The Arch Nemesis Can't See The Forest For The Trees

What kind of priest seriously considers bankruptcy as a valid option to protect his diocese from having to pay damages in lawsuits because of unresolved child abuse cases that keep getting won in court by victims? Why; a Catholic priest, of course! Reverend John Nienstedt, Archnemesis of the Minneapolis, Minnesota area, truly feels that despite dozens of lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct of his priests, he "couldn't see the forest for the trees", and he refuses to resign.

Before this whole matter went public, the archbishop did not perceive any problems, despite the fact that his knowledge of Minneapolis priests was the same as it is now. This means that the real problem, as the reverend sees it, is that he is having to answer in court for the priests he failed to properly train, and that the matter is now known to the general public. Back when he enjoyed the luxury of private child abuse, Nienstedt had no problems.

This type of Christian church truly pushes limits. It seems that when Catholic priests are not busy telling victims of domestic violence to apologize to their abusers, they are telling victims of hate crimes that the violence is all their fault......after all, if the victim had never been Black, Spanish, female, disabled, Pagan, Jewish, Muslim, ect., the hate crime never would have been committed! Surely the victim should "take ownership" for being different in some way or other that offended the perpetrator! Merely obeying the laws and being upstanding is obviously not good enough; we must all work harder to make the bigots happy, so they don't lash out! Ain't that right, Reverend Patrick Sullivan? And it appears that those children should all work harder at not being children, because it's all their fault that they are vulnerable, and as long as that's the case, a priest is naturally expected to take advantage of vulnerability, rather than act like a decent human being. It's never the church or the priest's fault. If the perpetrator is politically or financially better off than the victim, it's always the victim's fault when abuse takes place.

Of course, another perspective would be that Archbishop John Nienstedt should be responsible and neuter his priests.