St. Paul Archbishop, Heal the Damage, St. Thomas Theologians Urge
By Emily Gurnon
More than half the tenured faculty of the University of St. Thomas theology department have sent an open letter to Archbishop John Nienstedt insisting the "pastoral state of the archdiocese is not sustainable" without significant changes. "The people of God rightly expect bishops to be good stewards of the Lord's household," said the letter, sent to Nien-stedt on Friday and distributed publicly Monday. "Recent events have shown how badly the pastoral leadership of the archdiocese has failed to meet those expectations. "We refer not only to the multifaceted sexual abuse scandal itself but also to the manner in which these scandals have been handled," said 12 theologians who signed the letter. The letter does not call for Nienstedt's resignation; Assistant Professor of Theology Massimo Faggioli said Monday that the group is not taking a position on that matter. Five women faculty members wrote a similar missive this summer. Other than that, Monday's letter is unusual, he said. "I don't recall a history of other statements of this kind, but I don't think there has been a crisis as serious as this one in recent history, either," Faggioli said. The sexual abuse crisis -- a "grave blot" on the distinguished history of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis -- affects not only victims but all members of the church, the academics said. They offered several recommendations for change: -- "Leave the legal talk for the lawyers. " While legal decisions may lead to victims' healing, the archbishop should take the initiative to heal the spiritual damage done to the church as a whole, the faculty members said. -- "Reintroduce yourself to the people." The trust between the church and the community has been "badly broken," the faculty said. Restoring that trust "will only come fully through your personal commitment to developing a more open and immediate relationship with people around the archdiocese ... a fresh effort to listen to them and to get to know them better," they said. -- Engage lay people in the work of the archdiocese. Non-clergy must be placed in positions of responsibility in the areas of priest training, leadership of the archdiocese and especially in the management of the sexual abuse scandal, the theologians said. Nienstedt replied to the professors Monday afternoon, and a copy of that letter was provided to the media. The archbishop thanked the group for its proposals and suggestions. "I know that many have recently had difficult conversations with friends and family about why they still continue to profess their faith," Nienstedt wrote. "I am very sorry for anything I or my predecessors have done to cause Catholics to doubt their faith or the sacred trust that is placed in Church leadership." Nienstedt answered each suggestion. Regarding spiritual healing, he said he is working with pastors to begin "healing masses designed for all those who feel they have been hurt by the Church." He is regularly meeting with victims, celebrating Mass and attending community events on weekends to be involved with the public. He agrees that lay leadership is warranted, and pointed to his recent hiring of former Bureau of Criminal Apprehension chief Timothy O'Malley for the new post of director of ministerial standards and safe environment. O'Malley began in the post Monday. On July 25, five female faculty members called for "new leadership" in the archdiocese, though they did not single out Nienstedt. "For genuine healing to occur, we believe it is necessary to have new leadership at the archdiocesan level, leadership that includes individuals who are neither perpetrators nor enablers of abuse," they wrote. "Rather than leaders who use power to protect themselves and their fellow clergy, we need ministers who put the children first, and who truly understand how to heal the brokenhearted." One of those faculty members, Cara Anthony, also signed the latest letter. She was the only woman to do so. Former vicar general the Rev. Peter Laird said in a sworn deposition this year that he suggested Nienstedt resign. Calls for Nienstedt's resignation have come from the Rev. Patrick Kennedy of St. Olaf Catholic Church and the Rev. Mike Tegeder of St. Frances Cabrini Church, both in Minneapolis. The New York Times and the National Catholic Reporter also called on Nienstedt to resign. The University of St. Thomas is a private, Catholic liberal arts university in St. Paul. The theology department at St. Thomas has 21 tenured faculty members and six tenure-track faculty, according to a staff member. As the scandal broke last fall, former Archbishop Harry Flynn and former Vicar General Kevin McDonough resigned from the University of St. Thomas board of directors. St. Thomas also made the news when a woman filed suit in October 2013 against the Rev. Michael Keating, an associate professor of Catholic studies. She alleged Keating molested her when she was a young teen from about 1997 to 2000. Keating has denied the allegations. He remains on leave pending the outcome of a university investigation, which has not been concluded, a spokesman said Monday. No criminal charges were filed against Keating regarding the girl. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) issued a statement Monday in which it disagreed with the professors' recommendations but expressed appreciation for their letter. The suggestions "largely involve symbolic or long-term moves," SNAP said. "But kids are at risk now and need protection now." Emily Gurnon can be reached at 651-228-5522. Follow her at twitter.com/emilygurnon.
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