Former Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt responds to lawsuit

Former St. Paul and Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt responded Wednesday to portions of the lawsuit against the Vatican that mention him, including the statements below, edited for length.

The lawsuit: On May 2, 2008 Archbishop John Clayton Nienstedt replaced Harry Flynn as the Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Shortly after that, the Archdiocesan Chancellor for Canonical Affairs provided Archbishop Nienstedt with Fr. Wehmeyer's history and information about his problems.

Response: "I was made aware of some challenges Rev. Wehmeyer was facing, but was not made aware that he may be inappropriately or illegally involved with minors."

The lawsuit: On June 1, 2009, Archbishop Nienstedt promoted Wehmeyer to pastor of Blessed Sacrament, and also made him pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in St. Paul despite his history of sexual misconduct. Official Fr. Peter Laird warned the Archbishop against making Fr. Wehmeyer pastor and indicated that Fr. Wehmeyer was not stable.

Response: "I was unaware of any sexual misconduct allegations against him at the time. Otherwise, I would not have promoted him. I knew that the Archdiocese had placed conditions on Rev. Wehmeyer. When I became Archbishop, I made sure that he was complying with those conditions, which included regular counseling, attendance at support group meetings, spiritual direction, and monitoring by the Archdiocesan Promoter of Ministerial Standards."

The lawsuit: In the fall of 2013, Archbishop John Nienstedt, was accused of sexual misconduct, during his time as Archbishop of Minneapolis and St. Paul and before. The allegations included sexual harassment of priests; unwelcome sexual propositioning of priests of the Archdiocese and Diocese of Detroit; that Archbishop Nienstedt retaliated against a 19-year-old seminarian for refusing to go with Archbishop Nienstedt on a trip by having the seminarian removed from the seminary; that Nienstedt was known to frequent establishments catering to gay clientele in Canada and Detroit and that Archbishop Nienstedt inappropriately touched a boy during a confirmation photograph.

Response: "I categorically deny all of those allegations and I have never used my position to take advantage of anybody."

The lawsuit: Another of the allegations was that Archbishop Nienstedt had an unusual social relationship with Fr. Curtis Wehmeyer prior to his arrest.

Response: "I have never had an 'unusual social relationship' or really any social relationship with Rev. Wehmeyer. At the time, Rev. Wehmeyer was an Archdiocesan priest and I was his Archbishop. I had three meals with him over the course of three years."

The lawsuit: Between February, 2014, and April, 2014 [the law firm of] Greene Espel obtained 10 affidavits describing sexual misconduct by Archbishop Nienstedt, and appeared to discover a personal relationship between Archbishop Nienstedt and Fr. Wehmeyer prior to Fr. Wehmeyer's arrest. Witnesses reported seeing Archbishop Nienstedt leaving Wehmeyer's rectory early in the morning and visiting in the evenings.

Response: "I categorically deny all of those allegations and I have never used my position to take advantage of anybody. These allegations were, and still are, absolutely and entirely false … It's also difficult to defend myself because the allegations are of the 'he said, he said' nature. It is my word against the accusers and, as much as they seem to want to discredit me, I don't want to harm them. I am relieved, however, that the public now knows the extent of the allegations and can hear my response."

The lawsuit: The papal nuncio at the time, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, worked with Archbishop Nienstedt in Rome early in their careers.

Response: "While Archbishop Vigano and I served the Vatican Secretariat of State at the same time, we worked in different departments. I knew him only as 'Monsignor' Vigano."

The lawsuit: Bishop Cozzens and Bishop Piche met with Archbishop Vigano about Greene Espel's findings about Archbishop Nienstedt. In response, Archbishop Vigano instructed Bishop Cozzens and Bishop Piche that Green Espel was not to pursue any more leads, quickly interview Archbishop Nienstedt, and wrap up the investigation.

Response: "There were a series of meetings that day. The four of us met together and then, at the Nuncio's request, he and I met separately and, later, he and the Bishops met separately. At the private meeting with me requested by the Nuncio, I only asked for the opportunity to defend myself and respond to charges as part of this investigation."

The lawsuit: In July of 2016, the Archdiocese reached a settlement with the Ramsey County Attomey's Office, in which the Archdiocese admitted wrongdoing for its failure to protect children from Fr. Curtis Wehmeyer in return for the criminal charges against them being dropped. In their admission, the Archdiocese made no mention of the relationship between Fr. Wehmeyer and Archbishop Nienstedt being a reason for the decisions made by Archbishop Nienstedt that led to Fr. Wehmeyer's access to and sexual abuse of minor boys.

Response: "I was made aware of some challenges Rev. Wehmeyer was facing, but was not made aware that he may be inappropriately or illegally involved with minors."

Jean Hopfensperger