Former Crookston Bishop Apologizes for Failures in Governance
Bishop Michael Hoeppner, who resigned as Bishop of Crookston after being accused of mishandling cases of priests accused of sexual misconduct, apologized for his failures in governing the diocese.
“The Church describes the ministry of a diocesan bishop as teaching, sanctifying and governing. It has been a joy and a blessing for me to have served as your bishop for the past 13+ years. I apologize to you, as I have apologized to our Holy Father, for my failures in governing as bishop,”
Bishop Hoeppner wrote in an April 13 letter to the faithful of the Diocese of Crookston. The resignation of Bishop Hoeppner was accepted earlier that day.
Bishop Hoeppner, 71, was the first U.S. bishop to resign amid allegations of mishandling sexual misconduct cases.
Author summary: Bishop Hoeppner apologizes for governance failures.