St. Paul Archdiocese to Disclose Names of at Least 29 Priests Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse
By Amy Forlit
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis said it planned Thursday to disclose the names of at least 29 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors, following months of criticism that church leaders mishandled such allegations. Archbishop John Nienstedt, who has come under fire for the way sexual misconduct cases have been managed, said last month that he would reveal the priests' names to show he is committed to transparency and the safety of youth. But those familiar with similar cases say publishing the list is unlikely to do much to restore church leaders' credibility. "I think it's going to be hard for him to really win back public opinion in this, because it has been such a long time," said Terry McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org. In 2004, the archdiocese compiled a list of 33 priests deemed to have been credibly accused of sexual abusing a minor. The list was put together as part of a nationwide study to determine the scope of clergy sex abuse. Across the country, roughly two dozen archdioceses and dioceses already have made such lists public. A judge ruled earlier this week that the archdiocese has to release all its names by Dec. 17, or explain why any names were being withheld. On Thursday, the archdiocese plans to release information about at least 29 priests on the list. The information will include the clerics' names, their birth years and ages, years of ordination, whether they're alive or the years they died, the parishes in which they served, their current statuses, and the cities and states where they live. PHOTO: FILE - In this Oct. 7, 2013 file photo, David Clohessy, left, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), left, is joined by Frank Meuers, Plymouth, Minn. outside the Archdiocese Chancery in St. Paul, Minn. Meuers came forward and for the first time publicly told how he was abused by a priest, Rudolph Henrich, while a youngster in Golden Valley. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis sent an email to priests and parish leaders Wednesday, Dec. 4, bracing them for its upcoming disclosure of the names of more than two dozen clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. (AP Photo/The St. Paul Pioneer Press, Emily Gurnon,File) MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE OUTFILE - In this Oct. 7, 2013 file photo, David Clohessy, left, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), left, is joined by Frank Meuers, Plymouth, Minn. outside the Archdiocese Chancery in St. Paul, Minn. Meuers came forward and for the first time publicly told how he was abused by a priest, Rudolph Henrich, while a youngster in Golden Valley. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis sent an email to priests and parish leaders Wednesday, Dec. 4, bracing them for its upcoming disclosure of the names of more than two dozen clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. (AP Photo/The St. Paul Pioneer Press, Emily Gurnon,File) MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE OUT Most of the allegations against the named priests stem from the mid-1950s to the 1980s, the archdiocese said, and all of them have been permanently removed from ministry or have died. Most of the priests on the list already have been named. In an email sent to priests Wednesday and obtained by The Associated Press, the archdiocese said 92 parishes have had at least one accused priest assigned to them at some point. That's nearly half of the 188 parishes in the archdiocese, which serves about 825,000 Catholics. There were 213 parishes in 2010, before several merged. Attorneys for victims of clergy sexual abuse sought for years to make the list public, arguing it's in the interest of public safety. But church leaders resisted until now, saying it could harm the reputations of innocent priests. They argued that the term "credibly accused" — coined by the 2004 study — has a low threshold and meant that any report of abuse that was "not implausible" was included. The archdiocese said a review of all clergy files was ongoing and that it expects its public disclosure will be updated regularly as future announcements are made.
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