A nearly three-page letter was read Friday morning at St. Sabina Church and directed to the Archdiocese of Chicago. Supporters said the letter calls for changes to the process used to investigate sexual assault allegations, including reviews by independent voices and experts, ongoing evaluation of policies, greater transparency and preserving the dignity of both the accuser and the accused.
The letter of support comes as the Archdiocese of Chicago is investigating a new allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against Father Pfleger.
"He remains unbending in his stance that he is innocence," parishioner Rickey Harris said.
Supporters say the latest allegation marks the fifth time Pfleger has been accused of sexual misconduct. They said all previous allegations were found to be unfounded and argued Pfleger was removed from his position before an investigation was conducted.
"After experiencing this process three separate times, we are no longer convinced that these are isolated difficulties," said Felicia Chase, chairperson of the St. Sabina Family Parish Council.
Former State Sen. Jacqueline Collins criticized the current process, saying, "It allows for falsehood and lies be weaponized by Father Pfleger's haters."
Supporters also said the most recent allegations date back more than 30 years. They contend the allegations are an attack on Pfleger because of his advocacy for underserved communities.
"The last time he asked for this process to be reviewed," Harris said.
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Demetric Brown, a Pfleger supporter, defended the pastor's character.
"He is genuine. He's real, and he loves us, and he loves the community," Brown said.
In a statement provided to ABC 7, the Archdiocese of Chicago said, "We are committed to following the same thorough and impartial process with everyone so accused. Only by doing this can we be assured of fairness to all concerned."
The letter was delivered directly to the archdiocese by Cory Williams, Pfleger's assistant of nearly 27 years.
"I've been around him as a child and as an adult. I've never seen anything that would give me pause or wonder about his innocence," Williams said.
When asked who would review the letter, the archdiocese said it was confident the document would move through the appropriate internal process.