Bill Donohue sent the following letter on October 25, 2013, to Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó, the U.S. Papal Nuncio:
Your Excellency:
This letter is in response to a missive sent to you by a motley group of dissident Catholics, as well as those no longer in communion with the Church, asking for the resignation of Archbishop John Nienstedt. The request is illegitimate: Those pressing this issue cite Canon law as the basis of their agenda, yet they themselves belong to organizations that expressly reject the teachings of the Catholic Church on many issues. That is why some U.S. bishops have excommunicated anyone who belongs to some of these rogue Catholic groups.
The Catholic Coalition for Church Reform never mentions the fact that the Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis has no offending priests in ministry, or that he has taken exceptional steps to ensure the integrity of the archdiocese. Not surprisingly, some in the secular media are giving high profile to this orchestrated effort to unseat Archbishop Nienstedt. He deserves better.
The letter you were sent contains many factual errors, all intentionally designed to smear Archbishop Nienstedt. I am enclosing a piece that was published today by Joan Frawley Desmond in the National Catholic Register that accurately describes this issue.
Unlike those who harbor an animus against the Church, the Catholic League is listed in the Official Catholic Directory. Our staff, and our members, are loyal sons and daughters of the Catholic Church. As such, it pains us when we read of attempts by the Church’s adversaries to malign innocent persons.
Thank you for your consideration.
