RELIGION

Archbishop in Minnesota says he doesn't think he mismanaged sex abuse scandal, won't resign

Associated Press
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Archbishop John Nienstedt talks with a reporter at his office in St. Paul, Minn. Wednesday, July 30, 2014. Archbishop Nienstedt met with reporters after a law firm hired by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis finished its investigation of allegations of sexual misconduct with adults by Archbishop Nienstedt.(AP Photo/Craig Lassig) (The Associated Press)

Archbishop John Nienstedt talks with a reporter at his office in St. Paul, Minn. Wednesday, July 30, 2014. Archbishop Nienstedt met with reporters after a law firm hired by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis finished its investigation of allegations of sexual misconduct with adults by Archbishop Nienstedt.(AP Photo/Craig Lassig) (The Associated Press)

Archbishop John Nienstedt talks with a reporter at his office in St. Paul, Minn. Wednesday, July 30, 2014. Archbishop Nienstedt met with reporters after a law firm hired by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis finished its investigation of allegations of sexual misconduct with adults by Archbishop Nienstedt.(AP Photo/Craig Lassig) (The Associated Press)

The head of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is defending his handling of a sex abuse scandal.

Archbishop John Nienstedt says he won't resign, despite criticism that he and other local Roman Catholic Church leaders concealed allegations about abusive priests.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, he also again dismissed allegations of sexual misconduct of his own.

Nienstedt said he doesn't believe he has mismanaged the scandal. He said he was shown memos about problem priests, but didn't fully grasp the scope of the troubles until last fall, after a former archdiocese employee went public with her concerns.

Nienstedt has been under pressure since his top adviser on church law, Jennifer Haselberger, resigned last year and publicly accused church leaders of mishandling several cases.