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The New Orleans Saints, one of the NFL’s most beloved franchises, have been thrust into controversy following the revelation of their deep involvement in a public relations campaign aimed at protecting the Catholic Church during its clergy abuse scandal. Newly uncovered emails obtained by the Associated Press expose the extent to which Saints executives aided the Archdiocese of New Orleans in handling the fallout from the release of a list of priests accused of sexual abuse.

According to hundreds of internal emails, Saints executives worked behind the scenes to shape the public narrative surrounding the abuse crisis. Among the most damning revelations:

  1. Saints officials, including team president Dennis Lauscha, were actively involved in crafting responses for Archbishop Gregory Aymond as he faced media scrutiny.
  2. The team’s senior vice president of communications, Greg Bensel, provided detailed updates to Lauscha on how the archbishop was performing in interviews.
  3. Bensel even briefed his boss on a 2018 call with the city’s district attorney just hours before the church publicly released its list of accused priests. That call, according to the emails, “allowed us to take certain people off” the list.
  4. The Saints’ front office was among the first outside entities to view the list of accused clergy before it was made public, giving them direct access to information that would later be challenged as incomplete.

These findings directly contradict the Saints’ previous statements that they had provided only “minimal assistance” to the archdiocese in handling the scandal.

Survivors of clergy abuse and their advocates have expressed outrage over the Saints’ role in helping the church navigate the scandal.

Kevin Bourgeois, a former Saints season ticket holder who a priest abused in the 1980s, spoke out about the revelations: “We felt betrayed by the organization. It forces me to question what other secrets are being withheld. I’m angry, hurt, and re-traumatized again.”

Louisiana State Representative Mandie Landry (D-New Orleans) also condemned the team’s involvement, stating, “As a New Orleans resident, taxpayer, and Catholic, it doesn’t make any sense to me why the Saints would go to these lengths to protect grown men who raped children.”

In response to the AP report, the Saints issued a statement criticizing the media for using “leaked emails for the purpose of misconstruing a well-intended effort.” The team insisted that “no member of the Saints organization condones or wants to cover up the abuse that occurred in the Archdiocese of New Orleans” and emphasized that their involvement with the church ended in 2019 when the emails were subpoenaed in a lawsuit.

Despite these claims, the NFL has yet to address the controversy publicly. With Commissioner Roger Goodell set to speak at an upcoming press event in New Orleans—just as the city prepares to host its 11th Super Bowl—pressure is mounting for the league to respond to the revelations.

The Saints’ involvement in this crisis is deeply tied to their devoutly Catholic owner, Gayle Benson. Since inheriting control of the team following the death of her husband, Tom Benson, in 2018, she has maintained a close relationship with Archbishop Aymond.

The Benson family’s foundation has contributed tens of millions of dollars to Catholic causes, and Aymond has been a regular presence in team activities, often celebrating Mass for players and executives before games. The archbishop even played a key role in introducing Gayle to her late husband.

The revelations come amid an ongoing legal battle involving more than 600 survivors of clergy sexual abuse who have filed lawsuits against the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The litigation, which forced the archdiocese into bankruptcy in 2020, has uncovered years of cover-ups and failure to report crimes to law enforcement.

Last spring, state police executed a sweeping search warrant at the archdiocese, seizing records, including correspondence with the Vatican. The FBI has also launched an investigation into the systematic cover-up of sexual abuse within the New Orleans Catholic Church.

Since the Saints began assisting the archdiocese with its public relations campaign, at least seven current and former clergymen have been charged with crimes ranging from rape to child pornography.

For the Catholic Church, the release of the clergy abuse list was meant to be a step toward transparency and accountability. Instead, the new revelations indicate that the list was manipulated, with key names omitted and efforts made to control the narrative.

For the Saints, a franchise beloved for its role in helping the city heal after Hurricane Katrina, this scandal represents a devastating blow to its credibility. What was once a team known for its resilience and connection to the community now faces questions about its moral integrity and the extent of its influence over New Orleans institutions.

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