MINNESOTA
National Catholic Reporter
Brian Roewe | Jun. 15, 2015
A prudent move. A painful process. An important step. A tiny step.
A broad cross-section of reactions met the news Monday of the resignations of St. Paul-Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piché.
“I think it was a necessary move and a prudent one,” said Jennifer Haselberger, the former canonical chancellor whose decision to resign the position and speak out publicly on observed mishandling of clergy sexual abuse accusations largely set off the scandal that has settled on the region since fall 2013.
The announcements came the same day as the start of the biannual presbyteral assembly, which gathers the archdiocese’s nearly 400 priests for meetings through Thursday in Rochester, southeast of the Twin Cities. A priest who spoke on background said he detected among his fellow priests a sense of relief with the news, that they understood the gravity of the situation but also saw a path forward toward healing in the region.
In a letter to the priests, Nienstedt wrote of his resignation, “I would have preferred to share this with you in person, but the desire of the Holy See to announce this made it impossible to wait.” …
In a statement to media, Ramsey County prosecutor John Choi said while many in the community may view the resignations as a positive development, the six criminal charges, the civil petition and ongoing investigation will proceed.
“As we have said, the goals of our actions are to hold the Archdiocese accountable, seek justice for the victims and our community, and to take appropriate steps to ensure that what we have alleged and intend to prove about the past conduct of church officials will never be repeated,” Choi said. “Today’s resignations do not directly accomplish those goals, but I believe that it is an affirmative step toward a new beginning and much needed reconciliation.”
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