MINNESOTA
The Raw Story
By Arturo Garcia
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt struggled to explain his views on homosexuality to a local gay reporter in raw footage from an interview conducted late last month, Minneapolis City Pages reported.
“Tell me, archbishop, why should I lead the life of a priest?” KMSP-TV reporter Tom Lyden asked Nienstedt in response to the archbishop’s statement that gay people needed to live “chaste” lives.
“Because it is of your nature to, um, express yourself sexually through a committed relationship,” Nienstedt replied.
“I am. I’ve been with the same partner and husband now for 21 years,” Lyden said.
KMSP posted the footage on Aug. 1, a day after airing Lyden’s report about Niendstedt’s efforts to reassure the Minneapolis-St. Paul community that his diocese would put “victims first” in regards to sexual assault allegations against local clergy, including a new policy mandating that the diocese notify police rather than conduct their own investigations.
“Why would we believe you today when you say, ‘victims first,’ when we’ve been hearing that for about 30 years?” Lyden asked.
“Well, because we’re saying it again, and we’re saying it with gusto,” Niendstedt replied. “And we’re saying it with meaning.”
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