Latest in the Twin Cities, another resignation, pretty clear defense for Keating

Abp. Flynn resigns from St. Thomas board

Former Archbishop Harry Flynn, who led the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis during a time when recently revealed clergy sex abuse allegations were secretly being investigated by church officials, has resigned from the University of St. Thomas Board of Trustees.

The private Catholic university based in St. Paul announced Saturday that Flynn had stepped down Thursday, “effective at the end of the day.” The board elected Michael Dougherty, a trustee since 2003 and chief executive officer of Dougherty Financial Group LLC in Minneapolis, as interim chairman. The trustees expect to elect a permanent chairman and vice chairman on Feb. 13.

Flynn served as archbishop from 1995 to 2008, a period during which the archdiocese investigated reports of cases that have recently come to light, including that of the Rev. Michael J. Keating, a priest who has been a prominent professor at St. Thomas. Flynn had chaired the St. Thomas board since 1995. He was succeeded as archbishop by the Rev. John Nienstedt.

Flynn is/was at least somewhat a promoter of "gay," not necessarily against the marriage amendment though.

Claim: Evidence of Keating emails expressing love to girl who says he abused her

The University of St. Thomas priest accused of sexual contact with a young girl expressed love and affection for her in e-mails he sent her from Rome when she was 14 and 15 years old.

“Be really sure that I love you lots and lots and never think of you without a smile coming to my mind,” the Rev. Michael J. Keating wrote in one of at least 19 e-mails made public Thursday on the website of her attorney, Jeff Anderson of St. Paul. [I think it's hilarious that they wont say he owns SNAP] Anderson said the writings were presented to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis seven years ago in a church review of his client’s sexual abuse claims, but officials disregarded them.

The e-mails, which the girl’s mother has described as “quite seductive,” were part of the case the girl’s family brought to church authorities in 2006. The church sided with Keating, and the woman maintained a public silence until she sued Keating last week, alleging three years of harmful sexual contact that caused her deep psychological trauma.

Lawyer for accused St. Paul priest says sex abuse claims are false

A lawyer for the Rev. Michael Keating spoke publicly for the first time Thursday about allegations that he had sexual contact with a young teenage girl when he was studying for the priesthood.

In a statement released to the Star Tribune, Keating’s attorney Fred Bruno said, “The allegations in this lawsuit are false and highly defamatory. The plaintiff’s attorney is merely recycling claims that were thoroughly discredited over six years ago after being originally lofted. The plaintiff’s accusations at that time were independently investigated by multiple government agencies, professionals, and organizations, including the Chisago County Sheriff, the Chisago County Attorney, the Archdiocese, and two independent forensic psychologists.

“These comprehensive efforts concluded that the allegations were unsubstantiated. Additionally, Father Keating passed a polygraph administered by Minnesota’s most experienced and highly regarded law enforcement polygrapher.

Wowza, Uh, Jeff Anderson just got served..... which he knew he would....  Is he just trying to rally the press and get rid of the statute of limitations?   After all, don't forget what SNAP would like to do to every church.

Update, always check out Terry's place before posting.


McDonough resigns from St. Thomas board

The Rev. Kevin McDonough, a Catholic official who was closely involved in the handling of three controversial sexual misconduct investigations of fellow priests, has resigned from the board of trustees at the University of St. Thomas, where one of the accused priests is a professor of Catholic studies.

The resignation of McDonough, a former vicar general of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, is the second high-profile departure in the widening scandal. The Rev. Peter Laird, who served as vicar general to Archbishop John Nienstedt, resigned two weeks ago after a church whistleblower went to civil authorities with a complaint that the archdiocese did not take action against priests accused of sexual improprieties.

McDonough had been an investigator for the church in those cases.

and this:

A Boston public relations firm with experience in handling the priest sex abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston recently made a pitch to do strategic communications work for Nienstedt. It wasn’t confirmed if the firm, Rasky Baerlein, was the one hired. Rasky’s website lists “crisis and reputation management” as one of its specialties.