MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

By Hank Shea JUNE 12, 2015

The recent criminal charges filed against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis compel me to write to you, via the newspaper. I have hoped and prayed for many months that you would step down as head of the archdiocese. But now I feel both morally and ethically obligated to communicate my views to you and our community before more pain and harm is suffered by the members of the archdiocese, our Catholic Church and you.

You and other persons now stand criminally accused of wrongdoing by the Ramsey County attorney. As you know, the complaint specifically alleges that you participated in criminal conduct. Although only the archdiocese has been actually charged as a criminal defendant, an organization such as the archdiocese, like any corporation, can only commit a criminal offense based on the conduct of persons in that organization,…