MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press
By Elizabeth Mohr
emohr@pioneerpress.com
In the month since he was appointed interim archbishop, Bernard Hebda has surmised a few things about the state of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis: the situation is complex, the legal issues are challenging, and rebuilding will take time.
But Hebda, officially known as the apostolic administrator, remains optimistic.
“I see so many good things going on. But at the same time, I know there are people who have been hurt, who have lost some trust,” Hebda said in an interview Friday. “So we need to be able to respond to their needs and really the need for the church to be that healthy institution she needs to be to do Christ’s work.”
The Vatican appointed Hebda last month when Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche resigned.
Hebda, who inherited a legal and emotional firestorm, is viewed by some as a fixer.
Hebda said he’s been familiarizing himself with the archdiocese’s current crisis: bankruptcy, criminal charges, an investigation into Nienstedt, and a Catholic community reeling from revelations of clergy sex abuse and allegations of a cover-up.
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