Report: Minnesota Archbishop Nienstedt under scrutiny for same-sex relationships

[ringil]

The allegations do not involve minors or lay members of the faithful, and they do not implicate any kind of illegal or criminal behavior. The allegations involve events alleged to have occurred at least a decade ago, before I began serving in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

I do wonder why he wrote this in his comments.

 

[jilly4ski]

I do wonder why he wrote this in his comments.

Because the last false accusations he faced did include conduct against a minor, and he really hasn’t been archbishop that long.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don’t read Commonweal and understand the problematic stances they take.

But I have to ask why is Commonweal not OK around here but Lifesitenews, which is AT LEAST just as bombastic is acknowledged as a quality news sours?

I don’t read either one as a regular thing, though I have in the past and occasionally look at their information just to see what sorts of things they’re saying.

There really is a difference, though. Commonweal is dissident and Lifesitenews is not.

 

[CWN_News]

Archbishop John Nienstedt of Saint Paul and Minneapolis has announced that he is the subject of an investigation for misconduct that does not "involve minors or lay members of the …

More…

 

[Prodigal_Son]

I don’t read either one as a regular thing, though I have in the past and occasionally look at their information just to see what sorts of things they’re saying.

There really is a difference, though. Commonweal is dissident and Lifesitenews is not.

Nonsense. Lifesitenews, at the very least, has a history of smearing people on unsubstantiated charges, promoting sensationalism, and eliding important moral distinctions in the faith. All of these things destroy the unity of the Church, and so constitute dissidence.

 

[jilly4ski]

St. Paul’s archbishop, a leader in the defense of traditional marriage in his state, faces new accusations of sexual improprieties, supposedly with other adults. Several months ago he faced a similar accusation that was then seen as unfounded by the top-ranked independent law firm that investigated it. As in the earlier case, another bishop has arranged for the law firm, which is unaffiliated with the diocese, to investigate and report on these claims to the archdiocese and the Pope’s ambassador to the United States.
see www.catholicworldreport.com/NewsBriefs/Default.aspx?rssGuid=minn-archbishop-cooperates-with-investigation-of-false-claims-97779/

Already being discussed forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=893740. And this is inaccurate at best. The Archbishop instigated the investigation. The allegations he faced several months ago was investigated by the AGs office not a law firm, and the accusations were found to be baseless.

 

[Memaw]

You mean one like the archidiocese, who confirmed the investigation?

So, they are only seeking the TRUTH. how about you and I, are we willing to accept the TRUTH? God Bless, Memaw

 

[Ridgerunner]

Nonsense. Lifesitenews, at the very least, has a history of smearing people on unsubstantiated charges, promoting sensationalism, and eliding important moral distinctions in the faith. All of these things destroy the unity of the Church, and so constitute dissidence.

Even if your assertions were true, which I do not grant, Lifesitenews is not “dissident” in the sense of opposing the Church and its magisterium. Commonweal is. You don’t have to read much of it to see that.

 

[Ridgerunner]

So, they are only seeking the TRUTH. how about you and I, are we willing to accept the TRUTH? God Bless, Memaw

The investigation was initiated by the bishop himself, in response to allegations of misconduct. Of course, those who oppose him will call it a “whitewash”, but perhaps it will be reassuring to many.

 

[Joe_5859]

I am more than a little skeptical. This poor archbishop was recently the victim of a false accusation for molesting a teenage boy. He was “on leave” for all of lent, because of the accusation, which on its face was ridiculous. (He was accused of fondling a boy’s butt, during a photo opp after confirmations, when all the confirmandi stand up on the steps and parents can snap pictures).

Right. It’s already been proven that making an accusation against him places him on the sidelines. Why not make another?

 

[Prodigal_Son]

Even if your assertions were true, which I do not grant, Lifesitenews is not “dissident” in the sense of opposing the Church and its magisterium. Commonweal is. You don’t have to read much of it to see that.

Here’s what I’ll grant: Lifesitenews does not intentionally oppose any Church doctrine.

It does, however, undermine many doctrines. It undermines love of neighbor. The most common thing to happen with a sensationalist article is that it gets posted on Facebook and leads to (a) people re-affirming themselves in their own self-righteousness, or (b) people making sinners feel judged – by other sinners!

These outcomes are bad, much worse (in my view) than intentional and explicit dissidence. If you disagree openly with the Church, at least people can tell what’s really going on.

 

[ringil]

I don’t read either one as a regular thing, though I have in the past and occasionally look at their information just to see what sorts of things they’re saying.

There really is a difference, though. Commonweal is dissident and Lifesitenews is not.

Why is one dissident and the other not?

Lifesitenews repeatedly and frequently criticizes Catholic hierarchy for engaging in public activity they see as untoward.

Both are “dissident” in their own specific ways.

 

[phil19034]

Why is one dissident and the other not?

Lifesitenews repeatedly and frequently criticizes Catholic hierarchy for engaging in public activity they see as untoward.

Both are “dissident” in their own specific ways.

FYI -

Catholicculture.org does not consider Lifesitenews to be dissident.

catholicculture.org/culture/reviews/view.cfm?recnum=4327&repos=2&subrepos=0&searchid=1375846

They do however consider Commonweal to be dangerous

catholicculture.org/culture/reviews/view.cfm?recnum=928&repos=2&subrepos=0&searchid=1375847

I think CatholicCulture.org’s Internet Reviews are pretty good. They critique dissident Traditionalists as much as they critique Cafeteria Catholics.

God Bless

 

[Prodigal_Son]

I will say this: Lifesitenews has improved, so far as I can tell. But it’s hard for me to forget some of their nonsense from 3-5 years back.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Here’s what I’ll grant: Lifesitenews does not intentionally oppose any Church doctrine.

It does, however, undermine many doctrines. It undermines love of neighbor. The most common thing to happen with a sensationalist article is that it gets posted on Facebook and leads to (a) people re-affirming themselves in their own self-righteousness, or (b) people making sinners feel judged – by other sinners!

These outcomes are bad, much worse (in my view) than intentional and explicit dissidence. If you disagree openly with the Church, at least people can tell what’s really going on.

But you see, whether Lifesitenews undermines love of neighbor is a judgment call, whereas dissidence is not. People can more easily, I think, detect and reject undue harshness (and I’m not sure that’s a justified judgment of Lifesitenews) than they can dissidence, which requires a fund of knowledge to even detect.

We talk about “cafeteriaism” and lament it, and the lack of catechesis in the American church, and rightly so. But against that background, dissident views are often not recognized by the readers as such, leading to ever deepening and more widespread “cafeteriaism”.

 

[Prodigal_Son]

But you see, whether Lifesitenews undermines love of neighbor is a judgment call, whereas dissidence is not. People can more easily, I think, detect and reject undue harshness (and I’m not sure that’s a justified judgment of Lifesitenews) than they can dissidence, which requires a fund of knowledge to even detect.

We talk about “cafeteriaism” and lament it, and the lack of catechesis in the American church, and rightly so. But against that background, dissident views are often not recognized by the readers as such, leading to ever deepening and more widespread “cafeteriaism”.

In the same way, the Pharisees might have said that it is easier to detect when someone is breaking the letter of the law than when someone is breaking the spirit of the law. Of course, they’re right about that. But breaking the spirit of the law is just as – if not more – harmful than breaking the letter of the law.

If you break with Christ’s way of loving his enemies, you break with the Church. That is being a dissident.

(I am, of course, not defending Commonweal – I would hope that that goes without saying).