Archbishop breaks silence, denies any cover-up of alleged clergy sexual misconduct

[Bjorn Against]

Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune


Archbishop breaks silence, denies any cover-up of alleged clergy sexual misconduct

Article by: Associated Press
Updated: October 23, 2013 - 7:55 PM

Archbishop John Nienstedt said in remarks published Wednesday that he regrets some parishioners and priests have lost confidence in him over new concerns about alleged clergy sexual misconduct in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

But in an email response to Minnesota Public Radio's questions, Nienstedt denied any abuse cover-up. He repeated the archdiocese's assertion that there are no offending priests in active ministry. He also said he has not offered to resign.

snip

It's the first time Nienstedt has publicly answered questions since a whistleblower went public with claims that archdiocese leaders mishandled allegations of clergy sexual misconduct. The archbishop has denied interview requests from MPR, The Associated Press and other local news organizations in recent weeks since the whistleblower, former canon lawyer Jennifer Haselberger, went public.

The archbishop created a task force in late September to investigate issues associated with clergy sexual abuse, including the concerns Haselberger has raised. Those included how the archdiocese handled a priest now serving a prison sentence for sexually assaulting two boys and another priest whose laptop had pornographic images, including some possibly of minors.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/229019881.html

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While Nienstadt was covering up pedophilia he was also conducting a large scale political battle to deny equal rights to gays, he spent massive amounts of church dollars to mail homophobic DVDs to members of the church in an effort to push them to vote for a Constitutional Amendment denying equal marriage rights.

Nienstadt is probably Minnesota's most powerful bigot but he alienated even many in his own church, let's hope this finally brings the asshole down from his holier than thou perch.

[dflprincess]

1. Not to burst Nienstedt's bubble, but this is just the icing on the cake

when it comes to "parishioners and priests" (he forget the nuns?) losing confidence in him. You would think he'd have gotten the message when so many people mailed his anti-Gay DVD back to him. I know one woman in her 80s who did that AND she & her late husband had been in the habit of making a sizeable donation to the Archdiocese every year - a practice she stopped after the DVD came out. She never told me how large the donation was but it was big enough that it was noticed when it didn't arrive because she got a very polite call from someone in the chancery inquiring about it... and she let whoever called her have it with both barrels.

And, I have an elderly aunt who lives in the New Ulm Diocese - where her local Rosary Society nearly through a party when he was moved up to the St. Paul Archdiocese.

Nienstedt was hot in pursuit of a promotion to Cardinal and was more concerned with impressing Rome with his hard line stance than in listening to his flock. Alienating the people in the Archdiocese is what he specialized in. I'm surprised his head didn't explode when Benedict resigned and Francis was elected.

[Divine Discontent]

3. Love stories like this!

may God continue to bless that elderly couple you referenced. I'm sure she was happy to let them know why they weren't getting her money!

There's a been a change under this new pope I've seen, with long known creeps finally getting sent on their way by vote from their See.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

2. Whew, that's a relief.

[Shampoobra]

4. Anyone know a good way to clean rice off a computer monitor?