Kathy Schiffer takes on embarrassing hack job by Detroit Free Press on Abp. Nienstedt

The Detroit Free Press is running a story this morning about retired Archbishop John Nienstedt which is peppered with misunderstandings and factual inaccuracies. The article by Jennifer Bowman apparently originated with the Battle Creek Enquirer; but I would insist that the Free Press, whose reporters saw firsthand Archbishop Nienstedt’s kindly leadership when he was an auxiliary bishop in Detroit, has a responsibility to vet the articles which appear on its pages.

For starters, the headline reads “Controversial Ex-Priest Now Serving in Battle Creek.”

Please allow me to clarify: Archbishop Nienstedt is not an “ex-priest.” He is a “retired archbishop.” His resignation from office does not erase his standing in the Roman Catholic Church and he is entitled to the respect due an archbishop.
continue at Seasons of Grace

I've said many times, when the press lies about the facts in these cases it does damage to their own agenda.  There's plenty of actual facts here that need to be examined, but this journal-ivism gets published makes Neinstedt look like the victim of a political hack dragging him through the mud.

Just read the last line:
Indeed, Nienstedt has been a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, supporting in 2012 an unsuccessful ban proposal in Minnesota. He also ordered an end to a gay pride pray service at a Minneapolis church while he was archbishop, according to the Star Tribune.
Now we know that Neinstedt's statement that there is no truth to any charges of mishandling of abuse reports really is just politically motivated.  Nienstedt said this in 2014.
In a written response to Commonweal, Nienstedt dismissed the charges as a “personal attack against me due to my unwavering stance on issues consistent with church teaching, such as opposition to so-called same-sex marriage.”
So as far as the current situation that Abp. Nienstedt find himself in,  the DFP seems to agree, there's no substance to any of the charges, his real crime is opposing the radical agenda of the homosexualist movement.  

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am originally from Detroit and if it was the freep, then the catholic bashing is the norm. when I was a kid, us blue collar, catholic families seemed to all get the Detroit news, the free press was for the liberals and hippie types (golly I am old, huh!) any who, at one point, I was praying my husband would find a job in the twin cities, esp. st. paul, so we could end our exile here in west des moines area. well. no luck there, but just as soon as that prayer seemed to go unanswered, bishop niestadt was up to his eye balls in a crappy situation with a very (seemingly) anti traditionalist diocese to contend with. I knew at that moment that Minnesota was out of the running for our next move. we've been exploring Wisconsin for 2 years now and praying that his next job lands us in your neck of the woods. you have a great lakes, you have poles (go polska!), you have gobs of catholic churches and seems like a true respect for the clergy. pray we make it to your area someday. Detroit has become even less like a place to return to as home over the last 10 years we've been away and you people just seem to be able to still tell shit from shinola (as my sainted bobcha (grandma) used to say)