And now the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
But the continued presence of the embattled [Archbishop John] Nienstedt in the chancery increases the likelihood that those matters will impede the work of the church in the larger community. Deservedly or not, Nienstedt has become the face of a coverup that has put children in harm’s way. His credibility is in tatters. The archdiocese needs a different leader — a reformer — to have a reasonable chance of restoring its damaged reputation and sustaining its service to the community.
This is from an editorial the paper published yesterday calling on Nienstedt to resign his position as archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis. As the editorial stresses, the Catholic church is a significant institution throughout the state of Minnesota, and when the credibility of its top leader in the state is so significantly undermined, the entire state is affected.
For a good, thought-provoking discussion of the editorial, see the thread following the discussion of the editorial yesterday at National Catholic Reporter.
The graphic: a photograph of an abandoned church in Gary, Indiana, from an article by Delana at Web Urbanist.
