A deputy bishop and the archbishop of St. Paul, Minn. resigned on Monday following claims of ignoring reports of foul play between a priest and children in their archdiocese.
Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Anthony Piche left their positions under canon law that allows members to "resign before they retire because of illness or some other 'grave' reason that makes them unfit for office," according to The Associated Press. Pope Francis was required to make a decision on their resignation requests and accepted.
In a statement, Nienstedt said he was resigning in order "to give the Archdiocese a new beginning amidst the many challenges we face," CNN reported.
Earlier in June the archdiocese in Minnesota was charged for turning "a blind eye" to the inappropriate acts, the AP reported. Curtis Wehmeyer, a former priest in the diocese, was convicted on 20 felony charges of sexual abuse against minors and possession of child pornography in February of 2013.
Prior to Wehmeyer's conviction, Nienstedt had promoted him.
"My team and I have put in place solid protocols to ensure the protection of minors and vulnerable adults," Nienstedt said about the future of the archdiocese.
Niensted is no stranger to allegations, as CNN reports that two years ago someone claimed he "inappropriately touched a boy" during a photo session in 2009. He said the allegations were "absolutely and entirely false" and ultimately was not charged.
Earlier this year Pope Francis accepted the resignation of a different bishop in connection to molestation rumors at a different archdiocese. In April, Robert Finn, formerly a bishop with the Diocese of Kansas City, was convicted of "failing to report a suspected child abuser," Following the conviction he stepped down from the diocese.
The Most Rev. Bernard A. Hebda, an archdiocesan official, is the interim leader of the St. Paul diocese in the wake of Neinstedt's resignation.
