Archdiocese Asks Appeals Court to Keep Another List of Accused Priests Sealed

By Leslie Dyste
KAAL
February 19, 2014

http://www.kaaltv.com/article/stories/S3329480.shtml?cat=10151

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis appealed two matters to the State Court of Appeals on Tuesday.

They are asking the appeals court to throw out a lower court ruling forcing Archbishop John Nienstedt and former Vicar General Father Kevin McDonough to testify.

They are asking that another list of priests be kept sealed. That list contains the names of priests who were accused, but not "credibly accused" in the eyes of the Archdiocese.

The archdiocese released the names of nine more priests accused of sexual abuse on Monday.

Church leaders say it's all in the name of transparency, but some say it's more proof of an attempted cover up. All but one of the alleged incidents happened decades ago, and three of the nine priests have since died.

Most of the priests' names released on Monday were already known and it's left some wondering why those names weren't included on a list that was released by the church in December. Also, Monday was Presidents Day, a nationally recognized holiday. Some speculate the names were released a day early because there might have been less scrutiny.

Over this past weekend, a judge in Ramsey County denied the church's request to postpone the release of the names while an appeal is ongoing. The judge also ruled Monday to uphold the decision that Archbishop Nienstedt and Father McDonough will have to testify under oath about what they know.

Meanwhile, there's another battle brewing over the release of 12 more names of priests who were part of the Diocese of New Ulm.