Groups and individuals from both within and outside the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have joined the call for Archbishop John Nienstedt’s resignation in recent weeks.
The New York Times, the Star Tribune and priests have suggested that Nienstedt step down from his position due to allegations from other priests about participating in the cover-up of sexual misconduct. Nienstedt is also being investigated by the archdiocese for allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct.
In the St. Olaf Catholic Church’s Aug. 31 newsletter, the Rev. Patrick Kennedy wrote a piece calling for Nienstedt to leave his position as archbishop.
“I believe Archbishop Nienstedt should ask for another assignment,” Kennedy wrote. “The reason I think he needs to be reassigned is because so many faith-filled people are deeply troubled and angry by what has happened and how the situation has been handled.”
Kennedy is not the only priest to express displeasure with Nienstedt. The Revs. Stephen O’Gara, Bill Deziel and Mike Tegeder from the Twin Cities have also asked for him to step down. In a letter to the editor submitted to the Star Tribune, Tegeder took issue with Nienstedt’s position against the legalization of same-sex marriage, and O’Gara demanded an explanation from Nienstedt in a homily at Church of the Assumption in St. Paul.
Charles Reid, a St. Thomas law professor and expert on the Catholic Church, said the fact that other priests are calling for Nienstedt’s resignation is telling.
“For a priest to speak out against a bishop entails enormous risk because a priest could be retaliated against; there could be consequences,” Reid said. “There is tremendous pressure not to speak out. That a priest is speaking out says a great deal about his courage and the gravity of the situation.”
The Minneapolis Star Tribune’s editorial board also called for Nienstedt’s resignation in a July 26 article.
“For the sake of one of this state’s most valued institutions and the Minnesotans whose lives it touches, Nienstedt’s service at the archdiocese should end now,” the article read.
Reid said Nienstedt’s situation could be considered similar to the demands put on a CEO of a company.
“Hypothetically speaking, if the CEO of MedTronic let’s say, or Best Buy or 3M was caught covering up sexual exploitation of this sort in the workplace, they’d be fired, or if they weren’t fired, there would be calls for their stepping down,” Reid said.
In a column Nienstedt wrote and published on the archdiocese’s website in July, he acknowledged the calls for his resignation but wrote that he would continue serving as archbishop.
“I have heard calls for my resignation since I arrived in this wonderful archdiocese seven years ago,” Nienstedt wrote. “I will continue to listen to those who express concerns about my leadership, but I will also continue serving as I have been called to do.”
Freshman Tristan Goblirsch said that if the allegations against Nienstedt are true, then he thinks he should step down, but more information is needed.
“I think that it could be either way,” Goblirsch said. “I think that it mainly comes down to whether or not these accusations are true or false.”
Junior Meghan Green said she thinks Nienstedt should do what he thinks is right, but fresh leadership will always benefit the church.
“He should do what he feels right, and that’s all that he can do,” Green said.
Grace Pastoor can be reached at past6138@stthomas.edu.
It seems to me that, so far, the only allegations against Archbishop Nienstedt have been the same “hypothetically speaking” that Professor Reid attributes to the CEOs of other major companies. As for the priests taking issue with other stances by the Archbishop, they missed their calling to obedience when they took their final vows. Everyone should wish they would be treated more fairly than the Archbishop has been should they ever be found in a similar situation.
The priests mentioned in this article are certainly well known for their dissident views on some Church teachings and their opinions of their temporal and spiritual superior. And there is no comparison between a bishop of the Catholic Church and a CEO of a secular business. One is a divinely chosen human representative of God to assist His people in properly making their way to eternal salvation. The other is an elected official of a secular organization whose only job is to secure the highest recompense for those invested in his organization. Not much to compare here for thinking persons.
Second, those media mentioned are well known for their often anti-Catholic stance. And third, since our bishops are divinely chosen by the head of the Church, Jesus himself, they are not subject to being fired or told to resign by anyone by Him.
And finally, since we are all human and subject to making honest mistakes, we should all also be aware of casting the first stone.