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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 15 May 2019

Suit seeks to hold Vatican at fault for abuse by U.S. priests

By MICHAEL REZENDES and park known as a place to measures to prevent clergy
AMY FORLITI meet for anonymous sex, abuse.
Associated Press and he lied to police about Wehmeyer’s arrest also trig-
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Three his identity, the lawsuit says. gered the resignation of Ni-
brothers who were sexually Wehmeyer was later evalu- enstedt after the archdio-
abused by a priest from the ated at a treatment cen- cese retained a law firm to
Archdiocese of St. Paul and ter for troubled priests and look into his supervision of
Minneapolis filed a federal diagnosed with a sexual Wehmeyer. The investiga-
lawsuit Tuesday against disorder. The archbishop tion alleged Nienstedt had
the Vatican, claiming the at the time, Harry Flynn, sexually harassed priests
Holy See bears responsi- moved him from West St. and seminarians and had
bility because the case Paul to the Church of the a “social relationship” with
was mishandled by former Blessed Sacrament in St. Wehmeyer.
Archbishop John Nienstedt Paul and assigned him to Controversy surrounding
and the Vatican’s former administrative duties. Nienstedt escalated when
ambassador to the United But in 2009, about the time a priest involved in the in-
States. Wehmeyer started abusing vestigation wrote a memo
The lawsuit attempts to In this July 30, 2014, file photo, St. Paul-Minneapolis Archbishop the Hoffman brothers, Nien- saying that Viganò ordered
trace a direct line from cler- John Nienstedt speaks at his office in St. Paul, Minn. stedt promoted Wehmeyer church officials to end the
gy sex abuse victims to the Associated Press to pastor. According to the inquiry and instructed them
Vatican, through Minne- pation of Tuesday’s lawsuit. cial activities undertaken lawsuit, another archdi- to destroy a letter they
sota church officials. Luke, Anderson had also sued by foreign nations. ocesan official cautioned wrote to him objecting to
Stephen and Ben Hoffman the Vatican on two prior The new lawsuit seeks mon- Nienstedt — then newly his directive.
were abused by former occasions without success. etary damages, but the installed as archbishop — Viganò flatly denied those
priest Curtis Wehmeyer, Anderson said he believes plaintiffs said truth is the about the promotion and allegations in a statement
roughly between 2009 and the new lawsuit is stron- goal. The lawsuit asks for informed him of Wehmey- last year. “I never told
2012. ger because he’s made court orders requiring the er’s record, to no avail. anyone that (the law firm)
“I have too many nieces a more complete effort to Vatican to turn over names Over the next three years, should stop the inquiry, and
and nephews to let some- document Vatican authori- of “credibly accused” Wehmeyer abused the I never ordered any docu-
thing like this happen to ty over Catholic clerics and priests whose cases have Hoffman brothers, who ment be destroyed,” he
anybody else,” Stephen to portray the church as a been referred to the Holy were in their mid-teens, dur- said. “Any statement to the
Hoffman said about his de- commercial enterprise. The See, along with related re- ing camping trips. After the contrary is false.”
cision to come forward. Hoffman brothers’ involve- cords. It also seeks names boys’ mother reported the Nienstedt, who is not a de-
Nienstedt and the former ment also allowed him to of church leaders who abuse of at least two of her fendant in the case, also
ambassador, Carlo Maria bring in issues surrounding have been implicit in cov- sons to police, Wehmeyer denies the allegations. In a
Viganò, have previously Nienstedt, which he says ering up abuse. was arrested and pleaded response to emailed ques-
denied the allegations are emblematic of how Ben Hoffman said the guilty to criminal sexual tions from the AP on Tues-
raised in the lawsuit. The church leaders have cov- church needs to be more conduct and possession of day, Nienstedt said his in-
Vatican’s U.S. lawyer, Jef- ered up abuse. transparent and “live in the child pornography. teraction with Wehmeyer
frey Lena, had no immedi- “The body of evidence and truth.” The AP does not routinely was in the context of arch-
ate comment. In the past the scope of the complaint “I’m still Catholic. I have a name victims of sexual bishop to priest.
Lena has described sex is much broader and much deep love for the church. abuse, but the plaintiffs “During my time as Arch-
abuse lawsuits against the more developed than the I have a deep love for my have chosen to speak pub- bishop, I was made aware
Vatican as publicity stunts. first time we litigated this,” faith, it means the world to licly. of some challenges Weh-
The lawsuit’s plaintiffs in- Anderson said. me. But the Vatican — we Wehmeyer’s arrest led lo- meyer was facing, but was
clude two other men who Because it has the status of have to fix this,” he said, his cal prosecutors to file not made aware that he
say they were molested by a foreign nation, the Vati- eyes watering. criminal charges against may be inappropriately or
Catholic priests, one in Min- can is generally exempt Before the Hoffman broth- the archdiocese for fail- illegally involved with mi-
nesota and one in Califor- from lawsuits in the United ers were abused, church ing to protect children. The nors,” Nienstedt wrote. He
nia. Those two men sued States. Exceptions to the officials received com- charges were dropped in said that as archbishop,
the Vatican separately U.S. Foreign Sovereign Im- plaints about Wehmeyer’s 2016 when the archdio- he ensured Wehmeyer was
within the last year, but at- munities Act include wrong- inappropriate sexual activi- cese admitted wrongdoing complying with conditions
torney Jeff Anderson with- ful acts committed against ties. In 2004, he was cited and agreed to meet with placed on him, including
drew their cases in antici- U.S. citizens and commer- for loitering in a Minnesota victims and adopt stronger attending counseling.q