Vatican concludes former Minnesota archbishop acted imprudently but committed no crimes

STEVE KARNOWSKI
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Vatican has concluded a lengthy investigation into allegations of misconduct by Archbishop John Nienstedt, the former leader of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. It found that he did not violate church law, but he did take actions described as “imprudent” and therefore Pope Francis barred him from public ministry. The archdiocese announced the findings Friday. Current Archbishop Bernard Hebda didn’t say what exactly his predecessor did that’s considered “imprudent.” Nienstedt was one of the first U.S. bishops known to have been forced from office for botching investigations into allegations of sex abuse. He has consistently denied all the allegations and said he welcomed the investigation.