John Clayton Nienstedt (born March 18, 1947) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
prelate
A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...
of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. He served as the eighth archbishop of the
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis ( la, Archidiœcesis Paulopolitana et Minneapolitana) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is led by an archbishop who administers ...
in Minnesota from 2008 to 2015. He previously served as bishop of the
Diocese of New Ulm
The Diocese of New Ulm ( la, Dioecesis Novae Ulmae) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in western Minnesota, United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan A ...
in Minnesota from 2001 to 2007 and as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit from 1996 to 2001.
Nienstadt asked for early retirement as archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis after a local prosecutor announced plans to indict the archdiocese due to its failure to protect children from sexual abuse by its priests.
Biography
Early life
John Nienstedt was born pm March 18, 1947, in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, to John C. and Elizabeth S. (née Kennedy) Nienstedt.
The second oldest of six children, he has two brothers, Richard and Michael, and three sisters, Barbara, Mary, and Corinne.
Nienstedt graduated in 1969 from
Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Sacred Heart Major Seminary is a private Roman Catholic seminary in Detroit, Michigan. It is affiliated with the Archdiocese of Detroit.
In 2016–2017, 107 seminarians, representing eleven dioceses and two religious orders were enrolled in cla ...
in Detroit with
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree. He then studied
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy.
The Gregorian originated as ...
in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, where he earned a
Bachelor of Sacred Theology The Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus; abbreviated STB), not to be confused with a Bachelor of Arts in Theology, is the first of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the second being the Licentiate in Sacred ...
degree in 1972.
On April 29, 1972, Nienstedt was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
a deacon at the
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Pri ...
.
Priesthood
Nienstedt was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
a
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
by Bishop
Joseph Imesch on July 27, 1974, for the Archdiocese of Detroit in the United States.
[ He then served as an ]associate pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
at Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson, Michigan
Clawson is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Detroit metropolitan area. At the 2010 census, its population was 11,825.
History
This area was occupied by the historic Potowatomi people, who were among the in ...
, until 1976. He received a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate in Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Licentiatus; abbreviated STL) is the second of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the first being the Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology and the third being the Doctorate in Sacred Theol ...
from the Pontifical Institute of St. Alphonsus in 1977. After returning to Detroit in 1977, Nienstedt became priest-secretary to Cardinal John Dearden
John Francis Dearden (October 15, 1907 – August 1, 1988) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Detroit from 1958 to 1980, and was created a cardinal in 1969. He previously served as Bishop of Pittsb ...
and a part-time professor of moral theology
Ethics involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior.''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy''"Ethics"/ref> A central aspect of ethics is "the good life", the life worth living or life that is simply sati ...
at St. John's Provincial Seminary
St. John's Provincial Seminary was a Catholic major seminary in the Archdiocese of Detroit that operated between 1949 and 1988 in Plymouth, Michigan.
Catholic Seminary
St. John's was founded in 1949 for the Province of the Archdiocese of Detroi ...
in Plymouth, Michigan.
Nienstedt accompanied Cardinal Dearden to the August 1978 papal conclave
The August 1978 papal conclave, the first of the two conclaves held that year, was convoked after the death of Pope Paul VI on 6 August 1978 at Castel Gandolfo. After the cardinal electors assembled in Rome, they elected Cardinal Albino Luciani ...
in Rome, where he met the future Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
. Nienstedt was also a weekend associate pastor at St. Fabian's Parish in Farmington Hills
Farmington Hills is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Part of the affluent suburbs northwest of Metro Detroit, Detroit, Farmington Hills is the second most-populated city in Oakland County, after Tro ...
and at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Farmington
Farmington may refer to:
Places Canada
*Farmington, British Columbia
* Farmington, Nova Scotia (disambiguation)
United States
*Farmington, Arkansas
*Farmington, California
*Farmington, Connecticut
*Farmington, Delaware
* Farmington, Georgia
* ...
, both in Michigan. He became vicar general
A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...
for the archdiocese in 1979.
In 1980, Nienstedt returned to Rome, where he was assigned to the English desk of the Vatican Secretariat of State
The Secretariat of State (Latin: ''Secretaria Status''; Italian: ''Segreteria di Stato'') is the oldest dicastery in the Roman Curia, the central papal governing bureaucracy of the Catholic Church. It is headed by the Cardinal Secretary of State ...
. While in Rome, he also served as a chaplain at Bambino Gesù Hospital
Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù (''Baby Jesus Paediatric Hospital'') is a tertiary care academic children's hospital located in Rome that is under extraterritorial jurisdiction of the Holy See. As a tertiary children referral centre, the hosp ...
(1980–83) and to the Brothers of Holy Cross
, image = Congregation of Holy Cross.svg
, image_size = 150px
, abbreviation = CSC
, formation =
, founder = Blessed Fr. Basile-Antoine Marie Moreau, C.S.C.
, founding_location = L ...
(1981–84). Nienstedt earned a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Institute of St. Alphonsus in 1985; his doctoral thesis was entitled, "Human Life in a Test-tube; the Moral Dimension of In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo transfer."
In early 1986, Nienstedt came back to Michigan. He was named temporary assistant pastor at St. Regis Parish in Birmingham, Michigan
Birmingham is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Detroit located along the Woodward Corridor ( M-1). As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103.
History
The area comprising what is now the c ...
, and adjunct professor of moral theology at SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary
SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary is a four-year private Polish seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan, United States. The seminary, taking its name from Saints Cyril and Methodius, was founded in 1885 in Detroit, Michigan, to prepare candidates for ...
in Orchard Lake, Michigan. He was named pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
of St. Patrick's Parish in Union Lake, Michigan
Union Lake is an unincorporated community in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located at the junction of four townships: Commerce, Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
, mapsize = 220px
, pushpi ...
in July that year. In 1987, Nienstedt was appointed to reorganize Sacred Heart Seminary. He became its rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
in 1988. He was named as an honorary prelate of his holiness
A Prelate of Honour of His Holiness is a Catholic prelate to whom the Pope has granted this title of honour.
They are addressed as Monsignor and have certain privileges as regards clerical clothing.[National Shrine of the Little Flower
The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica Catholic Church is a Catholic church in Royal Oak, Michigan. A designated national shrine, the church building is well-known for its execution in the lavish zig-zag Art Deco style. The structure ...]
in Royal Oak, Michigan, in 1994.
Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit
On June 12, 1996, Nienstedt was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit and titular bishop of Alton
Alton may refer to:
People
*Alton (given name)
*Alton (surname)
Places Australia
*Alton National Park, Queensland
* Alton, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Balonne
Canada
* Alton, Ontario
*Alton, Nova Scotia
New Zealand
* Alton, New Zealand, ...
by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...
on July 9, 1996, from Cardinal Adam Maida
Adam Joseph Maida (born March 18, 1930) is an American cardinal prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Maida served as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit in Michigan from 1990 to 2009, and was elevated to cardinal in 1994. Maida previo ...
, with Cardinals James Hickey and Edmund Szoka
Edmund Casimir Szoka (September 14, 1927 – August 20, 2014) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Until 2006, he was President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City ...
serving as co-consecrators
A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop.
The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...
. He selected as his episcopal motto
A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...
: , 'That All May Be One' from John 17:21.
As an auxiliary bishop, Nienstedt served as episcopal vicar
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United State ...
for the Dearborn, Downriver, Monroe, Northwest Wayne, Southland, and Western Wayne vicar
A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...
iates.
Bishop of New Ulm
Nienstedt was named as the third bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm on June 12, 2001, and was installed on August 6. He denounced the more progressive views of his predecessor, Bishop Raymond Lucker, told Catholics not to read Lucker's book as representing Catholic doctrine, and asked the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...
(USCCB) to assess the validity of his views.
During his tenure at the USCCB, Nienstedt chaired the Committee on Priestly Formation and was a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Health Care Issues and the Church in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...
. Both Nienstedt's parents died in the course of six weeks in the winter of 2007.
Coadjutor Archbishop and Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis
On April 24, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
appointed Nienstedt as coadjutor archbishop The term coadjutor (or coadiutor, literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence.
These include:
* Coadj ...
of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the designated successor to Archbishop Harry Flynn.
When the pope accepted Flynn's retirement on May 2, 2008, Nienstedt automatically succeeded him as the eighth archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Nienstedt received the pallium
The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : ''pallia'') is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropolit ...
, a vestment worn by metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis.
Originally, the term referred to the b ...
s, from Pope Benedict in St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal en ...
on June 29, 2008. Shortly after becoming archbishop, Nienstedt discontinued the gay pride
LGBT pride (also known as gay pride or simply pride) is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as a social group. Pride, as opposed to sham ...
prayer service held at St. Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
. He declined numerous invitations to attend the 2008 Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008. The first day of the Republican Party's convention fell on Labor Day, the last day of the popul ...
, which was held in St. Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
.
In October 2010, Nienstedt announced a strategic plan that called for 21 parishes to be merged into 14 neighboring parishes. These and two layer mergers reduced the number of parishes in the archdiocese from 213 in October 2010 to 188 in July 2013. The mergers involve parishes across the archdiocese.
Personal misconduct allegations against Nienstedt
The archdiocese announced on December 17, 2013, that Nienstedt had voluntarily "stepped aside from all public ministry". The day before, Ramsey County authorities launched an investigation into an allegation that in 2009 Nienstedt had touched a boy on the buttocks. This allegedly happened during a photo session with the boy after a confirmation ceremony. After receiving the complaint, the archdiocese encouraged the young man to contact the police. Nienstedt maintained that this allegation was "absolutely and entirely false."
In February 2014, with Nienstedt's approval, the archdiocese hired an outside law firm to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against seminarians and other young men. The allegations were initiated by Jennifer Haselberger, the archdiocesan canon law official. On March 11, 2014, Ramsey County officials announced they had concluded an "intensive investigation" of the touching allegation and would not file charges against Nienstedt, citing insufficient evident. Nienstedt immediately announced his return to public ministry.
In July 2014, the archdiocese publicly revealed its investigation of Nienstedt. Nienstedt responded, saying "I have never engaged in sexual misconduct and certainly have not made any sexual advances toward anyone. ... The allegations do not involve minors or lay members of the faithful, and they do not implicate any kind of illegal or criminal behavior."
Sexual abuse allegations against priests
Nienstedt was criticized in 2014 for the way "his diocese has dealt with sexually abusive priests".[Paulson, Michael]
"Archbishop, Under Fire Over Abuse, Apologizes but Says He Won’t Resign"
New York ''Times'', July 30, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2014. Nienstedt responded, writing in a diocesan publication that although "it is very clear that we did not handle all complaints the way we should have in the past ... I have never knowingly covered up clergy sexual abuse ndI promise to make changes".
Six archdiocesan priests publicly criticized Nienstedt's handling of the allegations, with some calling for his resignation. Nienstedt said that he would only resign if the papal nuncio
An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...
took action. In 2014, during a lawsuit against the archdiocese, Nienstedt testified about his knowledge of priests accused of child sexual abuse.
LeVan case
In an April 2, 2014, deposition, Nienstedt claimed to have been unaware until March 2014 that Kenneth LaVan, a priest in the archdiocese, was still in ministry. In 1988, the archdiocese had received accusations that LaVan had sexually assaulted a teenage girl and was guilty of "sexually exploiting" several women. His continued ministry was a violation of church policy.
Despite Nienstedt's denials, court documents showed that he had received several updates over the years on LaVan's pastoral work. Nienstedt received the last update on August 15, 2013, and afterwards approved LaVan's continued parish assignments. The documents also indicated that Nienstedt had socialized with LaVan, as recently as June 2013, thanking him in a letter for a gift of Wild Turkey
The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an Upland game bird, upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of Turkey (bird), turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic ...
bourbon at a social gathering.
Gustafson case
Nienstedt also testified in 2014 that he first learned of the criminal conviction of the Gilbert Gustafson, another archdiocesan priest, "during the last six months". Nienstedt claimed to have little knowledge of him. Gustafson had been convicted in 1983 of sexually assaulting a boy in White Bear Lake, Minnesota
White Bear Lake is a city in Ramsey County in the state of Minnesota, United States. A small portion of the city also extends into Washington County. The population was 23,769 at the 2010 census. The city is located on White Bear Lake, one o ...
over a period of several years; he was fined and spent several months in prison.
Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), is a public radio network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, YourClassical MPR and The Current, MPR operates a 46-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest.
MPR ha ...
in October 2014 reported that LaLonne Murphy, a parish music director, had written to Nienstedt in 2008 about Gustafson's criminal record and his continued work with the archdiocese. A written response from Nienstedt said that he had no control over Gustafson as he was no longer a priest. In reality, Gusfason had not been laicized
In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the loss of clerical state (commonly referred to as laicization, dismissal, defrocking, and degradation) is the removal of a bishop, priest, or deacon from the status of being a member of the clergy.
The t ...
.
Resignation
On June 5, 2015, Ramsey County prosecutor John J. Choi announced that he was bringing criminal charges and initiating a civil suit against the archdiocese for failing to protect children from sexual abuse. Choi alleged "a disturbing institutional and systemic pattern of behavior committed by the highest levels of leadership of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis over the course of decades". Soon after Choi's announcement, Nienstedt submitted his resignation as archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis to the pope.
Since Nienstedt was several years under the mandatory retirement age of 75 for archbishops, he invoked provision of canon law
Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...
that allows a bishop to resign when some "grave reason" makes it impossible to continue to fulfill his duties. Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
accepted Nienstedt's resignation on June 15, 2015. Nienstedt issued a statement that said he resigned "with a clear conscience knowing that my team and I have put in place solid protocols to ensure the protection of minors and vulnerable adults."
Pope Francis named Bernard Hebda
Bernard Anthony Hebda (born September 3, 1959) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has served as the twelfth ordinary of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis since March 24, 2016.
Prior to his installation as the ...
, coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and Catholic school, schools ...
, to serve as the archdiocese's apostolic administrator
An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...
; Hebda was appointed archbishop on March 24, 2016.
After resignation
After his resignation as archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Nienstedt returned to Michigan, where he has a home on Lake Huron
Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...
. In 2016, he served briefly as substitute priest in the Diocese of Kalamazoo
The Diocese of Kalamazoo is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the southwestern portion of the State of Michigan. The Diocese of Kalamazoo encompasses Allegan, Van Buren, Berrien, Cass, Saint Joseph, K ...
, but quit after only a week due to objections from local parishioners in Battle Creek
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which encom ...
. Nienstedt moved again in 2016 to Napa Valley, California
Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
, where he worked as an independent contractor for the Napa Institute, editing conference proceedings for publication. He also participated in their annual conference. On August 15, 2018, the Institute announced that Nienstedt had "stepped aside" from his responsibilities, and that it was understood that the Institute had been advised that "there are no restrictions on Archbishop Nienstedt’s ministry".
In July 2016, documents related to the investigation by the diocese into Nienstedt were released. He retains his status as an archbishop.
Positions on public issues
Nienstedt has stated that Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
is behind sodomy
Sodomy () or buggery (British English) is generally anal or oral sex between people, or sexual activity between a person and a non-human animal ( bestiality), but it may also mean any non- procreative sexual activity. Originally, the term ''sodo ...
, abortion, contraception
Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...
, pornography and same-sex marriage.
LBGT rights
Nienstedt has described homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
as a "result of psychological trauma
Psychological trauma, mental trauma or psychotrauma is an emotional response to a distressing event or series of events, such as accidents, rape, or natural disasters. Reactions such as psychological shock and psychological denial are typical. ...
" that "must be understood in the context of other human disorders: envy, malice, greed, etc." In 2005, Nienstedt warned that the film ''Brokeback Mountain
''Brokeback Mountain'' is a 2005 American neo-Western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus. Adapted from the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx, the screenplay was written by O ...
'' was part of a so-called agenda that "severs the connection between marriage and gender". He summarized the plot–"one man makes a pass at the other and within seconds the latter mounts the former in an act of wanton anal sex"–and called it "a story of lust gone bad".
In October 2012, Nienstedt used more than US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
600,000 in archdiocesan funds to campaign for Minnesota Amendment 1
Minnesota Amendment 1 (also called Minnesota Marriage Amendment or Minnesota Gay Marriage Amendment) was a legislatively referred constitutional amendment proposed to ban marriage between same-sex couples in the state of Minnesota, that appeared ...
, which would have banned same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
in the state. The initiative was defeated at the polls on November 6, 2012, by five percentage points. Nienstedt opposed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage, which became law on May 14, 2013.
Abortion
During the 2008 U.S. presidential election
The 2008 United States presidential election was the 56th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. The Democratic ticket of Barack Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, and Joe Biden, the senior senator from ...
, Nienstedt criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...
, saying she had a "misinterpretation on the question of when life begins" and that her "remarks underscore once again the need for Catholics, and especially Catholic politicians, to form their consciences according to the moral truths taught by the Catholic Church." He also criticized the Freedom of Choice Act
In United States politics, the Freedom of Choice Act was a bill which sought to codify into law for women a "fundamental right to choose to bear a child; terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability; or terminate a pregnancy after viability when ...
, saying, "It is hard to imagine a more radical piece of pro-abortion legislation." He opposes embryonic stem cell research
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage pre- implantation embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist ...
involving discarded human embryo stem cell lines.
Euthanasia
In 2005, while discussing the Terri Schiavo
The Terri Schiavo case was a series of court and legislative actions in the United States from 1998 to 2005, regarding the care of Theresa Marie Schiavo (née Schindler) (; December 3, 1963 – March 31, 2005), a woman in an irreversible ...
right-to-die case, Nienstedt stated,"Her case demonstrates the disparity that exists in this country between laws and basic moral principles. While we cannot legislate morality, we ought not to be legislating immorality."
References
External links
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Official Site
Article from the Pioneer Press
Article from MPR
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nienstedt, John
1947 births
Living people
Clergy from Detroit
21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the United States
Roman Catholic bishops of New Ulm
Roman Catholic archbishops of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Pontifical North American College alumni
Pontifical Gregorian University alumni
Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals in the United States
Ecclesiastical passivity to Catholic sexual abuse cases
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
Sacred Heart Major Seminary faculty
Religious leaders from Michigan