"Explosive" Documents Reveal Alleged Archdiocese Cover-up
WDAY
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis publicly admitted wrongdoing for the way it handled sexual abuse allegations against a former priest, while prosecutors dropped criminal charges that alleged the archdiocese turned a blind eye to repeated misconduct by the defrocked cleric. "I stand before you to say we have failed," said Archbishop Bernard Hebda. "We pledge to move forward openly, collaboratively and humbly... always mindful of our past. We will never forget," he said. The admission was part of an agreement in a lawsuit that calls for Archbishop Bernard Hebda to personally participate in at least three and likely more restorative justice sessions with abuse victims. The archbishop took the unusual step of attending the Wednesday hearing where the agreement was announced. Ramsey County prosecutors filed civil and criminal charges against the archdiocese last year. The six gross misdemeanor child endangerment charges against the archdiocese involved Curtis Wehmeyer, who is serving prison time for molesting two boys in Minnesota and a third in Wisconsin. The civil case was settled in December under a plan that allowed for more oversight of the church. But attorneys for both sides used Wednesday's hearing on progress in the civil case to announce new steps aimed at reinforcing that agreement. "The Archdiocese admits that it failed to adequately respond and prevent the sexual abuse" of the three victims, the archdiocese said in papers filed Wednesday. "The Archdiocese failed to keep the safety and wellbeing of these three children ahead of protecting the interests of Curtis Wehmeyer and the Archdiocese. The actions and omissions of the Archdiocese failed to prevent the abuse that resulted in the need for protection and services for these three children." Text of Archbishop Bernard Hebda's Statement to Media Then-Archbishop John Nienstedt resigned from his post 10 days after the criminal charges were filed in June 2015. Hebda, who took over an archdiocese in turmoil about a year ago, apologized for its failures at a news conference later Wednesday. "Those children, their parents, their family, their parish and others were harmed. We are sorry. I am sorry," Hebda said. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said the victims' family appreciated the admission of wrongdoing. He said they supported the measures to strengthen the settlement and his decision to drop the criminal charges. "They were moved and satisfied that justice had been done," the prosecutor said. Choi also defended his decision not to file criminal charges against Nienstedt or other senior church officials for their handling of the Wehmeyer case. He said there wasn't enough evidence against any individual to get a conviction, though there was against the archdiocese. He said the protections under the settlement are stronger than anything the court could have ordered. An attorney for victims of clergy abuse is accusing the Vatican of interfering in the investigation of a Minnesota archbishop. Jeffrey Anderson made the claim in a case involving former archbishop John Nienstedt whose personal conduct was being examined in 2014 as the archdiocese was criticized for its handling of abuse allegations. Anderson cited a newly released 2014 memo from the Rev. Daniel Griffith, an archdiocese leader for ensuring a safe environment for children. In it, Griffith accused the Vatican's delegate in Washington, D.C., of ordering church leaders to wrap up the Nienstedt investigation without pursuing all leads. Griffith also accused the then-delegate, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, of ordering leaders to destroy a letter in which they disagreed with him. Attempts for comment from the office of the Vatican's delegate were not immediately successful. Griffith didn't immediately return messages. Earlier Wednesday, prosecutors said they'll drop child endangerment charges against the archdiocese and the archdiocese said it'll admit it mishandled allegations. The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis response to release of documents: The Ramsey County Attorney's Office and the St. Paul Police Department have fully and thoroughly investigated the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and its leaders for 3 years. They have reviewed each of the documents made public today and investigated the allegations raised in those documents. Today, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi told the public there is no basis to bring a criminal charge against any of those leaders. He also dismissed all of the criminal charges against the Archdiocese. That dismissal is unconditional and speaks for itself. Other changes announced Wednesday extend the court's oversight until February 2020. And the archdiocese named nationally recognized child welfare advocate Patty Wetterling to its Ministerial Review Board, which examines abuse claims involving priests. Whistleblower Reacts Jennifer Haselberger, who is the former top advisor to Archbishop John Nienstedt and the whistleblower on the case, released a statement Wednesday about the announcement. Read it here. Legal Documents Released With the closure of the criminal case, Choi's office released legal documents exchanged between the parties. See those items here. Among those documents, is a memo from a church official that states: What has unfolded in the face of compelling evidence amounts to a good old-fashioned cover-up to preserve power and avoid scandal and accountability. “I would describe these documents as explosive, as comprehensive; they go to the heart of a very deep scandal within the church,” said Charles Reid, a Canon Law expert at the University of St. Thomas. Reid says the allegations amount to a cover up. The documents include an affidavit recounting what a teenage boy told investigators. The boy stated that the future Archbishop of the Saint Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocese, John Neinstedt, was at a World Youth Day in Germany in 2005 where the boy says Neinstedt took two boys back to his hotel. The boy stated that Neinstedt took his clothes off in front of them. “What we see in these documents certainly confirms the worst of the stories that we’ve heard over the years,” said Reid. The documents also contained a church memo describing a high-ranking Vatican official asking that a letter pertaining to the internal investigation of Neinstedt be destroyed. The document also shows some church officials expressed concern that destroying the letter, which could be evidence, could amount to a federal crime. “I’m seeing stuff in these documents which is eye-opening,” said Reid. We also found that Neinstedt is still listed as the Vice Chairman of the Pontifical North American College’s Board of Governors which Reid says is essentially a training ground for the church’s best and brightest. “He has no business being there. He has no business training the next generation of priests, training the next generation of bishops. He needs to go, he needs to go now.” The documents also detail an investigation looking into whether a “personal and distinctly unprofessional relationship” existed between Nienstedt and Wehmeyer. Wehmeyr is currently serving time in prison for molesting two boys in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin. “Now we see what has happening behind the scenes, you can make your own conclusions,” said Reid. Former Archbishop Neinstedt issued a lengthy statement Wednesday evening: Words cannot express the sorrow I feel for the victims and survivors of clergy sexual abuse, their families, their friends and our Catholic community. In particular, I am sorry for the way the Archdiocese, under my leadership, addressed the allegations against Curtis Wehmeyer. As the Archbishop, I should have asked more questions, I should have demanded more answers, and I should have insisted those within the Archdiocesan administration at the time share more information with each other. I am sorry. I ask for continued prayers for the well-being of the Archdiocese, its leaders, and all those hurt by those who have lead. Two years ago, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis received claims regarding alleged misbehavior involving me. The claims did not involve anything criminal or with minors. The allegations involved events alleged to have occurred more than a decade ago, before I began serving in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Upon my direction, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis conducted an internal investigation involving those allegations made against me. The allegations were and still are absolutely and entirely false. Nonetheless, at the time I ordered an independent, thorough investigation with an outside firm unaffiliated with the Archdiocese. I ordered that the investigation be conducted for the benefit of the Archdiocese. The Archdiocese investigates all allegations of clergy misconduct. It would have been unfair to ignore these allegations simply because I knew them to be false. Since I would have instructed the Archdiocese to investigate similar allegations made against any priest, I ordered the Archdiocese to independently investigate the allegations made against me. To this day, I have not seen a final report as to the investigation. However, I want to be clear and reiterate the public responses that I have made since the investigation began. I am a heterosexual man who has been celibate my entire life. I have never solicited sex, improperly touched anyone and have not used my authority to cover up, or even try to cover up, any allegation of sexual abuse. Quite frankly, I am relieved by the release of the information today. I believe that the allegations have been made as a personal attack against me due to my unwavering stance on issues consistent with Catholic Church teaching, such as opposition to so-called same sex marriage. Such personal attacks were first made when I defended the Church’s opposition to admitting openly homosexual men to the priesthood. These attacks grew even more vicious when I began to speak out against so-called same sex marriage. I publicly supported the proposed marriage amendment in Minnesota, which would have restricted marriage to one man and one woman. Each time I have spoken out I have received hundreds of threatening, insulting, and sometimes frightening letters, emails, and phone calls, some anonymous I also believe that the accusers are bringing false allegations forward in retribution for difficult decisions I have made as their superior. I am governed by privacy and employment laws, which limit what I can say. However, I can say that the allegations were made several years after the alleged conduct was supposed to have occurred. I didn’t come forward about the allegations because they are simply not true, and I didn’t want to speak poorly about the men making the allegations. The priests are known to me, and to each other. It is a matter of public record that they do not agree with the Church’s teachings on homosexuality, and I have consistently taken a stand with the Church on those issues. It’s also difficult to defend myself because the allegations are of the “he said, he said” nature. It is my word against the accusers and, as much as they seem to want to discredit me, I don’t want to harm them. I am relieved, however, that the public now knows the extent of the allegations and can hear my response. I pray that by knowing the allegations against me, Catholics in the Archdiocese can continue to move toward healing. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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