The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis objects strongly to the Sept. 11 headline "Archdiocese helped priest flee, suit says." That headline is both irresponsible and unjust because it gives credibility to a plaintiff attorney's untrue claims. If all a plaintiff's attorney has to do today to try his case in the court of public opinion is to call a press conference and get his charges, accurate or not, in a headline, then let's bid farewell to journalistic standards. This headline was crafted despite the fact that the archdiocese sent a statement to the reporter disputing these untrue allegations about our role and giving accurate facts about the matter. That statement is reflected in the actual story, but too many scanner readers only see the inflammatory headline and will be deceived. The facts are that in no way did the archdiocese "help" this priest to "flee." We reported these allegations to the Minneapolis Police Department as soon as they were reported to us and also suspended all of the man's priestly faculties. Though the police held him and investigated the charges, they subsequently released him, stating their investigation found a lack of evidence. He was then a free man, and the archdiocese had no authority to detain him. We had already notified his bishop in his home country of Ecuador of these charges, and the bishop recalled him. We cannot be expected to hold a foreign priest here against his will when the law authorities have released him and no charges are pending. We have no jails. If these allegations against this foreign priest are true, we wholeheartedly extend our deepest sympathies to the child and her family. Our response to these allegations was, however, swift, disciplined and responsible. DENNIS B. MCGRATH, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS,

ARCHDIOCESE OF ST. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS