Former Archbishop John Neinstedt is “dumbfounded” by allegations that he loves gay discos, sexy men and the occasional nostril full of poppers. We’ll remind you that Neinstedt has called homosexuality “evil” in the past and thinks equal marriage laws are a Satanic “man-made experiment” that would harm the children.
The Star Tribune reports that a statement by Nienstedt — the first he’s made since resigning amid criminal and civil charges alleging he failed “to protect children” — expresses fierce exasperation about the whole gritty kerfuffle.
Related: Dangerously Antigay Minnesota Archbishop Resigns Over Child Sex Abuse Coverup
“It pains me deeply that my good name and reputation have been put into question by allegations that are entirely false and based wholly on rumor, hearsay, or innuendo,” he told the paper.
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In one affidavit, a priest in Michigan claims he saw Neinstedt having a kiki at gay nightclub The Happy Tap. “He appeared to wave me off as I was coming,” the priest claims, “and I backed off because I did not want to impose on him.”
Related: Antigay Archbishop May Have Had Gay Sex With Other Priests, Of Course
Another affidavit, also from a Michigan priest, insists Nienstedt pulled up to his car back sometime in the freewheelin’ ’80s, and asked the priest if he happened to have any poppers on hand. Allegedly, Neinstedt changed the subject when he recognized the priest as a former student.
We’re not sure why these priests were chillaxin’ at gay bars and cruisey parks, but that’s beside the point.
Related: MN Archbishop John Nienstadt To Parshioner: Reject Gay Son Or Go To Hell
Another affidavit, this one from James Heathcott, a former seminarian at Detroit’s Sacred Heart Seminary, says he was summarily expelled after refusing Nienstedt’s invitation to head to a ski chalet for a private weekend of — we’re guessing — strenuous prayer.
Oh. And there’s a 2014 letter from a former student that clams Nienstedt “touched his buttocks” after they had dinner together. Joseph Rangitsch says he protested the advances, but Nienstedt could “make things unpleasant for you very quickly.”
Nienstedt, we’ll remind you, once refused holy communion to 25 students because they were wearing rainbow buttons.
Related: Twin Cities Archbishop Refuses To Give Gay Students Holy Carbs
Nienstedt steadfastly denies each and every one of these claims, insisting he’s never “abused any minor, had a sexual relationship with any individual, or committed any crime.” He assures everyone he’s never cut a rug in any gay nightclub, and wasn’t even in Detroit for Poppersgate.
He admits to driving by the park in question on a regular basis because: “I had to drive through the park to get to other destinations within the city of Detroit.” None of which, we’re sure, were called Adam’s Apple.
Related: Chris Kluwe Tackles Archbishop Who Told Woman To Reject Gay Son Or Burn
Nienstedt is claiming that “certain groups” started the rumors following “difficult decisions” he made, such as “ending the gay community’s use of a Catholic church for liturgies.” He also led a markedly unsuccessful campaign to amend the Minnesota Constitution to ban gay marriage.
A court hearing is set for August 25. We’re sure “certain groups” will be waiting for the crisply enunciated guilty verdict with bated breath.
Robert Queen
haha !!
revjshoregoss
as a former seminarian at Sacred heart it was common for students and faculty to be having relations. When i left I learned the other students had assumed i was straight because i wasn’t sleeping around. It was common to see priests at the local clubs many seminarians and priests could be spotted at the eagle on a regular basis in the 80’s
Jim Cash
He must know (justice) Alito!
Brian JC Kneeland
he has always been a jack ass! Ask anyone from Detroit!
William Howell
Oh Mary.
Travis Zepp
He likes the Papicock
BBellairs
The Happy Tap is/was actually in Windsor, so if he claims he wasn’t in Detroit at the time, he would be right!
Alex Rothwell
Guurrrllll……! ! ! !
Sweetie Pie
Ye men of little faith and dirty minds…he went to those gay discos to spread the Gospel..
Abdulmajid Abdallah
Body is not fiar wood my dear
Guido Habets
gay dar piewwwpiewwpiewww
BlueDude
Holycripes! If that photo doesn’t scream “gayface!”, I’ve never seen it!!! I have no problem with gay clergy, and I know several from another denomination, but the hypocrisy flies all over me in the worst way.
Daniel Alvarado
really people still say poppycock these days
Gee Rosato
Ryan Dunkin
He totally has gay face.
Jokie X Wilson
It’s sad when you out yourself with your own quote denying the allegation. 😉 O:)
Kangol
Miss ex-Archbishop Nienstedt knows she ought to quit. Like so many closeted, repressed gay men, he’s striking out against other gays, though he is known to be extremely cruel and nasty (denying communion, etc.). I don’t doubt he did everything he was accused of.
Nearly every priest I know is gay, and I’m talking about a number of them. When I was in my 20s I knew many who were in counseling for alcoholism, etc. Most went to gay bars, bathhouses, you name it, and none of the ones I knew were harming children. But they were miserable because they couldn’t live openly as gay men.
People may not know this, but another notoriously anti-gay Catholic prelate, NY’s late Edward Cardinal Egan, was outed years ago. He wasn’t the only one. If there are any candidates for outing, it should be these hypocrites. (The media wouldn’t touch it, just as they won’t touch the outing of right-wing, anti-gay Republican US Senator John Barrasso.)
They rage on against consenting gay adults, yet overlook or abet their pedophilic and ephebephilic pals in the abuse of children. They are about as far from Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and any God or gods as you can get!
Ladbrook
I dated two gay priests in the 80’s and one in the 90’s. Through them, I spent some time in the subculture… and trust me, there’s a BIG gay subculture in the priesthood. The one thing I most remember was that all of them liked the gay ban and the sex ban on priests. The reason actually made sense: let priests have sex and get married, and the priesthood quickly morphs into a Baptist style preacher-brigade, complete with wives, kids, etc.
They like their little club, and I guarantee it won’t be changing in our lifetime. There are just too many gay bishops and cardinals to ever let that happen.
Transiteer
NO surprise. I’d heard stories from years ago about a Catholic Archbishop (or some such title) of New York who was known affectionately as “Bubbles” for all the young boys he liked to ‘entertain’….
Keith Robben
Cam
Another queen with self hatred baggage trying to attack the community.
If somebody Is really really homophobic we all know that means they are really really gay.
NJjoe
Whoever said he had a “good name and reputation?” Haha.
1EqualityUSA
split personality?
NoCagada
@Ryan Dunkin: And the Jackie Kennedy pink frock and almost pill box hat make it all the more QUEER
Jack Anthony Owen
Douchebag!
Dakotahgeo
Yeah, and those 100s of thousands of little boys that he and his fellow priests diddled around with never happened either! Hypocritical Holy bastard!