Bishop Finn, diocese indicted

[Jaypeeto4]

To “OriginalJS”

I appreciate the points you raised.

My point is, that for a number of years, a number of nominal “Catholics” INSIDE the Church, and a huge number of worldly folks OUTSIDE the Church, have been itching for a chance to stick it to the Church, make her look as bad as possible, and force the Church to change her teachings, especially on morals and the priesthood.

The child abuse tragedy has provided them perfect fodder. And they are salivating over it.
Some of the activists against abuse have a MUCH BROADER, doctrinally-apostate agenda, much more than the JUST agenda of protecting children from abusive clerics.

Remember, less than 3% of the world’s Catholic priests and bishops have ever been accused of ANY sexually inappropriate behavior at ALL, let alone abuse of children.
Less than 3%. But you would never realize THAT, from reading all the comments
appearing, say, on THE HUFFINGTON POST and other news sites on the Internet.
You would think that the Catholic Church was a bastion of porno and wanton perversion to read the comments on those news websites. And that is an abominable lie,
but one which is now being spread on thick, thanks to mistakes and some willful mistakes, made by a few. They are REALLY salivating over the indictment of Bishop Finn, because Finn is well known as a doctrinally-orthodox, solidly traditional Catholic bishop.
This is supposed to “prove” that ORTHODOX Catholic Clerics are really just a bunch
of hypocritical closet perverts. What a despicable, malicious, deliberate lie.

God bless,
Jaypeeto4

 

[The_Scott]

For those interested, there is a really nice blog post from Shameless Popery about the incident.

I particularly like what he says here:

And let’s be clear: you don’t call a press conference to announce misdemeanor charges unless you’re trying to send a signal, or trying to make a name for yourself. And given that the prosecutor was (until her appointment as prosecuting attorney six months ago) a Democratic politician described by NARAL as a “pro-choice activist,” this looks like both a shot across the bow, and a political career move.

It does seem interesting that she would make a press conference regarding a misdemeanor and not intend to get publicity.

Peace.

 

[Jaypeeto4]

**And given that the prosecutor was (until her appointment as prosecuting attorney six months ago) a Democratic politician described by NARAL as a “pro-choice activist,” this looks like both a shot across the bow, and a political career move. **

How interesting that someone who condones and agitates for
the legality of Child-KILLING
would have the Chutzpah to indict a bishop for alleged
complicity in Child Abuse.

Abortion is arguably the worst form of child molestation.

 

[tinytherese]

what, pray-tell, is the Protestant Inquisition?

And to think that we didn’t expect the Catholic Spanish Inquisition. Now we REALLY didn’t expect the Protestant Inquisition. LOL I’m a Monty Python fan (minus that horrible song where Humanae Vitae was made fun of,) so I especially got a kick out of that.

 

[JRRTFAN]

And to think that we didn’t expect the Catholic Spanish Inquisition. Now we REALLY didn’t expect the Protestant Inquisition. LOL I’m a Monty Python fan (minus that horrible song where Humanae Vitae was made fun of,) so I especially got a kick out of that.

It’s not Protestants that are after the Church and Bishop Finn. It’s New Age whackos. They have infiltrated society and government.

 

[OriginalJS]

The Church is an indepedent state. She can take care of her own problems without the world’s intervention. This is happening because our leaders failed to do so. The Church is what uphold moral unlike the world. But because our leaders have failed to uphold the morals tought by them, now we are in a mess and governments have acquired the right to interfere on the Church affairs. This is not meant to be. The Church have prisons and judges to judge their own. This is a precedent change within the Church to turn their own to authority outside the Church.

This sounds like the ecclesiastical courts of the middle ages that had exclusive jurisdiction over clergy. Those days are long gone, and the deference civil courts show to religious authorities is ebbing away. However, civil courts are still reluctant to get into purely Church affairs. Child abuse is not a Church affair; it is a crime to be prosecuted by civil authority regardless who commits it.

 

[OriginalJS]

Report what? I notice that this verb is presented so often without the required object. What is to be reported is suspected child abuse, *not *possession of child pornography, according to the law, (unless you are a film processor.) If you find child pornography on your son’s computer, do you report him? I bet most parents would say they would not, but would rather deal with the disordered desires.

Parents are not mandatory reporters.

 

[pnewton]

Parents are not mandatory reporters.

Again, of what? Reporters of what? Possession of child pornography or molesting children? I believe in the latter case, there are no exemptions for anyone in most states.

 

[pnewton]

Child abuse is not a Church affair; it is a crime to be prosecuted by civil authority regardless who commits it.

Absolutely! I totally agree with this. No one who molests children should get a free pass. On the other hand, they need to be awarded the same rights as any other alleged criminal, just in case they were wrongfully accused.

 

[wisdomseeker]

This sounds like the ecclesiastical courts of the middle ages that had exclusive jurisdiction over clergy. Those days are long gone, and the deference civil courts show to religious authorities is ebbing away. However, civil courts are still reluctant to get into purely Church affairs. Child abuse is not a Church affair; it is a crime to be prosecuted by civil authority regardless who commits it.

Coming from someone who doesnt know the Church, it is hardly a true statement. The CC is not just some religion borne of man’s will. It is the Kingdom of God and she is not subject to any man but God alone. The Kingdom has been provided with every tool to take care of herself and her own.

The CC is an independent State and Religious Institution comissioned by Chrits alone, it is not a man made institution. She is to rule all nations and not the other way around.

For that many have died and still die for it.

All nations are to be subject to her for Christ promissed that anyone who dont listen to His Church, will pay the price. I think we have seen this happened over and over again.
It is a danger thing to do, to let pagan nations to intervieng in the Church’s affair. this could be the beginning of a much control over the Church by the pagans who are judging themselves is much righteous than God.

 

[kmaaj]

State statute, not federal. The charges are being filed under state statute.

Do they have to be filed in the county where the offense occurred? The DA and the diocese is in Jackson. The alleged crime happened in Clay. Is there an issue with jurisdiction, here?

 

[kmaaj]

It’s not Protestants that are after the Church and Bishop Finn. It’s New Age whackos. They have infiltrated society and government.

FWIW, the DA is a Sunday school teacher in a rabidly anti-Catholic church…and she REPEATEDLY insists this is NOT about religion…

 

[choose_to_love]

@pnewton & hopey:

I think pnewton is analyzing this correctly, as far as the criminal charges go. It seems to me that if it was mandatory to report possession of child porn, that is what the statute would say. It is possible that the statute has been interpreted that way, but I would like to see that via a reported case (i.e., an appellate court opinion). What I recall is that there was some probably creepy picture, especially when combined with the earlier reports from the school principal, but not obviously porn. If the later-discovered pictures were what Msgr. Murphy or Bp. Finn had, I don’t think we would be having this discussion; but who knows without seeing the evidence the prosecution has, and what it is alleged the diocese had.

that being said, as pointed out upthread, why Bp. Finn, who is not concerned with probable cause or any other legal standards, didn’t move quicker, or more agressively, to get Fr. Ratigan’s computer, for example, on this is beyond belief in 21st century America, and when I say Bp. Finn, I mean the whole diocesan structure.

 

[Corki]

that being said, as pointed out upthread, why Bp. Finn, who is not concerned with probable cause or any other legal standards, didn’t move quicker, or more agressively, to get Fr. Ratigan’s computer, for example, on this is beyond belief in 21st century America, and when I say Bp. Finn, I mean the whole diocesan structure.

It is possibly as simple as the computer being Fr. Ratigan’s personal property. If he was a secualar priest, the computer may have been his own and the Bishop may have had no right to it or perhaps no even direct access. I don’t know any more that what’s been reported but that would be my guess.

 

[Hopey]

@pnewton & hopey:

I think pnewton is analyzing this correctly, as far as the criminal charges go. It seems to me that if it was mandatory to report possession of child porn, that is what the statute would say. It is possible that the statute has been interpreted that way, but I would like to see that via a reported case (i.e., an appellate court opinion). What I recall is that there was some probably creepy picture, especially when combined with the earlier reports from the school principal, but not obviously porn. If the later-discovered pictures were what Msgr. Murphy or Bp. Finn had, I don’t think we would be having this discussion; but who knows without seeing the evidence the prosecution has, and what it is alleged the diocese had.

that being said, as pointed out upthread, why Bp. Finn, who is not concerned with probable cause or any other legal standards, didn’t move quicker, or more agressively, to get Fr. Ratigan’s computer, for example, on this is beyond belief in 21st century America, and when I say Bp. Finn, I mean the whole diocesan structure.

Yes. We shall see how the law is being interpreted and applied.

I also do not see this as picking on a Bishop because he is orthodox etc. People can make some serious mistakes in judgments. I struggled w the way Blessed JPIi handled Maciel.

They have to own their own bad judgements. It doesn’t do any good to blame others for their transgressions. But we don’t use that as a way to ‘beat up’ the Church constantly either.

 

[ringil]

Coming from someone who doesnt know the Church, it is hardly a true statement. The CC is not just some religion borne of man’s will. It is the Kingdom of God and she is not subject to any man but God alone. The Kingdom has been provided with every tool to take care of herself and her own.

The CC is an independent State and Religious Institution comissioned by Chrits alone, it is not a man made institution. She is to rule all nations and not the other way around.

For that many have died and still die for it.

All nations are to be subject to her for Christ promissed that anyone who dont listen to His Church, will pay the price. I think we have seen this happened over and over again.
It is a danger thing to do, to let pagan nations to intervieng in the Church’s affair. this could be the beginning of a much control over the Church by the pagans who are judging themselves is much righteous than God.

Are you saying that cases of priestly sex abuse should be handled within the governance of the Church and need not involve civill authorities. I hope you are not saying this.

 

[anp1215]

Are you saying that cases of priestly sex abuse should be handled within the governance of the Church and need not involve civill authorities. I hope you are not saying this.

Yeah, because it was done before, and we know how well that went.

 

[ringil]

Yeah, because it was done before, and we know how well that went.

I know, right? WOW!

Child abuse may be a sin but it is most assuridly a CRIME, a crime that warrants stern punishment.

 

[anp1215]

I know, right? WOW!

Child abuse may be a sin but it is most assuridly a CRIME, a crime that warrants stern punishment.

Absolutely.

 

[OriginalJS]

There is a current hyperphobia abroad as the result of child sexual abuse. Any hint of impropriety gets a guilty verdict in the court of public opinion. The public opinion has now reached the point that possession of pictures in a book or on a computer can be a felony. Isn’t this just a modern version of banned books and book burning that civil libertarians have decried over the centuries? While I think child pornography is abhorrent, (I think all pornography is abhorrent,) isn’t it a little scary that the police can arrest someone and have them sent to prison for having photographs, regardless how offensive? Isn’t it even scarier that this bishop can be charged with a crime for failing to report that a priest had certain photographs or videos, or whatever? Is this a slippery slope to censorship on a wider scale? I hope not, but . . .