U.S. archbishop resigns over sex-abuse scandal

Jane Onyanga-Omara | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Minnesota archbishop resigns amid coverup charges Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Anthony Piche resigned not long after the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis was charged with failing to protect children from a pedophile priest.

The archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis and his auxiliary bishop have resigned after the archdiocese was charged with having failed to protect children from a pedophile priest.

The Vatican said Monday that Pope Francis accepted the resignations of Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Anthony Piché.

Nienstedt is the second U.S. bishop in the Catholic Church to resign as the result of a clergy sex abuse scandal, Minnesota Public Radio News reported.

The two resigned under the code of canon law that allows bishops to resign before they retire because of illness or some other "grave" reason that makes them unfit for office.

Earlier this month, prosecutors charged the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis as a corporation with having "turned a blind eye" to repeated reports of inappropriate behavior by a priest who later pleaded guilty to molesting two boys.

No individual was named in the indictment.

In a statement on the archdiocese website, Nienstedt said he submitted his resignation to give the archdiocese "a new beginning."

"My leadership has unfortunately drawn attention away from the good works of His Church and those who perform them. Thus, my decision to step down," he said. "It has been my privilege the last seven years to serve this local Church. I have come to appreciate deeply the vitality of the 187 parishes that make up the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis."

"I leave with a clear conscience knowing that my team and I have put in place solid protocols to ensure the protection of minors and vulnerable adults," he added. "I ask for continued prayers for the well-being of this Archdiocese and its future leaders. I also ask for your continued prayers for me."

In a statement on the same website, Piché said: "The people of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis need healing and hope. I was getting in the way of that, and so I had to resign."

Also Monday, the Vatican said Jozef Wesolowski, its former ambassador to the Dominican Republic, will face charges that he sexually abused boys and had child pornography on his computer.

The Holy See said Wesolowski will have his first hearing July 11. It's the first time such a high-ranking Vatican official will stand trial for sex abuse.

Last week, Pope Francis approved the first-ever system for judging bishops who fail to protect children, after concerns that Catholic bishops guilty of abusing children have largely escaped punishment.

Contributing: Associated Press