MINNESOTA
MinnPost
By Brian Lambert
An example of a bland official statement that leaves more people thinking the worst: Madeleine Baran of MPR reports: “The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis said today in a memo to all clergy that the Rev. Michael Keating, a popular speaker and professor at the University of St. Thomas, has taken a leave of absence. Several hours later, attorney Jeff Anderson announced he plans to file a lawsuit against Keating on behalf of a woman who says Keating “engaged in sexual contact” with her when she was a minor. The lawsuit will be filed Monday in Ramsey County, the statement said. Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche, who wrote the memo to clergy, characterized the leave as temporary and voluntary. During the leave, “Father Keating will not be exercising public priestly ministry,” Piche wrote. A spokesperson for the archdiocese wouldn’t provide the reason for the leave of absence. “At this point I can only confirm that Fr. Keating has taken a voluntary leave of absence,” spokesperson Jim Accurso said in an email to MPR News on Sunday. Keating did not return a call for comment.”
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.