Archbishop from Detroit Resigns-what's Next?

SNAP
June 15, 2015

http://www.snapnetwork.org/mi_archbishop_from_detroit_resigns_what_s_next

A Minnesota Catholic archbishop whose archdiocese faces criminal charges for endangering kids has resigned. But this should be just the beginning of a long process of exposing and punishing clerics who put kids in harm’s way.

Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt spent almost 50 years in Detroit. He also faces allegations of sexual misconduct with ten seminarians. At least some of the reported misdeeds happened in Detroit, where Nienstedt for six years was President of Sacred Heart Major Seminary. In 1996, he was named an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Detroit’s current archbishop must help Minnesota prosecutors and Michigan Catholics, by aggressively reaching out to anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered sexual misdeeds by his colleague.

[startribune.com]

For the safety of parishioners and the public, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron must act. We beg him to use his vast resources – parish websites, church bulletins and pulpit announcements – to seek out anyone else who may have been hurt by Nienstedt. This is the very least Vigneron should do.

When allegations of sex crimes or misdeeds against clergy arise, Catholic officials almost always do the absolute bare minimum. Rarely, if ever, do they act responsibly and decisively, by helping the investigations. And by their silence and inaction, Catholic officials make such investigations harder and less successful.

Catholic officials can’t have their cake and eat it too, by insisting on internal investigations into sexual misconduct but doing little or nothing to help with these investigations.

For centuries, sexual misconduct has been carefully and effectively hidden by a rigid, secretive, all-male monarchy in the Catholic church. Despite promises of reform, such misconduct remains largely hidden. Vigneron can become part of the solution, by taking decisive action now. Or he can keep being part of the problem, by passively sitting back and refusing to extend a helping hand to Minnesota investigators and to perhaps even more suffering Detroit Catholics, some of whom might be his own priests.

(One of Nienstedt’s accusers, a former priest named Joel Cycenas, has spoken publicly in the Star Tribune.)