Archbishop Nienstedt apologizes to victims of clergy sex abuse

MINNESOTA
MinnPost

[Archbishop Addresses Media Questions – St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese]

By Beth Hawkins

As calls for his resignation swelled, Archbishop John Nienstedt issued a public apology this morning to victims of clergy sex abuse, saying that his understanding of the problem has become clearer over the last month.

“As the head of this local Church, I know that the ultimate responsibility here is mine. My heart is heavy with the agony that these errors have caused,” Nienstedt wrote in a column in the official publication of the Archdiocese, the Catholic Spirit.

“To those who have been hurt, to the victims of clergy abuse and their family members, I can only tell you how sorry I am,” he continued. “I realize how damaging such actions are in violating the care of their human dignity. And so, with genuine sorrow, I apologize to all those who have been victimized, whether on my watch or not.”

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