MINNESOTA
National Catholic Register
by JOAN FRAWLEY DESMOND 10/25/2013
MINNEAPOLIS — In 2002, Archbishop Harry Flynn of St. Paul and Minneapolis spearheaded the passage of the 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” the U.S. bishops’ landmark effort to overcome a scandalous legacy of clergy sexual abuse of minors and failed episcopal oversight.
Archbishop Flynn, who once chaired the U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse, retired in 2008, but his successor, Archbishop John Nienstedt, now faces allegations that diocesan leaders, past and present, failed to remove troubled priests from ministry and to report suspected possession of child pornography. The archbishop has now called for an independent review of archdiocesan policies and procedures for handling clergy sexual misconduct.
The recent furor began when Jennifer Haselberger, a canon lawyer who previously worked for the archdiocese, alleged that Archbishop Nienstedt ignored her warnings about the past misconduct of a diocesan priest, Father Curtis Wehmeyer, who would later plead guilty to charges of criminal sexual conduct involving minors and possession of child pornography in November 2012.
Haselberger served as the archdiocese’s chancellor for canonical affairs and also managed the records department from Aug. 18, 2008, to April 30, 2013. After her voluntary departure, which she said was prompted by the archdiocese’s response to her concerns, Haselberger spoke with Minnesota Public Radio (MPR). Documents from the archdiocesan archives were supplied to local police and have been posted on MPR’s website.
She was also critical of instances where she believed the archdiocese failed to immediately forward concerns or allegations to local law enforcement, instead having chosen to conduct its own investigation in advance of such.
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