Words cannot express the sorrow I feel for the victims and survivors of clergy

sexual abuse, their families, their friends and our Catholic community. In
particular, I am sorry for the way the Archdiocese, under my leadership,
addressed the allegations against Curtis Wehmeyer. As the Archbishop, I
should have asked more questions, I should have demanded more answers,
and I should have insisted those within the Archdiocesan administration at
the time share more information with each other. I am sorry. I ask for
continued prayers for the well-being of the Archdiocese, its leaders, and all
those hurt by those who have lead.
Two years ago, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis received claims
regarding alleged misbehavior involving me. The claims did not involve
anything criminal or with minors. The allegations involved events alleged to
have occurred more than a decade ago, before I began serving in the
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Upon my direction, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis conducted an
internal investigation involving those allegations made against me. The
allegations were and still are absolutely and entirely false. Nonetheless, at
the time I ordered an independent, thorough investigation with an outside
firm unaffiliated with the Archdiocese.
I ordered that the investigation be conducted for the benefit of the
Archdiocese. The Archdiocese investigates all allegations of clergy
misconduct. It would have been unfair to ignore these allegations simply
because I knew them to be false. Since I would have instructed the
Archdiocese to investigate similar allegations made against any priest, I
ordered the Archdiocese to independently investigate the allegations made
against me.
To this day, I have not seen a final report as to the investigation.
However, I want to be clear and reiterate the public responses that I have
made since the investigation began. I am a heterosexual man who has been
celibate my entire life. I have never solicited sex, improperly touched anyone
and have not used my authority to cover up, or even try to cover up, any
allegation of sexual abuse.
Quite frankly, I am relieved by the release of the information today. I believe
that the allegations have been made as a personal attack against me due to
my unwavering stance on issues consistent with Catholic Church teaching,

such as opposition to so-called same sex marriage. Such personal attacks

were first made when I defended the Churchs opposition to admitting openly
homosexual men to the priesthood. These attacks grew even more vicious
when I began to speak out against so-called same sex marriage. I publicly
supported the proposed marriage amendment in Minnesota, which would
have restricted marriage to one man and one woman. Each time I have
spoken out I have received hundreds of threatening, insulting, and
sometimes frightening letters, emails, and phone calls, some anonymous
I also believe that the accusers are bringing false allegations forward in
retribution for difficult decisions I have made as their superior. I am
governed by privacy and employment laws, which limit what I can say.
However, I can say that the allegations were made several years after the
alleged conduct was supposed to have occurred.
I didnt come forward about the allegations because they are simply not true,
and I didnt want to speak poorly about the men making the allegations. The
priests are known to me, and to each other. It is a matter of public record
that they do not agree with the Churchs teachings on homosexuality, and I
have consistently taken a stand with the Church on those issues.
Its 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 dont want to harm them. I am relieved,
however, that the public now knows the extent of the allegations and can
hear my response. I pray that by knowing the allegations against me,
Catholics in the Archdiocese can continue to move toward healing.