How is the Twin Cities clergy sex abuse scandal playing in Rome?

Pope Francis at the Hall of Remembrance
Pope Francis arrives at the Hall of Remembrance on May 26, 2014, during his visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum in Jerusalem.
GALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images

Twin Cities Archbishop John Neinstedt said last week he has no plans to resign amid calls that he do so.

In his first broadcast interview since a series of MPR news reports about the scandal launched nearly a year ago, Neinstedt also said he had not discussed resigning with higher-ranking Vatican officials.

The MPR series also includes reporting about how previous St. Paul and Minneapolis archbishops addressed the scandal. It comes at a time when, from the Vatican's perspective, Pope Francis recently met for the first time as pontiff with victims of clergy sex abuse, begged their forgiveness and vowed to hold bishops accountable.

A New York Times editorial recently connected those two stories, arguing the pope should see through on that vow by looking first at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

But in a church with so much hierarchy, how will bishop accountability play out in Rome? John Thavis, a long-time Vatican reporter, observer and Minnesota native, joins The Daily Circuit.

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