The Badger Catholic: Archbishop John Nienstedt

Showing posts with label Archbishop John Nienstedt. Show all posts

Vatican urged to reveal status of ousted Archbishop Nienstedt

VATICAN CITY – A prominent U.S. archbishop is asking the Vatican for answers about the status of an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by his predecessor, who was forced to resign in 2015.

St. Paul and Minneapolis Archbishop Bernard Hebda wrote a remarkable letter to his flock Friday in which he revealed he sent the Vatican in 2016 a new allegation of improprieties with minors against retired Archbishop John Nienstedt.

It was not immediately clear if the alleged incident in Germany was ever investigated. Nienstedt has denied the allegation.

continue at FoxNews

Archbishop Hebda bars Nienstedt from celebrating Mass in Twin Cities

Archbishop Bernard Hebda says he is troubled by the Vatican's failure to conclude an investigation into allegations that former Archbishop John Nienstedt behaved inappropriately with young men.

In a post on the archdiocese website, Hebda said that investigative materials were submitted to the Vatican in 2014, but the Vatican apparently halted any investigation of its own when Nienstedt resigned in 2015.

"Thus, the matter remains unresolved for the accusers, for Archbishop Nienstedt and for the public," Hebda wrote. "I share the frustration that is felt by them, and believe this situation highlights the need for a better-defined process and independent mechanism to resolve allegations made against bishops."

Hebda noted that there were later allegations that Nienstedt acted inappropriately with some boys in Germany in 2005, when Nienstedt was a bishop in New Ulm, Minn.

Hebda said that until the allegations are resolved, the former archbishop is prohibited from celebrating mass in the Twin Cities archdiocese. Hebda said he is not suggesting Nienstedt is guilty but "my hope is that this decision prompts further action by those with authority over Archbishop Nienstedt to resolve this question.

continue at MinnPR

I suspect this is related to the fact that Abp Nienstedt publicly participated in Bishop Morlino funeral last week.

HT Terry

Archbishop Nienstedt denies sexual misconduct allegations in third SNAP lawsuit against Vatican

Archbishop Emeritus John Nienstedt defended himself Oct. 24 from renewed allegations that he has engaged in sexual misconduct and that his judgment in the case of a former priest who sexually abused three boys was influenced by an “unusual social relationship” with him.

The allegations are part of a lawsuit filed against the Vatican Oct. 24 by Jeff Anderson, a St. Paul attorney. Its two plaintiffs include Jim Keenan, a sexual abuse survivor from the Twin Cities. Filed in U.S. District Court-Northern District of California, Anderson’s lawsuit is the third he’s filed against the Vatican. Courts have dismissed both of the two previous suits.

The lawsuit seeks the release of Vatican-held documents in its archives pertaining to clergy sex abuse.

The lawsuit cites the internal investigation commissioned in 2014 by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis into allegations that Archbishop Nienstedt engaged in sexual misconduct with adults prior to being named Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis. That investigation produced affidavits alleging that Archbishop Nienstedt had sexually harassed and propositioned adult males and frequented gay establishments in Canada and Detroit.

“I categorically deny all of those allegations, and I have never used my position to take advantage of anybody,” Archbishop Nienstedt said in his statement.

continue at The Catholic Spirit

Abp. Viganò issues new statement, documents to clear his name in Abp Nienstedt investigation

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, whose extraordinary testimony implicating Pope Francis and several senior prelates in covering up Archbishop Theodore McCarrick’s alleged sexual abuse of seminarians and priests, today has issued a written statement, rejecting as “false” accusations that are now being used to discredit him.

Archbishop Viganò has also released supporting documents to prove his innocence.

The accusations date back to a 2016 New York Times report, alleging that, as U.S. Nuncio, Viganò “quashed” an independent investigation into sexual misconduct on the part of Archbishop John Nienstedt, who was found innocent by police authorities.

The report specifically alleges that, during an April 2014 meeting at the Nunciature in Washington D.C., Viganò ordered two auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to halt the investigation into Nienstedt. The report further alleges that Viganò “ordered church officials to destroy a letter they wrote to him protesting the decision.”

continue at LifeSite

Also: Archbishop Viganò responds to criticisms of handling of 2014 Nienstedt investigation

Nienstedt says he's 'relieved' that fate of investigation is now public, “I am a heterosexual man who has been celibate my entire life”

Former Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt said Thursday he is “relieved” that the public now is aware of the fate of an investigation into alleged sexual improprieties by him.

A day after a 2014 memo from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was made public stating that a Vatican emissary quashed the investigation, Nienstedt repeated that he has done nothing improper, despite allegations of misconduct revealed in documents released Wednesday by the Ramsey County attorney’s office.

“I am a heterosexual man who has been celibate my entire life,” Nienstedt wrote in an e-mail to the Star Tribune Thursday. “I am relieved that the public now knows the extent of the allegations and can hear my response.”

The fate of the Nienstedt investigation has been a question confronting Twin Cities Catholics for two years. The memo made public this week indicated that the Vatican emissary in Washington, D.C., put the brakes on the probe, which had been looking into allegations of sexual misconduct by Nienstedt in Michigan, Minnesota and Rome.

continue at STrib

The allegations of gay club hopping were stupid lies. Abp. Nienstedt clearly made mistakes here, and his judgement in these matters should have been the focus of the investigation and press coverage. To libel the man out of some vendetta was transparent and took the focus off the real issue the Church is struggling to resolve.

STrib: "Vatican emissary squashed Archbishop Nienstedt investigation;" docs released by Ramsey County on Wednesday

A Vatican official reportedly shut down an investigation into allegations of sexual improprieties by former Archbishop John Nienstedt.

An internal church memo, part of an often explosive batch of clergy abuse documents released Wednesday by Ramsey County, showed that in 2014, the Vatican’s representative in Washington, D.C., instructed bishops of the St. Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocese to halt an archdiocese-commissioned investigation into Nienstedt.

The bishops objected in a letter that shutting down the investigation “would rightly be seen as a coverup,’’ according to a memo written by priest and lawyer Rev. Dan Griffith, the chancery’s liaison with investigators.

In response, the Vatican’s then-U.S. emissary, Carlo Vigano, asked the bishops to take their letter back “and destroy it,” Griffith wrote.

“Today, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi told the public there is no basis to bring a criminal charge against any of those leaders,” wrote Dixon. “He also dismissed all of the criminal charges against the Archdiocese. That dismissal is unconditional and speaks for itself.”

continue at Start Tribune

Not to defend anyone, but neither the Vatican nor the civil authorities found "no basis" for criminal charges. Although SNAP gets first priority in news reports, it could have read "Vatican investigation confirmed by Ransey County Attorney." When the ideological agenda of people like Jennifer Haselberger are revealed, it makes it harder to know who to believe. But we do need people like her who aren't just out to change Catholic theology who are willing to indeed be vigilant of our institutions with a track record of failure.

Thank you @CTACatholics for the beautiful leadership award. pic.twitter.com/2D5RB9LVHA
— Jennifer Haselberger (@jmhaselberger) November 9, 2015

Whistle blower Jennifer Haselberger accepts award from dubious Call to Action group

Abp Nienstedt resigns from helping ill Michigan priest after Detriot Free Press pressures diocese

Former St. Paul and Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt has resigned from a temporary post at a Michigan church, “in light of the unintended discord that his presence was causing,” the priest at the church wrote to parishioners Thursday.

The Rev. John D. Fleckenstein, pastor at St. Philip Catholic Church in Battle Creek, said that “anger and fear” had surfaced as a result of Nienstedt’s assignment, which started just two weeks ago. Nienstedt was expected to stay about six months.

Bishop Paul J. Bradley of the Kalamazoo Diocese issued a statement later Thursday, saying he regrets not understanding the “emotional reaction” created by Nienstedt’s arrival.

“Archbishop Nienstedt’s presence has unintentionally brought about a sense of disunity, fear, and hurt to many of you during this brief period of time,” wrote Bradley. “As your spiritual father and shepherd, I regret that more than words can express.”

continue at STrib

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.

MPR Reporting Ex-Twin Cities archbishop Nienstedt takes post at Michigan parish

Archbishop John Nienstedt, who stepped down in June as head of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, has taken on a temporary pastoral role at a church in Battle Creek, Mich.

Nienstedt resigned the Twin Cities post after Ramsey County prosecutors charged the archdiocese with failing to protect children from a predatory priest.

The charge followed two years of revelations about the failure of the archdiocese to protect children from sexual abuse at the hands of clergy. Nienstedt, who served eight years as Twin Cities archbishop, admitted no mistakes in his resignation letter.

According to the bulletin at the St. Philip Catholic Church (.pdf), Nienstedt will fill in for the head priest, who is undergoing medical treatment, over the next six months.

Nienstedt will perform some weekend and weekday masses, visit the sick and celebrate mass for nursing home and assisted living facilities. He'll also fill in for other priests in the diocese when needed.

Nienstedt could not immediately be reached for comment. The Diocese of Kalamazoo said in a statement that Neinstedt was a priest in good standing and was welcome at the St. Philip Parish.

MPR

HT Ray

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StarTribune: In his first remarks since resigning, Nienstedt denies allegations in affidavits

Former Archbishop John Nienstedt said he remains “dumbfounded” by the allegations of personal misconduct that emerged last year during an internal church investigation of his behavior — a report that the archdiocese now is considering making public.

The archdiocese declined to answer questions about the investigation [into Nienstedt's conduct]. Last year, it hired the Greene Espel law firm in Minneapolis to look into allegations of clergy misconduct involving Nienstedt and adults. The law firm’s work ended last summer, and the chancery hired Minneapolis criminal defense attorney Peter Wold to complete the probe.

Greene Espel has publicly disputed claims by the archdiocese that Nienstedt did not intervene in the investigation.

Another affidavit from a Michigan priest said that Nienstedt pulled up to his car in an area frequented by gay men one December in the early 1980s and asked him if he had any “poppers,” an inhalant used by gay men to enhance sexual pleasure. When he got into Nienstedt’s car, and Nienstedt recognized him as a former student, he changed the subject, the priest told the Star Tribune.

Nienstedt denied all the allegations, point by point and in general. He also stressed that none of the people who filed affidavits claimed that he “ever abused any minor, had a sexual relationship with any individual, or committed any crime.”

The former archbishop insisted he never set foot in a gay nightclub or visited gay cruising spots. He said he was not even in Detroit in December 1982, when the Michigan priest claims he asked for the “poppers.” He was assigned to the Vatican Secretariat of State in Rome and was not allowed to come home for the holidays.

full article at Star Tribune

Obviously the claims sound fake. If they are fake and if Neinstedt is eventually exonerated, the process will have served its purpose; to signal to any prelate that they will be falsely accused if they attempt to take any action against the homosexualist agenda outside or even inside the Church. If they are true, it will be one of the most bizarre chapters in US Church history and would hopefully signal a new chapter in curia management with more checks and balances.

Minn Public Radio: An isolated Nienstedt tried to limit investigation into himself

On April 10, 2014 — seven months into the clergy sex abuse scandal — Archbishop John Nienstedt's top advisers gathered for a private meeting. They had just received several affidavits from an internal investigation of Nienstedt that had been authorized by the archbishop himself to address damaging rumors.

The sworn statements accused Nienstedt of inappropriate behavior, according to people who read them, including sexual advances toward at least two priests.

Private investigators had even arranged a prison interview with Curtis Wehmeyer, the former priest at the center of the clergy sex abuse scandal. Wehmeyer, who pleaded guilty in 2012 to child sex abuse, told the investigators he couldn't understand why Nienstedt wanted to spend time with him or why he kept him in ministry. Nienstedt made him uncomfortable, he said, and they never had sex. Wehmeyer said he wasn't interested in Nienstedt.

Nienstedt had authorized the investigation with the expectation that it would clear his name. Instead, it threatened to ruin it. At the meeting last spring, the advisers went around the room. Each said Nienstedt should resign.

A few days later, Auxiliary Bishops Lee Piche and Andrew Cozzens traveled to Washington to bring that message to the pope's ambassador to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the apostolic nuncio. It was a brave move that threatened the careers of both men. Piche and Cozzens had hoped Vigano would agree that the future of the archdiocese was more important than the reputation of one man.

continue at MPR

So when I read this, it would seem that it's just another hit job by MPR. Let me get this straight, we are taking testimony from Wehmeyer that Nienstedt made advances toward him, just like he was groping students during their Confirmations? AP is even including the part where Nienstedt was trying to remove homosexual seminarians from Detroit's seminary, but they write it as if Neinstedt is making advances toward them. This is all recycled "news." Although, Terry Nelson's pastor said "we may be hearing more embarrassing news in the days ahead."

The only new info that I can see is a secret meeting with Piche, Couzzens and Vigano of which no source is cited (it seems plausible it happened), and that the Greene Espel law firm which conducted the first investigation is saying Neinstedt interfered. Because some of the pieces of this in the news seem fabricated, it's hard to figure out what's what. Clearly Nienstedt made major mistakes, there's no excuse for Wehmeyer, and it seems he may have indeed interfered with the investigation. Prayers for the archdiocese.

MPR will be thrilled when Cardinal Burke is assigned to take over.

HT Catholic Culture

Archbishop Nienstedt, Bp. Piche resign after criminal sex abuse coverup charges against archdiocese

VATICAN CITY — The archbishop of St. Paul, Minnesota, and a deputy bishop resigned Monday after prosecutors there charged the archdiocese with having failed to protect children from unspeakable harm from a pedophile priest.

The Vatican said Pope Francis accepted the resignations of Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Anthony Piche. They resigned under the code of canon law that allows bishops to resign before they retire because of illness or some other "grave" reason that makes them unfit for office.

Earlier this month, prosecutors charged the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis as a corporation of having "turned a blind eye" to repeated reports of inappropriate behavior by a priest who was later convicted of molesting two boys. No individual was named in the indictment.

The resignations came just days after Pope Francis approved the creation of a new tribunal inside the Vatican to hear cases of bishops who failed to protect children from sexually abusive priests. Francis' decision followed years of criticism that the Vatican had never held bishops accountable for having ignored warnings about abusive priests and simply moved them from parish to parish rather than report them to police or remove them from ministry.

continue at STrib

It is rather interesting that this occurs now considering they haven't been found guilty of anything yet... I assume the trial will proceed despite the resignations. What does the Vatican do if they are vindicated(probably doubtful but still a possibility)? If bishops can be removed from office without any actual conviction of wrongdoing, it will be a strategy continually employed by the enemies of the Church. Should we assume the day old tribunal at the Vatican has already heard the case?

It has been a little under a year since Jennifer Haselberger resigns and leaked hundred of pages of documents from the archdiocese.

ht CB

Update2: Terry Nelson reaction
Update1: Statement from Archbishop Nienstedt Regarding the Future of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

From Archbishop John C. Nienstedt, Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis [due to high traffic I posted in full here]

For over a decade now, we at TheMediaReport.com have likely reviewed several thousand news articles, television episodes, radio interviews, and documentary films in our mission to encourage accuracy in the media's coverage of the Catholic Church abuse story line.

However, we don't believe we have seen a piece of media as grossly inaccurate and irresponsible as a recent multimedia special presentation produced by Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), "Betrayed by Silence," which purports to chronicle the history of the Catholic Church abuse scandal as it relates to Minnesota.

MPR's not-so-hidden agenda

MPR's multimedia program is so loaded with flat-out falsehoods and misrepresentations that one hardly knows where to begin.

Part I: MPR Smears Archbishop Harry Flynn, We Uncover the Facts

Part II: Madeleine Baran's Struggle With the Facts

Part III: Guilty Until Proven Innocent: No Accusation Against a Priest Too Old or Wacky
We have already cited reporter Madeleine Baran a number of times before for her biased and inaccurate reporting (1, 2). But with "Betrayed by Silence," it now becomes clear that Baran and her friends at MPR have absolutely no interest in honest journalism but rather wish to damage the Catholic Church for its refusal to march to the step of the "progressives" at MPR.

continue at The Media Report

Worth mentioning....

Each and every week, MPR proudly broadcasts the weekly radio quiz show, Wait Wait … Don't Tell Me, which features comic Paula Poundstone.

As the folks at MPR should certainly know, California police arrested and charged Poundstone in June of 2001 after a lengthy investigation on three shocking counts of committing a lewd and lascivious act on a girl under the age of 14 and one count of child endangerment.

Abp. Nienstedt continues to have personal accusations against him because of religious convictions

Statement Regarding Internal Investigation From Archbishop John Nienstedt

Upon my direction, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is conducting an internal investigation involving allegations made against me. These allegations are absolutely and entirely false. Nonetheless, I ordered Bishop Lee Piché to oversee an independent, thorough investigation and that he hire an outside firm unaffiliated with the Archdiocese to conduct the investigation.

The allegations do not involve minors or lay members of the faithful, and they do not implicate any kind of illegal or criminal behavior. The allegations involve events alleged to have occurred at least a decade ago, before I began serving in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

I have ordered that the investigation be conducted for the benefit of the Archdiocese. The Archdiocese investigates all allegations of clergy misconduct. It would be unfair to ignore these allegations simply because I know them to be false. Since I would instruct the Archdiocese to investigate similar allegations made against any priest, I have ordered the Archdiocese to independently investigate the allegations made against me.

The investigation is ongoing. The Apostolic Nuncio, who oversees all bishops in the United States, has been informed of the allegations and he will be informed of the results of the investigation when it is completed. Let us pray that the truth will come out as a result of the investigation.

Report: Minnesota Archbishop Nienstedt under scrutiny for same-sex relationships

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.”

Commonweal: Archbishop Nienstedt under investigation.

I wonder if Pope Francis also was referring to the Gay Mafia with his recent comments.

Obviously anyone following the news can't help but side with Abp. Nienstedt. Whatever these people hope to accomplish has failed, and now the accusers are just a big joke.

Don't forget Jeff Anderson's new law in MN: New law exempts statute of limitations for victims

HT Pewsitter

Abp. Nienstedt calls Planned Parenthood a modern-day Judas

via Jill Stanek

We do come here to judge the unconscionable greed behind the doctors, nurses and supporters of Planned Parenthood, who, for 30 pieces of silver, offer a quick fix to such women, rather than helping than helping them find a real solution to their problems.

~ St. Paul and Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt, at the annual Good Friday prayerful protest at Planned Parenthood in St. Paul.

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Abp. Nienstedt deposition released

Archbishop John Nienstedt said he was not aware that known child sex abusers were working at the archdiocese during his tenure, nor did he track exactly which priests were being monitored, according to testimony released Tuesday.

Nienstedt’s extraordinary deposition, ordered by a judge and the first of its kind by a serving archbishop in Minnesota, was taken April 2 as part of a clergy sex abuse lawsuit. The claim is one of dozens brought against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis since a change in state law last year opened a wider window for pursuing child sex abuse claims.

Nienstedt said that when he became archbishop in 2008 he was briefed about clergy abuse by key archdiocese officials. He testified he didn’t remember the names of any abusive priests mentioned, how many were being monitored or the names of all the archdiocese officials present.

Nienstedt also said he didn’t request the list of “credibly accused” priests that all dioceses are required to maintain. Nor, he recalled, did he press for parishes to be told about the presence of clergy members who were being monitored because of previous child sexual misconduct reports.

“I believe that we felt that we could monitor the situation without making a total disclosure to the people,” testified Nienstedt, adding that he no longer feels that way.

“I think over my tenure as being archbishop, I have had new insights into how we should proceed with these — these situations,” he said.

continue at Strib

Haven't watched video, just read the article, nothing shocking here, I guess a way to keep it in the news cycle. Maybe there's more in the video on some of the specific cases.

Video: The complete Archbishop Nienstedt deposition

Abp. Nienstedt Cleared - Resumes Duties - accusations "unlikely"

via Creative Minority Report

Prosecutors call the boy's claims 'unlikely.'

When Archbishop Nienstedt stepped down to be cleared of this allegation, I wondered at the precedent. I still do. But in his particular case, I cannot imagine he could have handled it better. He volunteered to step down and has now been cleared. He has been the very model of accountability and transparency. May God bless him.

[The Minneapolis Star-Tribune]

Archbishop John Nienstedt will return to full duties in the Catholic Church after the Ramsey County attorney’s office found insufficient evidence to support what it called an “unlikely” allegation that he touched a boy’s buttocks after a confirmation ceremony in 2009.

The office began reviewing reports and evidence provided by police in late December and on Tuesday announced that the investigation didn’t support the filing of criminal charges.

Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Richard Dusterhoft, the office’s criminal division director, said in a memo that the scenario described in the allegation “seems unlikely.” The allegation accused the archbishop of using a public moment after the confirmation to “sexually touch a random boy openly in front of another clergy member, a deacon, and numerous other confirmands while the confirmands’ family members were preparing to document the moment’’ with photos, Dusterhoft wrote.

“This case was reviewed by an assistant county attorney with many years of experience prosecuting child sex abuse cases,” Dusterhoft’s memo said. “It is that attorney’s experienced and considered opinion that based upon the evidence as presented by police this case could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and should not be charged.”

also: Archbishop Nienstedt cleared and back on the job!

Whomever put this boy up to this should to be ashamed of themselves.

In a first, judge orders Abp. Nienstedt to testify about clergy sex abuse

Archbishop John Nienstedt and former vicar general Kevin McDonough must testify under oath about how the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis responded to allegations of child sex abuse by local priests, a Ramsey County district judge ruled Tuesday.

Judge John Van de North also ordered the archdiocese to create a list of all priests accused of sexually abusing minors since 2004. The list, which must be prepared by Feb. 18, is in addition to a list of clergy accused before 2004, which was released in December and would include all priests who had been the subject of abuse complaints, not just those church officials had determined were “credibly accused.”

He also said attorneys could begin reviewing internal church documents that shed light on how it handled clergy abuse complaints.

The case that led to the historic rulings was filed in 2013 on behalf of a man who claimed he had been abused decades earlier by the Rev. Thomas Adamson, who later left the priesthood. It contends that church officials here and in Winona put children and others at risk of abuse by failing to disclose information about priests who had been accused of abuse.

“This is a very important case … This has become a bellwether case,” said Van de North, referring to the demands that the archdiocese provide information.

continue at Strib

Can someone smart clarify this? So when +Weakland testified, it was a deposition which is not public in a court. This will be taking the stand publicly as part of the Adamson trial? I seem to remember that this has happened to other bishops in the US.

Pray for Abp. Nienstedt.

Abp. Nienstedt: My pledge to restore trust

It was Dec. 13, 2007. I remember it well. I had just returned from a meeting of the college of consultors of the New Ulm Diocese, having presided over the selection of a new apostolic administrator to take my place as bishop. The phone rang and my brother said, “Dad is dead.”

I pulled the car over to absorb those words. Six weeks later I stood at my mother’s hospital bed and watched her die. It was an extremely painful time in my life, losing both parents within such a short period. My parents had been very close to me. They had a huge influence on who I am. I could not have asked for better parents.

I recall those moments now, because the pain and sorrow I felt then reflects that which I have heard from so many of you in your own suffering and disillusionment these past few weeks. I want you to know that I have been praying for all of you. I am experiencing that pain, too. The media have been filled with all kinds of accusations and unanswered questions. There is cause here for sadness, confusion and anger.

After almost a month, I have come to understand more clearly what has happened to bring us to this point. I am grateful to my leadership team, which has helped me process this understanding. Practically all of my senior leadership team is new, with an average tenure of less than a year. We have been searching for answers. And while there is more to do, we have arrived at a better picture of the truth.

The first thing that must be acknowledged is that over the last decade some serious mistakes have been made. We have indeed created many policies, procedures and practices designed to prevent and address clergy sexual misconduct. The new independent Task Force will review all of this and hopefully tell us what we can do better. I am committed to implementing those recommendations.