caused enormous pain to victims and their families. They are focused on providing those who come forward with the compassionate pastoral care and respect they deserve. Every allegation of child sexual abuse is treated seriously, regardless of when it occurred as a first step toward repairing the damage done to the children they once were.

Every accuser is offered the services of the victim assistance ministry and every allegation is reported to civil authorities. The Church cooperates with civil authorities according to guidelines agreed to long ago. We wait until civil authorities have finished their work or indicate we are free to begin our own investigation. Doing so helps ensure civil and church investigations do not conflict with and contaminate each other.

Because much of the process is not within our control, it is difficult to predict how long it will take to reach a final determination. We currently have four priests accused of child sexual abuse whose cases are moving through civil and church processes. One dates from July 2015 and has made slow progress through the criminal court system. Two date from October and November 2020. Fr. Pfleger’s dates from January 2021.

Every case is handled in a professional, impartial and consistent manner. Giving a case special treatment undermines the credibility of its outcome and ultimately serves neither the accuser nor the accused. Justice demands a thorough and impartial process and there is no timeframe in which we “should” make a determination.

Let us address the misconceptions contained in the material distributed and assertions made by the group protesting today:

Fr. Pfleger has always been free to comment as he and his attorneys see fit. The only restriction ever placed upon him was keeping the names of his accusers and the circumstances they described confidential. He was encouraged to make public his declaration of his innocence.

It is untrue that the archdiocese has not reached out to the St. Sabina Parish. In addition to the letters sent by the cardinal, our Office for the Protection of Children and Youth has contacted St. Sabina multiple times, explaining the process and offering assistance. The offers were refused.

We have received no letter from the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) communicating an outcome of its investigation and have checked on its progress by calling their local office and Springfield as late as yesterday, Feb. 23. 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. 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 Fr. 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 Fr. 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.

It is mystifying why anyone would believe the leadership of the archdiocese, which has consistently supported Fr. Pfleger’s good works, would concoct a ruse to remove him. 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.

Every allegation is taken seriously and subjected to the same process. The Church has been accused, at times correctly, of not taking accusations seriously, of conducting cursory investigations and restoring misbehaving priests to ministry prematurely. We are convinced that the procedures for dealing with these cases, developed and enhanced over the years, work. They should be followed by all organizations that care for and educate young people. It is ironic that we are now accused of taking too long to consider allegations because a priest is prominent and well regarded.

Thirty years of being at the forefront of dealing with abuse of minors, which sadly continues in society today, has taught us that these matters take the time they take to reach a just conclusion. We intend to continue working on all the cases before us toward that end, always giving priority to the protection and healing of victims.