MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio
[with copy of Archbishop Nienstedt’s testimony]
Madeleine Baran St. Paul, Minn. Oct 23, 2014
Archbishop John Nienstedt gave a false statement under oath about his knowledge of a priest’s criminal conviction for sexually assaulting a child, letters obtained by MPR News show.
Nienstedt testified on April 2 that he first learned of the criminal conviction of the Rev. Gilbert Gustafson, an archdiocesan priest, “during the last six months.” He also claimed little knowledge of Gustafson. “I believe that he is retired,” Nienstedt testified. “He’s in our monitoring program, and he’s living on his own.”
That statement surprised Catholic parishioner LaLonne Murphy, who had written to Nienstedt more than six years ago to inform him of Gustafson’s criminal conviction and his ongoing work as a consultant for Twin Cities parishes.
Murphy, who retired last year as director of liturgy and music at St. Edward’s parish in Bloomington, provided MPR News copies of the letters she sent to Nienstedt, as well as the archbishop’s
Nienstedt’s false statement casts doubt on his credibility as he struggles to respond to a clergy sex abuse scandal that has led to calls for his resignation as the leader of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
This latest revelation marks the second time that Nienstedt’s testimony in that April deposition has been called into question. MPR News reported in August that Nienstedt gave false testimony about his knowledge of a different priest accused of abuse.
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