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PDF versionFirst Things columnist criticizes Kansas City Bishop
by Joshua J. McElwee on Jun. 08, 2011
The fallout from all of this will land on Finn, as it should. One one wonders if there is any way he can effectively shepherd the people of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, any longer. He has been apologizing continuously for that mistake — here is his latest, but even as he is speaking the words, a man preparing for ordination to the permanent diaconate in his diocese has decided his conscience won’t let him promise obedience to a Bishop whose judgment he cannot trust
Elizabeth Scalia, the popular First Things columnist and writer known for her blog "The Anchoress," has joined those critical of Kansas City-St. Joseph Bishop Robert Finn for his handling of a case involving a priest arrested for possession of child pornography.
"By all accounts, Bishop Robert Finn is a very good man, but it seems he is a very good man who made a very big -- huge; astounding -- mistake," writes Scalia at the beginning of a blog post yesterday.
The mistake Scalia refers to is Finn's admission that he did not read a May 19, 2010, letter sent to his chancery by Julie Hess, principal of St. Patrick's elementary school, which warned that Fr. Shawn Ratigan, a diocesan priest, "fit the profile of a child predator."
Scalia's comments came the same day The Kansas City Star reported in a front page article that a local candidate for the deaconate had withdrawn his decision to receive holy orders because, he wrote in a letter, "I cannot promise respect or obedience that is a part of the diaconate ordination."
"To me this breakdown in the system that was put in place to protect God’s children is inexcusable," wrote Jim McConnell in a letter posted on the Kansas City, Mo. Holy Family parish web site.
Scalia continues on her blog:
No[t] every good person is a good leader. I don’t see how Finn, if he loves his flock, does not take the hit in order to protect them.
Ratigan was arrested May 19 on three counts of possessing child pornography. He was arraigned May 23 in Clay County court, and he pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is scheduled to appear in court again June 16.
In a statement the diocese released May 20, the diocese said that it had sent Ratigan "out of state" for psychiatric care after a suicide attempt -- emergency workers found him Dec. 17 unconscious in his closed garage with his motorcycle running.
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When the priest returned to the diocese, Finn said in the letter, Ratigan was sent to a community of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Eucharist with instructions to not attend or participate in events where children were present. Finn also said the priest "did not have his computer or his camera in his possession during this period."
Records obtained by NCR indicate Ratigan accessed his Facebook account as late as March 9, and posted several status updates that day using his cell phone.
After the diocese became aware that Ratigan had attended several functions involving children, Finn said in the letter that the diocesan vicar general contacted the police again May 12.
Following an investigation, police officers found more pornographic materials of children -- including "up-skirt pictures that were covertly taken," as well as a nude photo of a minor female.
According to court documents, detectives determined May 13 that many of the images "were taken in and around the churches and schools Ratigan has been associated with."
Who cares if a 'con' blogger
Who cares if a 'con' blogger call for Finn's step down! The "cons' have been in denial so long they have no credibility.
Even the pew mice now see the problem..
Regarding: "The mistake
Regarding: "The mistake Scalia refers to is Finn's admission that he did not read a May 19, 2010, letter sent to his chancery by Julie Hess, principal of St. Patrick's elementary school, which warned that Fr. Shawn Ratigan, a diocesan priest, "fit the profile of a child predator." "
- Perhaps you meant that the mistake was that Finn did not read the May 19, 2010 letter. Instead of the 'admission' being the mistake?
"Finn's admission that he did
"Finn's admission that he did not read a May 19, 2010, letter sent to his chancery by Julie Hess, principal of St. Patrick's elementary school, which warned that Fr. Shawn Ratigan, a diocesan priest, 'fits the profile of a child predator.'"
This is Finn's CLAIM. Frankly, we have a hart time believing him. And if he did not, in fact, see the letter, we strongly suspect it's because he told his vicar general NOT to share it with him.
David Clohessy, Director, SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, (7234 Arsenal Street, St. Louis MO 63143), 314 566 9790 cell (SNAPclohessy@aol.com)
Child predators are very
Child predators are very cunning and manipulative. They know every trick on how to groom, threaten, lie, and put the fear of god into their victims and sometimes even their family members.
They also appear to do a lot of goods things, they can be extremely caring and appear they would never harm to a child. They have to be this way, in order to not get caught and to continue to abuse.
Keep in mind your silence only hurts, and by speaking up there is a chance for healing, exposing the truth, and therefore protecting others.
Victims of clergy abuse have learned the best thing for upset KC diocese catholics can do, is urge your prosecutors to do an investigation into the Kansas City diocese, like was done in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. link to recent report is here. http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news5/2011_02_10_Philadelphia_Indic...
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, 636-433-2511
snapjudy@gmail.com
"Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests"
http://www.snapnetwork.org/
Mistake? There's that
Mistake? There's that favorite word again. Forgetting to buy a loaf of bread at the grocery is a mistake. A purchase order error for copy paper is a mistake. A math error in your checkbook is a mistake.
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What Bishop Finn chose to do, and failed to do, was at the very least child endangerment and predator-clergy enabling — a crime. When the situation got too hot to handle, Finn foisted this out-of-control predator onto a community of nuns to quietly harbor! A "very good man" would not willfully endanger children or a group of women religious, and/or damage their reputation by association. If past cases are any indicator, when Ratigan goes to trial we will learn that the situation was even worse than we now know.
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Call it what it is — criminal and irresponsible — and skip the minimizing, self-serving euphemisms. This was NO mere mistake and the fall-out is serious. It's the same old pattern of episcopal behavior preferentially designed to protect the institution and its assets instead of children and other vulnerable persons.
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I so agree with you. This
I so agree with you. This was no "mistake." It was criminal negligence.
Of course, the Catholic
Of course, the Catholic apologists in the comments are still very forgiving of Finn, and they express little or no concern for the victims. Ordinary citizens of the United States would be up in arms if this happened at a Chucky Cheese Restaurant, but Catholics are willing to let it be another teaching moment for another bishop.
Pedophile priests and their protectors are more tolerated by Catholics than by other human beings.
Well, the story gets worse in today's paper. The Vicar was accused in 2007, and the board of the archdiocese and Bishop Finn both dismissed it as not credible. The guy, Brian Heydon, isn't looking for money, so the line, "He's just doing it for the money", the Classical Catholic Clergy Comeback from the Pedophile Protection Playbook won't work.
It's time to start a Grand Jury investigation into Kansas City just like they did in Philadelphia. Law enforcement will have to protect the children, as it is continuously proven that the Catholic church isn't even trying.
Finally! 'First things' is
Finally! 'First things' is not reacting by circling the wagons. Refreshing.
Unfortunately the blog still has many entries that the bishop is being lynched and that we should be cautious. Lets be cautious in protecting kids ... not perpetrators.
"Mistakes were made". (Crimes
"Mistakes were made". (Crimes were commited.)
"I didn't read it". (It was read to me.)
"Files were lost". (Files were destroyed.)
"He's a good man". (If I rat him out he'll rat me out.)
The list of news bites is endless and it's all vatican speak. You just have to learn to read between the lines.
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