MN--Predator priest loses at US Supreme Court

Hebda’s not dumb. He knows that adults who are exploited by clerics are usually filled with shame, confusion and self-blame. He knows that they’ll likely stay silent unless he does aggressive outreach to them. But he’s unwilling to do so. He’s like virtually every other Catholic official who prefers to comfortably sit in offices rather than go out, like Jesus suggested (in the parable of the Good Shepherd), and help the lost and wounded sheep. Shame on him.

As Twin Cities SNAP leader Frank Meuers said earlier this year, “Fr. Wenthe preys on vulnerable, devout women who have been raised since birth to respect and revere allegedly celibate priests who posture as Christ’s representatives on earth. That’s why it’s illegal in Minnesota and other states for clerics to sexually exploit congregants. Bishop Bernard Hebda is essentially a ‘caretaker.’ He can’t initiate radical changes in the archdiocese. He can, however, use church resources to reach out to others who saw, suspected or suffered Fr. Wenthe’s crimes. And if he wants us to believe he’s a better shepherd than his predecessor, that’s precisely what he’ll do. Parish bulletins, pulpit announcements, church websites, news releases – these are a few of the many ways Hebda could prod others with information or suspicions about Fr. Wenthe’s crimes to step forward. We challenge Hebda to do this immediately and to personally go to each place where Fr. Wenthe worked spreading this message.”

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected], [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Frank Meuers of Plymouth MN, SNAP director Southern Minnesota (952-334-5180, [email protected]), Verne Wagner of Duluth, SNAP director Northern Minnesota (218-340-1277, [email protected])