Archbishop Nienstedt accused of inappropriately touching boy

[Redfairen]

Source: Star Tribune

Archbishop John Nienstedt has been accused of inappropriately touching a boy, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced Tuesday. Nienstedt will remove himself immediately from public ministry while the matter is investigated.

A statement released Tuesday morning said, “An allegation has been brought by a mandated reporter within the Church to the St. Paul Police of inappropriate touching of a minor male on the buttocks by Archbishop John Nienstedt. The single incident is alleged to have occurred in 2009 during a group photography session with the archbishop following a confirmation ceremony.

“Archbishop Nienstedt emphatically denies the allegation.”



Read more: http://m.startribune.com/?id=236221001

[SomeGuyInEagan]

1. Wow ... just wow.

Earlier this month ...

"Minnesota Archdiocese Reveals Names Of 30 Priests Accused Of Abusing Minors"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/05/minnesota-archdiocese-priest-abuse_n_4393192.html

Just yesterday, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) ran (yet another) story about the MSP archdiocese, this one questioning why St. Paul Police and the County Attorney are not pressing chargeshttp://www.mprnews.org/story/2013/12/15/catholic-church/county-attorney-grand-jury-not-likely-option-in-archdiocese-investigation).

MPR has been investigating this for months ... http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/catholic-church/

On a side note, also in Minnesota and just yesterday:

"Winona Diocese Names 14 Priests Accused Of Abuse"
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/12/16/winona-diocese-names-14-priests-accused-of-abuse/

[Brickbat]

2. His statement is bizarre.

“I have never once engaged in any inappropriate contact with a minor and I have tried to the very best of my ability to serve this Archdiocese and the church faithfully, with honor and due regard for the rights of all, even those with whom I disagree.”

[yellowcanine]

3. "I thought the young man was fainting and his buttock was the only thing I could reach to stop him."

It might be true.

[Bjorn Against]

4. Neinstadt is a notorious homophobic bigot

He spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of church resources mailing out anti-gay DVDs to all members of the Catholic Church in Minnesota, many in Minnesota left the church because his bigotry caused so much division in the church.

It does not surprise me one but to see him implicated in this.

[geardaddy]

5. He's a creep either way.

[truthisfreedom]

6. Strangely the least nefarious thing I've ever heard about an Archbishop

but it still sounds creepy.