Dear Nienstedt: No, YOU DID NOT LEAVE because "you were a distraction"

an outcome
devoutly to be wished

Let's not pretend that the Archbishop resigned willingly.  He was forced out, he had no choice -- and he left because he did an excruciatingly bad job.

From the STrib timeline of Nienstedt's failures to do right by anyone other than himself:

September 2010: Archdiocese launches battle against same-sex marriage, issuing 400,000 DVDs to state Catholics and campaigning for constitutional amendment that fails in 2012.

Instead of involving himself in the privacy of people's bedrooms, I have to wonder if the archbishop ever heard the parable about the man who had a post jammed in his eye but instead bothered with the tiny speck in someone else's eyeball.
Nienstedt devoted far more energy, attention and resources to THIS insertion into politics, instead of paying attention to an acknowledged crisis -- a failure of priorities and values, and an exercise of poor pastoral stewardship.  It reflects a greater desire to coerce non-Catholics and other people of different conscience to submit and conform to Roman Catholic dogma and an indifference to protecting children and others from predatory clergy, in my opinion- DG)

 May 2013: A new state law extends the statute of limitations on sex-abuse lawsuits, opening the door to potentially dozens of additional lawsuits, witnesses and depositions.  

This was opposed by Nienstedt and the church, arguing that they did NOT want accountability for crimes. - DG

September 2013: Former archdiocese canon lawyer Jennifer Haselberger goes public with allegations that church officials ignored concerns about the Rev. Curtis Wehmeyer for years before he was convicted of abusing two boys.  

Imho, Nienstedt engaged in WILLFUL ignorance; it was his JOB to know what was going on, and to correct and prevent abuse, and the decision to ignore it was a choice, not an accident, and a dereliction of his duty and of basic human decency. - DG

December 2013: Ramsey County District Judge John Van de North orders the archdiocese to release a list of 30 priests considered “credibly accused” of child sex abuse.

Nienstedt and the archdiocese lawyers fought this as well and cooperated only to the degree they were coerced into doing so imho, which argues a lack of cooperation with civil authorities, and also a lack of concern for justice for the victims. - DG

December 2013: At Sunday mass, Nienstedt apologizes and says the archdiocese overlooked allegations of clergy sex abuse.    

This apology comes after we have been given extensive assurance that the archdiocese will NOT overlook allegation of clergy abuse -- and not for the first time, but as part of a recurring pattern.  Given that recurring pattern of assurance and continuing abuse, as demonstrated by the UN Panel above, I don't see any reason to consider Nienstedt's words, here in this apology, or any other apology, or in any assurances, to be sincere.  My opinion - DG

February 2014: A Ramsey County judge orders Nienstedt to give a sworn deposition to lawyers in lawsuits against the church, addressing whether the archdiocese followed its own policies in investigating sex abuse allegations. 

 What I recall from the depositions was a lot of "don't knows", "don't remembers, and other weasel words that frankly struck me as insincere and dishonest/untruthful, and every effort being made to obstruct the investigations against the church.  It was Nienstedts JOB to know, and if he did not know, to find out.  He failed in the job and in the trust he demanded from others in his commitment to doing his duty. My opinion, when he refused to quit, he should have been fired. - DG

March 2014: St. Paul police reopen investigation into the archdiocese’s handling of allegations against Wehmeyer.   

April 2014: Nienstedt gives a sworn statement that he knew little about the allegations against Wehmeyer and was not aware that known child sex abusers worked at the archdiocese during his tenure.  

And yet we have been assured this kind of error won't continue to occur, that these cases have been studied and reviewed  and examined? When does this become too much failure, and when is Nienstedt to be called out on apparent dishonesty, and at best disinterest?  This underlines that Nienstedt's resignation not about "distraction", this is about far worse job failures on the part of Nienstedt and his subordinates - my opinion, DG

April 2014: Internal archdiocese task force issues a report saying that poor oversight led the church to do an inadequate investigation of clergy sex abuse allegations.   

But this was exactly what Nienstedt and friends assured us, the public, was 'fixed' 'corrected', 'changed' and that they 'got it'.  This simply proves that no one can or should put any faith in statements from the Roman Catholic church generally, or Nienstedt and his subordinates specifically under any circumstances.  Why did this man continue in his position? WHY? That he did argues institutionalized cover for these crimes. - my opinion - DG

July 2014: Nienstedt announces that he will not resign, saying the church has turned the corner on the abuse allegations and he is working to regain support.   

Where have we heard THAT line of rubbish before? How can it be promoted with a straight face? Nienstedt should have been thrown out, and defrocked in the process, before now, if the church was serious and sincere -. my opinion - DG

October 2014: Archdiocese reaches landmark settlement with victims of clergy sex abuse and announces major changes in the way it will address future allegations.   

Blah blah blah, same old same old, but nothing changes -- and the same people continue in positions of power, influence and authority.  REAL changes would have included Nienstedt LEAVING involuntarily, imho, and if Nienstedt really cared about anything but himself, he would have left voluntarily. - DG

January 2015: Archdiocese files for bankruptcy protection, citing in part legal costs from clergy sex abuse litigation.   

Even if you only care about the church hanging on to its property and money, this should have been grounds for Nienstedt and his sidekick to be kicked to the curb then, not six months later. - my opinion, DG

June 5: Ramsey County Attorney John Choi files criminal charges against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for “failing to protect children” stemming from the Wehmeyer case. It’s the first time a U.S. archdiocese has been criminally charged with such offenses. 

 Like the big banks with money laundering and crooked deals, including in both respective quantity of wealth and attitude, it will take jail time for the people who are responsible to bring about any real change.  I can only hope that those who failed to protect children spend time behind bars for it, but I will in fact be surprised if that happens, or if Nienstedt is tried by the Vatican and punished criminally either. But I live in guarded hope so long as Francis remains pope.  It would not seem unfair or unjust to me in the least if the Vatican made an example of Nienstedt.- my opinion, DG)I have long felt the Archbishop of the Diocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was an arrogant jerk who put himself and his ambitions ahead of the welfare of children and the Minnesota church. 

It is not as if Nienstedt is the only RC clergy at fault, or as if other faiths don't have some similar problems, but I think it is fair to posit Nienstedt is one of the worst among many bad clergy.  This UN Panel  from a little over a year ago seems to have pretty fairly summed up the problems that have never been addressed despite apologies and assurances and law suits, and the size, wealth, and both historic scope and geographic scope make their problem one of the worst.

Its Nienstedt, but it's not ONLY Nienstedt

From the NY Times (large/ bold type emphasis mine - DG) a year ago February:

U.N. Panel Criticizes the Vatican Over Sexual Abuse

In a hard-hitting report applauded by victims as a landmark in the Roman Catholic Church’s clerical sexual-abuse scandal, a United Nations committee on Wednesday called on the Vatican to remove all child abusers from its ranks, report them to law enforcement and open the church’s archives so that bishops and other officials who concealed crimes could be held accountable.

The report, issued by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, is likely to put pressure on Pope Francis to make concrete changes in the way the church handles abuse cases and put some muscle into the commission on abuse that he announced in December, whose members and mission have not yet been specified.

The Vatican responded on Wednesday that it had already made many of the changes called for in the report, and that the report’s conclusions were out of date.

The report, however, was sharply critical of the church’s current practices, not just those of the past. “The committee is gravely concerned that the Holy See has not acknowledged the extent of the crimes committed, has not taken the necessary measures to address cases of child sexual abuse and to protect children, and has adopted policies and practices which have led to the continuation of the abuse by and the impunity of the perpetrators,” the report concluded.

The criticism came from a panel that examined the Vatican’s compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, an international agreement signed by 140 sovereign entities, including the Vatican. The panel held a hearing on the issue last month, the first time the Vatican faced public examination by an international body of its record on sexual abuse,
But the Vatican press office said in a statement that it regretted to see the United Nations committee “attempt to interfere” with Catholic teaching and the church’s “exercise of religious freedom.”

On the many pressing problems related to child welfare, the report recommended specific steps it said the Vatican should take: stop obstructing efforts by victims’ advocates in some countries to extend statutes of limitations, which now allow most abusers to escape prosecution; stop insisting that victims sign confidentiality agreements swearing them to silence as a condition for receiving compensation; help birth parents locate children who were taken from them for adoption out of Catholic institutions like the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland; and identify, count and financially support children fathered by Catholic priests without imposing confidentiality agreements on the mothers.

Kirsten Sandberg, the chairwoman of the United Nations panel, said Wednesday at a news conference in Geneva that tens of thousands of children around the world had suffered abuse by priests. “We think it is a horrible thing that is being kept silent both by the Holy See itself and in the different local parishes,” she said.The panel rejected the church’s key contention that the Vatican has no jurisdiction over its bishops and priests around the world, and is responsible for putting in effect the Convention on the Rights of the Child only within the tiny territory of Vatican City. By ratifying the convention, the panel said, the Vatican took responsibility for making sure it was respected by individuals and institutions under the Holy See’s authority around the world.“It is wonderful that the U.N. has spoken so clearly about what the Vatican has done — and what it has failed to do,” said Ms. Dorris, who is based in St. Louis. “To us, it is a call for the civil authorities to step in. Church officials have proved they cannot police themselves.”

The above appears to be a detailed indictment of the church as macrocosm that also fits perfectly the church here in Minnesota as microcosm.

Nienstedt's apologies have, in my opinion, presented at best a shallow and superficial concern for others, and instead focused on his own experience, representing himself as the victim, not the person who is responsible for contributing to the ongoing pattern of abuse.  This has seemed to me to be his chronic message, especially in his so-called apologies.  To paraphrase what I see and hear from Nienstedt:

"Poor me, that these priest-abused children are complicating my life and obstructing my desire to advance.  Doing my job badly and then being held accountable for it when I don't want to be accountable is painful to me.  Shame on those victims for attacking the church after being harmed.  We clergy, especially me, are above the law and consequences."

Nothing could be a better demonstration of the serious intentions to better of the larger Roman Catholic church than if Nienstedt is the first in the dock, prosecuted in the new Vatican tribunal, in addition to the criminal charges here in Minnesota.

I will pray for Nienstedt, that he truly sees the error of his ways and that he receives actual justice.

What is Nienstedt hiding about New Ulm?

Today the diocese of New Ulm, where now Archbishop Nienstedt previously served, was forced in court to release THEIR list of sex-abusing priests.





KSTP did an interview with the Archbishop, who seemed a lot less involved with the most important topic for his church than he was with trying to prevent people who believe differently than he does from the free exercise of their religion in gay marriage.




There is the short version:





or the extended version:



As the KSTP news interview noted, it led to MORE questions. We've had enough "the dog ate my homework" excuses.

It is WELL PAST TIME for Nienstedt and the rest of the RC in Minnesota to STOP tossing out empty, lying assurances that things are better now.   We are ALWAYS being told, no, it's all better now, and DON'T LOOK AT THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!,  in this case the curtain OF RC SILENCE.  It is ludicrous to think that there has been any lack of preferential treatment given to the 'rights of priests' and utter contempt occurring as regards the rights of victims.

There is no justification for believing Nienstedt on anything.  The changes the church makes are poor, slow, and resisting the compliance with law that is routine from other religious faiths and denominations.

Nienstedt needs to go, permanently not just temporarily stepping aside, as has been noted in not only local media but in the New York Times.  There has been a lack of GOOD leadership, only leadership of church self-interest.

GO!  And don't let the church door hit you anywhere inappropriate on the way out.  We are no longer patient with excuses and lies and the inability to genuinely change.

My impression of Nienstedt is the same as my impression of Tim Scannell the recently convicted sex-offending county attorney in northern Minnesota who was just removed from office involuntarily after his conviction, after refusing for an extended period of time to leave.  There is a sense of entitlement to the job. to the authority, and to the privilege to engage in whatever inadequate or outright bad conduct occurs without accountability.