Ruben Rosario: Readers add voices to John Nienstedt fray

MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press

By Ruben Rosario
rrosario@pioneerpress.com
POSTED: 07/25/2014

Last week I wrote a piece calling for Archbishop John Nienstedt to step down or be removed from his position. I will not repeat here the arguments I made. You can look up the column, which coincidentally was posted online the same day a blogger for the National Catholic Reporter also called for his resignation and a New York Times editorial urged Pope Francis to reconsider Nienstedt’s fitness to serve. But essentially, the mishandling of recent clergy abuse cases in the Twin Cities archdiocese warrants his resignation.

My reasons have nothing to do with previous allegations that he inappropriately touched a minor during a confirmation ceremony.

My gut told me that was bogus, and cops later determined there was insufficient evidence to warrant charges.

There’s an internal church probe now into allegations that Nienstedt had inappropriate relationships with seminarians and others dating from the time he worked in Detroit. That also has little to do with my feelings since the investigation continues. Others within the church wanted him out after his somewhat obsessive and much-politicized crusade two years ago to support a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. …

Not surprisingly, I got quite a few responses to last week’s column. Most sided with me, but there were also strenuous disagreements. The following are but a handful of emails I received:

“You are ignorant and (Jennifer) Haselberger (former chancellor for canonical affairs who revealed the mishandlings after she resigned in 2013) hates the church for some reason,” wrote one reader. “There are a lot of people who want the Archbishop to ‘go’ because of his conservatism, particularly his support for traditional marriage. Don’t be another hater.”

“It is you and people like you who should resign from the Church,” fumed one letter writer from Woodbury. “I feel sick every time you and one of your ilk refer to themselves as ‘Catholics.’ I feel sullied and fouled by associating yourselves with my most basic beliefs.”

A frequent letter writer to me and the Pioneer Press snapped: “I wonder if you would also have been on the top of the list asking Peter to resign as head of the church? I am also sure that your choice to replace our Archbishop would be infinitely better than Christ’s.”

To be fair, I replied and thanked him for being someone I could always count on to make “asinine” remarks. I meant that in a Christian way. Maybe I’ll get a few extra Hail Marys as contrition at the next confession.

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