MINNESOTA
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis – Catholic Spirit
Maria Wiering | December 15, 2015
More than 2,000 Catholics participated in one of 10 listening sessions held throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in October and November. Attendees included lay leaders, men and women in consecrated life, priests and deacons, as well as students, seminarians and people who have left formal parish affiliation. They represented at least 80 percent of the archdiocese’s parishes.
The observations and opinions expressed ranged broadly, but over the course of the sessions, several common themes emerged. Attendees were asked to identify the archdiocese’s greatest strengths and challenges, and to share the qualities they would like the next archbishop to possess. …
Greatest challenges
By far, the top challenge identified was restoration of trust between Church leaders and the faithful. Other challenges repeated at each session were the bankruptcy and concern for the archdiocese’s financial stability, the need for healing from clergy sex abuse scandals, and the difficulty of bringing Catholics who have left the Church — especially the young and disenfranchised — back to the community.
Trust. Many perceived a lack of transparency and cited the local Church’s loss of credibility. Some participants said that lack of trust extended to the listening sessions, and they questioned whether their input would be shared or be shared with the aposotolic nuncio ahead of Pope Francis’ appointment of a new archbishop. The presence of a staff member from the nunciature at the last three listening sessions seems to have addressed this doubt for many.
Finances. In January, the archdiocese entered Chapter 11 Reorganization to allow it to address all sexual abuse claims equitably. It continues to work in mediation with victims’ counsel and insurance carriers. To date, legal fees have topped $5 million. Few participants, however, mentioned finances in their written comments.
Healing. Most participants expressed the need for healing from clergy sexual abuse scandals, both for victims and the Church. Several times, healing was tied to transparency and trust. One listening session participant wrote, “Openness and forgiveness need to take place before healing can take place.”
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