Bishop Finn, diocese indicted

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kansascity.com/2011/10/14/3207527/bishop-finn-diocese-indicted.html

A Jackson County grand jury has indicted Bishop Robert Finn on a misdemeanor charge of failure to report child abuse.

The Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph also was charged with failure to report.

The charges, announced at a news conference today, make Finn — leader of the 134,000-member diocese — the highest-ranking Catholic official in the nation to face criminal prosecution in a child sexual abuse case.

“This is a significant charge,” said Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker. “To my knowledge, a charge like this has not been leveled before.”

In a statement, the diocese said its counsel, Jean Paul Bradshaw and Tom Bath, entered a plea of not guilty for the diocese. According to Gerald Handley and J.R. Hobbs, counsel for Bishop Finn, the bishop also entered a plea of not guilty.
 
So much for church promises to protect the children in their care.

The clear priorities of the church are still to protect the priest and avoid embarrassment to the church. Children are just incidental damage.:mad:
 
Paul1961 said:
So much for church promises to protect the children in their care.

The clear priorities of the church are still to protect the priest and avoid embarrassment to the church. Children are just incidental damage.:mad:
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And so much for innocent until proven guilty. After all, no one would possibly persucute Catholics. :rolleyes:
 
With this:
In December, diocesan officials found what prosecutors later alleged was child pornography on Ratigan’s computer. The diocese said it contacted a police officer and described “one of the more disturbing images” from Ratigan’s computer, asking whether it constituted child porn, and the officer said it did not. Police later confirmed that the officer was Capt. Richard Smith, but said that he was told only about one photo and was not made aware that other, more graphic images were stored on Ratigan’s computer.
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It seems to me that it is going to be hard to show that they knowingly and willingly neglected to report child abuse. I read through the Kansas statue and it did not make possession of pornography one of the thing that must be reported. As there is not complainent, or victim who came forward to the diocese, I do not see where the prosecutor is going to have a case on this.
 
pnewton said:
With this:

It seems to me that it is going to be hard to show that they knowingly and willingly neglected to report child abuse. I read through the Kansas statue and it did not make possession of pornography one of the thing that must be reported. As there is not complainent, or victim who came forward to the diocese, I do not see where the prosecutor is going to have a case on this.
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The Bishop is in Missouri.
 
I truly hope the clergy involved are innocent, but if not, I hope they are brought to justice. The abuse scandal is a cancer eating away at the Body of Christ. God have mercy on the souls of anyone who participated in such abuse, or helped cover it up, for they will not only have to answer for their own heinous sins, but also for those of all the people who turned away from the Church because of this.
 
pnewton said:
Egads! My mistake, and thanks for the correction. I will have to look up their laws another time and see.

Next you will tell me Missouri CIty is in Texas.
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The only reason ai know is I was born and raised in Kansas City Kansas but I lived 30 years about 10 miles from Missouri City Texas
 
anp1215 said:
I truly hope the clergy involved are innocent, but if not, I hope they are brought to justice. The abuse scandal is a cancer eating away at the Body of Christ. God have mercy on the souls of anyone who participated in such abuse, or helped cover it up, for they will not only have to answer for their own heinous sins, but also for those of all the people who turned away from the Church because of this.
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Quote
 
There can be no win for the Church here. “Not guilty” will be seen as evidence of a successful cover-up. “Guilty” will be seen as further proof of Church culpability. I think it is very difficult for people in any institution dealing with children to know when to act. There must always be cases on the margin, and it is these that will end up in court. It points to the need for very clear rules and procedures, and simple ways of lodging complaints, such as free-phone numbers, with clear consequent procedures that do not always lead to suspension, but do always lead to investigation. At the heart of it is the need for the church to distinguish between the pastoral care of souls, and its responsibilities to the wider community for the protection of children and respect for law. The overall Church response has been too late, even where it has not been too little. Someone should have pointed to Luke 12:58: “As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.”
 
I think Bishop Finn’s heart is and always has been in the right place on the child abuse horror…he is a terrific bishop in many key/critical aspects…but… however…

Way too much “telling intelligence info” was right in front of him…about this priest…one of his pastors…a key person and critical personal extension of the bishop’s apostolic hand…as THE “Shepard of Souls” in his diocese…his singular critical encompassing mission…and he failed to really know this “spiritual son”…and failed when the “intelligence info” started filtering in on this pastor/priest…getting to his attention…he failed to take or direct decisive action…sad and pitiful…no leadership and not enough courage to “call a duck a duck” when it was “quacking” right in front of him!

I have to agree…more brain energy was focused on the Church/priesthood…than on the victims…either remote (internet) or especially victims (or potential victims) right in this pastor’s “area of operations”!

I don’t understand why bishops don’t really know their pastors…I mean…this pastor/priest must have been leaving telling signals about other aspects of his “lack” of fidelity to his pastoral/priestly duties and responsibilities…vows.

I also don’t understand why the pastoral council was “in the dark”…“not in the communication loop” on this pastor’s predilections/idiosyncrasies…someone at the local parish level (besides the principal’s critical intelligence info to the diocese that this priest was acting in appropriately around the children) had to know this priest was “several critical bricks short” in his fidelity to his priestly vows…to his flock! It is hard to understand…to believe that other “reads” on the “hand” he was really playing…were not seen…maybe he was just too clever and a really excellent…“actor in the Cloth”.

Amazing…all the prayers for our bishops/pastors/priests/deacons and religious…and even greater effort…more prayers, more fasting and more almgiving…are clearly needed. It also reminds me that my sinfulness literally hurts and damages the Body of Christ…if I were a really holy man I could blame this sad episode and the ensuing fallout…all on the bishop and on this priest…but I am not…and cannot!

Lord Jesus Christ, son of the living God, have mercy on me…a (the) sinner. Amen!

Pax Christi
 
Let the american inquisition commence. america won’t be satisfied until everyone abandons Christ and lives in their satanic secular lifestyle. Children should be protected, the Church believes this. As a previous poster stated, there is no innocent until proven guilty anymore. And with obama authorizing the execution of an american citizen, denying him due process, why should this be any harder to believe? america is slowly becoming satan’s country (as are others).
 
Paul1961 said:
So much for church promises to protect the children in their care.

The clear priorities of the church are still to protect the priest and avoid embarrassment to the church. Children are just incidental damage.:mad:
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Try to remember these are human beings in charge of our church and they ARE fallible. They wil make bad choices / decisions sometimes, and people can / will be hurt by their choices. All we can offer are prayers, compassion for the victims, and diligence on our part to try to protect potential victims.

And, as one poster said, remember the accused is ALWAYS innocent until proven guilty, no matter the charge. Try to remember too, you’re hearing only one side of the story and seeing only some of the evidence.
 
pnewton said:
Egads! My mistake, and thanks for the correction. I will have to look up their laws another time and see.

Next you will tell me Missouri CIty is in Texas.
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Just don’t make the mistake of assuming there is a City of Houston or a Dallas County in Missouri. 😉
 
A. When the Church was told of concern they called the police. The police said it was not pornography.

B. Still the Bishop removed the priest from his position. He was placed in isolation.

C. The Church and the US Attorney did an investigation. The Bishop helped a
Grand Jury investigation as a case was built against this priest.

Brothers and sisters, each of us all try to do the best we can every day we are alive. Things go wrong. Horribly wrong. The police say they did not know about the other pictures. I believe them. Despite in isolation, and this Priest still attempted contact with a 12 year old. This Bishop says he is sorry. I believe him. The Church investigated the case, they want answers and I believe them. But,

Do you really think that Bishop Flynn reacted like it was a chore to worry about for another day, just dirt brush it under the carpet, somebody that money will fix? Go, Scream in his face, call him a Liar I bet that is how he feels. I feel bad for the children, and for the Bishop, and the Church. I don’t want to lose my faith. God help us all.
 
Lancer said:
I think Bishop Finn’s heart is and always has been in the right place on the child abuse horror…he is a terrific bishop in many key/critical aspects…but… however…

Way too much “telling intelligence info” was right in front of him…about this priest…one of his pastors…a key person and critical personal extension of the bishop’s apostolic hand…as THE “Shepard of Souls” in his diocese…his singular critical encompassing mission…and he failed to really know this “spiritual son”…and failed when the “intelligence info” started filtering in on this pastor/priest…getting to his attention…he failed to take or direct decisive action…sad and pitiful…no leadership and not enough courage to “call a duck a duck” when it was “quacking” right in front of him!

I have to agree…more brain energy was focused on the Church/priesthood…than on the victims…either remote (internet) or especially victims (or potential victims) right in this pastor’s “area of operations”!

I don’t understand why bishops don’t really know their pastors…I mean…this pastor/priest must have been leaving telling signals about other aspects of his “lack” of fidelity to his pastoral/priestly duties and responsibilities…vows.

I also don’t understand why the pastoral council was “in the dark”…“not in the communication loop” on this pastor’s predilections/idiosyncrasies…someone at the local parish level (besides the principal’s critical intelligence info to the diocese that this priest was acting in appropriately around the children) had to know this priest was “several critical bricks short” in his fidelity to his priestly vows…to his flock! It is hard to understand…to believe that other “reads” on the “hand” he was really playing…were not seen…maybe he was just too clever and a really excellent…“actor in the Cloth”.

Pax Christi
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Well, maybe. Sometimes exercising supervision over others seems easier than it is. A local former prosecutor’s wife somehow embezzled $40,000 from the county, and I actually don’t think he knew it. Anyway, he wasn’t prosecuted for it, though she was and he was voted out.

And a fairly low level employee in a local bank got off with $100,000 despite all the safeguards banks have, by faking loans, and nobody caught it for months. Certainly the examiners and auditors didn’t. And a local hospital complex got nailed for about a half million by an employee who managed to get insurers to pay her instead of the hospital. And a local manufacturing company got hit for several hundred thousand by a billing clerk who was sending out her own invoices to purchasers of product with a deceptively similar name to the company’s on them. She, of course, owned the other company, which was just a shell. And she was doing it right there in the office and her supervisor saw the billings go out and never noticed it until she called a usually good customer to see why he hadn’t paid. Oops!

All kinds of things seem obvious in retrospect, but they aren’t always so obvious or clear at the time.
 
Ridgerunner said:
Well, maybe. Sometimes exercising supervision over others seems easier than it is. A local former prosecutor’s wife somehow embezzled $40,000 from the county, and I actually don’t think he knew it. Anyway, he wasn’t prosecuted for it, though she was and he was voted out.

And a fairly low level employee in a local bank got off with $100,000 despite all the safeguards banks have, by faking loans, and nobody caught it for months. Certainly the examiners and auditors didn’t. And a local hospital complex got nailed for about a half million by an employee who managed to get insurers to pay her instead of the hospital. And a local manufacturing company got hit for several hundred thousand by a billing clerk who was sending out her own invoices to purchasers of product with a deceptively similar name to the company’s on them. She, of course, owned the other company, which was just a shell. And she was doing it right there in the office and her supervisor saw the billings go out and never noticed it until she called a usually good customer to see why he hadn’t paid. Oops!

All kinds of things seem obvious in retrospect, but they aren’t always so obvious or clear at the time.
Click to expand...
 
Way too much “telling intelligence info” was right in front of him…about this priest…one of his pastors…a key person and critical personal extension of the bishop’s apostolic hand…as THE “Shepard of Souls” in his diocese…his singular critical encompassing mission…and he failed to really know this “spiritual son”…and failed when the “intelligence info” started filtering in on this pastor/priest…getting to his attention…he failed to take or direct decisive action…sad and pitiful…no leadership and not enough courage to “call a duck a duck” when it was “quacking” right in front of him!
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TO LANCER : What telling intell info? The police were called as soon as they received a concern. The police said it did not sound like pornography. Still, the Bishop removes the priest and puts him in isolation. Then the Bishop cooperates with the Government as a decision on a grand jury case is decided At this point the Bishop does not know about other kids, pictures or anything. Because he is a humble person and says he is sorry Everybody is sorry. Read the whole story than go tell him he has not a enough courage to call a duck a duck.
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