MINNESOTA
Star Tribune
By Jenna Ross Star Tribune JUNE 15, 2015
Even before the sex abuse scandal made him one of the most embattled figures in the Catholic church, Archbishop John Nienstedt’s tenure was turbulent.
His pricey fight against same-sex marriage had backfired. His unyielding style had riled some priests. And while some parishioners praised his conservative stances, for many he became a polarizing figure among local Catholics.
“He was a warrior bishop waging a cultural war,” said Charles Reid, a professor of canon and civil law at the University of St. Thomas.
Unease about Nienstedt’s leadership arose before he even moved into the Chancery in St. Paul. As bishop in New Ulm, he became known for his strict adherence to orthodox doctrine — denouncing his predecessor’s call for dialogue on opening the priesthood to women; rebuking a priest in St. Peter for worshiping with Lutherans after a 1998 tornado destroyed the town’s Catholic church; and urging legislators to support a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.
Those moves mirrored the attitude of the Vatican under Pope Benedict, who picked Nienstedt as the new archbishop in 2007. But many priests and parishioners in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, with its long history of being “moderately progressive,” greeted his arrival with trepidation, Reid said.
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.