MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press
The church that has been a central part of St. Paul’s identity from our city’s first days is poised for a fresh start.
The resignations Monday of Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Anthony Piche were needed for the good of the local church, observers told the Pioneer Press.
The announcement came 10 days after the Ramsey County attorney’s office brought criminal charges against the archdiocese as an institution for its handling of the abuse case of a St. Paul pastor.
It’s a development whistleblower Jennifer Haselberger, the archdiocese’s former chancellor for canonical affairs, has called a tipping point.
The charges, six gross-misdemeanor counts brought by Ramsey County Attorney John Choi, are the result of a 20-month investigation.
The investigation continues, with a significant commitment: to allow the facts to lead the way.
Choi used those words in a statement Monday outlining his office’s intention to finish what it started and to “do only what the law allows and to do what justice requires without fear or favor.”
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