VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

Joshua J. McElwee | Jun. 15, 2015

VATICAN CITY
U.S. Archbishop John Nienstedt, a Catholic prelate in the American Midwest whose mismanagement of clergy sexual abuse cases led to his chancellor reporting the archdiocese to authorities more than two years ago, has resigned.

The move comes 10 days after prosecutors in his archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis brought criminal charges against the archdiocese “for its failure to protect children.”

The Vatican also announced Monday that Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piché, who was tasked last year with investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against Nienstedt himself, would resign in a rare double move.

The Vatican announced the two resignations in a note in its daily news bulletin Monday.

Pope Francis has appointed Newark, N.J., Coadjutor Archbishop Bernard Hebda to serve as the apostolic administrator of the Minnesota archdiocese until appointment of a new residential archbishop. Hebda,…