KC Catholics in NY Times this morning

Actually the Kansas City-St. Joseph Catholic diocese, taking a hit:

Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph to Pay for Failure to Report Abuse

CHICAGO — A Roman Catholic diocese in Missouri has been ordered to pay $1.1 million to victims of sexual abuse for breaking its promises on improving the way it deals with abuse cases.

An arbitrator ruled that the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph is responsible for damages after concluding that, contrary to a prior agreement, it did not promptly report a priest who had taken hundreds of pornographic photographs of young girls, according to a filing in circuit court in Jackson County, Mo.

The case grew out of a $10 million settlement with abuse victims in 2008, under which the bishop, Robert Finn, promised that he would report those suspected of child abuse to law enforcement officials in the future. At the time, Bishop Finn said in a statement that he agreed to rules “that should assure our community, our congregation and our families that the diocese will continue in its exercise of vigilance and in its devotion to training and education so that we may be confident that there will never, ever be a repeat of the behaviors, the offenses or the claims that have been associated with this matter.”

But the 18-page court filing says that promise was violated in 2010 in the case of the Rev. Shawn Ratigan, a diocesan priest who was discovered with hundreds of photographs of girls, including so-called upskirt images, on his laptop. Although the presence of the computer images was reported to church officials, law enforcement authorities were not notified.

And here is where it gets good, at least to me and some of us:

In 2012, Bishop Finn was found guilty of one misdemeanor charge for failing to report Father Ratigan, who was arrested in 2011 and pleaded guilty the next year to child pornography charges. He was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison.

So, okay, sure, today we find the local Catholic diocese is fined another $1.1 million. Fine.

What seems the more important, bigger, still-pending issue is that one man, one Bishop Robert Finn was, as a reminder, found guilty in a public court AND HE STILL HAS HIS SAME JOB IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

Is that a great organization or what?

In what other organization, what company, do you think you could be found derelict in the completion of your duties and still have your same job?

And it's not as though he was some lowly janitor or something. He was entrusted to protect the people of the diocese, especially and particularly the students, the children of that same diocese.

So I ask you, especially you Catholics out there:

Why does Bishop Robert Finn still have his job?

And why do you allow this?

The Pope's last mass? Already?

The Pope quits on---what?--the 12th of February, suddenly, announcing he'd be out a the end of the month, February, 2013--two weeks later, roughly. The first pope to do so in 600 years. 

Wow.

Then, he gives his last Catholic service, his last mass, on the 13th.

He still has two weeks to go to the end of his service.

Another wow.

I have to think he's either terminally ill with a very short time fuse on it or something fishy--terribly fishy--at the Vatican.

This is what bears watching:

Pope Benedict Resigned to Avoid Arrest, Seizure of Church Wealth by Easter

Supposedly, there may be an announcement tomorrow, Friday, February 15.

We shall see.

In the meantime, in the development of this whole story, there's this:

 

Pope's Resignation May Make International Prosecution Easier

 

As Alice said, it keeps getting curioser and curioser.

Link: Pope Celebrates Last Public Mass as Pontiff

Catholic Church protest this Sunday morning

From one David L. Biersmith on the "Bishop Finn Must Go" Facebook page:

"I have not visited this site for a few weeks, trying to get over my anger with what has happen concerning Bishop Finn.

It seems like it never happened.

Bishop Finn has not resigned, nor is he gong to resign, and the Vatican has not moved him, nor are they going to move him.

And we laity have not done a damn thing about any of it.

We are reacting just like the Diocese thought we would, with apathy.

I have marched in front of the Cathedral for the last four weeks before the Sunday 11:00 a.m. Mass protesting the situation and create interest for change.

Would you join me on Sunday Oct. 28, 2012 @ 10:45?"

Yes, Mr. Biersmith, by all means, lets.

KC Star's site still doesn't work

Note to the Kansas City Star:

The internets are the thing of the future.

Really.

I went to the Star's site today, after having seen an article in the paper this morning about a billboard that was put up in town, saying that the Catholic Church's Bishop Finn should be dismissed.

I searched for it online, sure.

No article.

What I did get, instead, was an add for Kohl's department store that not only came up but, when "closed"--three times--would not go away, instead.

Clearly, the folks at the Star just don't get it.

Maybe one day they will.

If the Star makes it that long.

Catholic beggars on the Plaza

So yesterday I went to the Plaza Art Fair as I do annually. I love it. I always will.

I love seeing any and all new artists, especially the ones who are creating truly unique, wonderful pieces in whatever medium. That, more than anything, is why I go though I enjoy it regardless.

I go in, I see the art, I dodge the people, I try to tell a select few artists how I enjoy their work and I get out.

Twice yesterday, while there, I was approached by two students from St. Vincent de Paul grade school, asking if I would, one way or another, support them--and their school--by buying a candy bar or just making a donation or some such.

And I have to tell you, the chutzpah of both the school, in allowing such a thing, and the kid's parents, for dressing them up and making them do it strikes me as just absolutely shameful.

Begging, mooching for support, on a street corner, in public, on the Country Club Plaza in broad daylight when actually, the kid could be out playing. Shoot, for that matter, he or she could even be doing something useful or more productive like cutting the lawn or studying.

There's just no shame with these people.

Forget that these families seem to come from what are clearly at least middle-class families who could go to a public school so they don't have to incur any additional expense. The way some of the mothers and children look, they may honestly even be from upper-class families but there they are, out begging on the street corner.

Then, forget that the Catholic church has so many sexual predators in priest's clothing.

Forget that the male hierarchy has and still does go to great, great lengths to protect those same predators and abusers instead of protecting the children, first.

Forget that a priest was just found guilty of it here, locally.

Worse yet, forget that their current Bishop, Finn, was just found guilty of doing just that--protecting a priest who had sexually exploited Catholic school children at, apparently, three different, local Catholic grade schools.

Forget that this has happened all over the planet, in many, many different nations of the world.

Forget that this sexual abuse has gone on for literally centuries, seriously.

Forget that it still seems to keep happening.

Sure, forget all that.

Just clean up the kids, dress them up up in those adorable little uniforms, and put them out on the street corner to hawk their Catholic school and beg for financial support.

It galls me every time I see them out there.

Then there's this headline that I just got, today, in my email:

Papal Nuncio left Ireland after vast sums of money found in his bank accounts

"A former Papal Nuncio left Ireland under a cloud after vast sums of South American funded money were found in his bank account.

Archbishop Gaetano Alibrandi left Dublin and the Vatican’s diplomatic service in 1989 after investigations into his financial affairs."

Further proof of why, no way in heck do I want to have any money--any money at all, in any form--go to these people.

Cute and bright as the kids seem to be, each time I had to just wave them off and tell them I don't support the Catholic schools. Geez. Make us the heels.

Someone has to be a Grinch about this so I guess it has to be me.

Let me make it clear, here, too--I was nice to the kids. It's certainly not their fault. Hopefully, one day they can break away from all that entrapping dogma and abuse.

It's almost enough to ruin a perfect weather day at the annual art fair.

Link: http://www.snapnetwork.org/

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Papal-Nuncio-left-Ireland-after-vast-sums-of-money-found-in-his-bank-accounts-170813076.html

More Catholic priests: This is weird

Did you see the article in the Star today, telling of the local increase in candidates for the Catholic priesthood, bucking national trends otherwise?

More area Catholic ordinations challenge a national trend

In Missouri and Kansas, more men are being ordained or studying to become priests.

And why wouldn't these young men choose the Catholic priesthood? Look at all the benefits.

--free housing

--bills paid

--education paid for, once you're in

--people shower you with gifts and praise nearly no matter what kind of job you really do

--no matter your ability, you can always, always give other people advice on their lives--even their marriages--even though you've never been and never will be married

And the biggest reason to become a Catholic priest was just witnessed by all of us when Bishop Finn got off, one more time, in a court of law from any responsiblity for not doing what you would otherwise have to do if you were a layperson.

Face it--become a priest, become above the law.

Such a deal.

Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/10/3808061/more-area-catholic-ordinations.html

Further proof of why Bishop Finn and the Catholic hierarchy need to be held accountable

It just never ends with these people.

From SNAP today:

--Accused priest now runs women’s shelterHe is being sued for raping a teenaged KC girl

--Victims urge bishops to “stop him & warn others”

--In 2010, cleric was named in a “horrific” abuse & cover up case

--He’s worked in at least ten locations throughout Western MO

A Kansas City Catholic priest who is being sued for raping a teenaged girl reportedly now runs a shelter for abused women and their families in his Nevada home. “For the sake of public safety,” clergy sex abuse victims are urging two bishops to stop him and warn others about him.

Leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are urging the bishops of Kansas City and Reno to “take simple, common sense prevention steps” to keep Fr. Thomas J. Cronin away from “innocent children and vulnerable adults.”

Fr. Cronin, a Kansas City native who was sent to Nevada about 15 years ago, is accused in an Oct. 2010 lawsuit of repeatedly raping a 17 year old girl in 1979 in western Missouri. That suit is still pending.

SNAP is contacting Kansas City Bishop Robert Finn and Reno Bishop Randolph Calvo, begging them to force Fr. Cronin to sever all ties to the shelter. And SNAP wants both bishops to use parish bulletins, church websites, and pulpit announcements to warn the public and parishioners about him.

“This is a violation of common sense, common decency, the church's abuse policy and both bishops' promises,” said Barbara Dorris of SNAP. “Catholic officials have repeatedly pledged - verbally and in writing - to protect youngsters. But here two bishop are letting a credibly accused sex offender priest put himself around the same kinds of girls and young women he is accused of raping.”

Fr. Cronin lives at 143 Desert Lakes Rd. (on the edge of a golf course) in Fernley and lists the same address as the site of “Rachel’s Sanctuary,” which he evidently founded.

Until the 2010 suit, Fr. Cronin had never been publicly accused of child sex crimes before.

According to the 34 page suit, through confession, Fr. Cronin learned that the girl had been abused by a relative. Later, he manipulated and molested her as many as ten times. “Multiple priests and lay persons (knew) that (another priest) and Cronin were sexually abusing children, providing liquor to children and spending inordinate amounts of time with children,” the suit maintains.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and was filed in Jackson County Missouri Circuit Court. Three weeks after it was filed, Calvo still had not suspended Cronin, until SNAP drew public attention to the litigation and Cronin’s presence in Nevada.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2010/09_10/2010_10_23_Bellisle_BishopSays.htm

Cronin worked in at least four Missouri towns (Blue Springs, Hamilton, Gallatin, Higginsville, and Kansas City) and several chaplaincies (at Children’s Mercy, Truman Medical Center, Western Missouri Mental Health Center, Charlotte Extended Care Center, University of Missouri-Kansas City Dentistry School, and the University School of Medicine).

Cronin was ordained in 1969 and was sent to Nevada in the late 1990s. He was a realtor from 2004-09 and has claimed he is a "chaplain" for the Lyon County Sheriff's Department. A photo of Cronin is available at BishopAccountability.org/. His phone number is listed as 775 575-9500 and his email address is tomcronin@prodigy.net.

Want some real, ugly irony? Here you go:

Rachel's Sanctuary is a tax-deductible 501(c)3 non-profit. Its board includes several Fernley residents.

http://www.lahontanvalleynews.com/article/20060920/REGION/109200040

http://www.nvannualreport.com/entities-DNPCC-RACHELS-SANCTUARY-INC.aspx

Cronin has worked in Reno (St. Therese Church of the Little Flower, 1997-99), Fernley (St. Robert Bellarmine, 1999-04), Empire (St. Joseph the Worker, 1999-04), and Virginia City (St. Mary of the Mountains, 2009-10). From 1997-99, he was also a chaplain at Washoe Medical Center, now Renown Regional Medical Center, in Reno.

SNAP is also urging anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered Cronin’s crimes to speak up, expose wrongdoing, protect others and start healing.

“It’s clear that both bishops are doing little or nothing to monitor or supervise Fr. Cronin or alert the parishioners or the public about the serious allegations against him,” said Dorris of SNAP. “So it falls to the rest of us – especially those with information or suspicions about Fr. Cronin’s crimes – to spread the word and protect others.”

Holding signs and childhood photos, SNAP members are holding a sidewalk news conference today in Reno outside the diocesan headquarters.

The victim is represented by Kansas City attorney Rebecca Randles (816 931 9901, 816 510 2704 cell), who has handled dozens of clergy sex abuse and cover up suits.

The victim in this suit, who now lives outside Missouri, repressed memory of the crimes until 2009, the suit says.

A copy of the letter SNAP is sending today to both bishops is available upon request.

For more information: David Clohessy 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com

Bishop Finn: Our institutions fail us again

Justice was done but only partly and then weakly, weakly at that.

Our institutions fail us, once again. In this case, two of them--these people's Catholic Church and our court system.

From the Kansas City Star this afternoon:

Bishop Finn verdict: Guilty

As you can see, I'm happy with this, with the one guilty verdict but still, Judge John Torrence "... acquitted him on another count of failing to report."

Here's the other disappointing thing:

"Torrence sentenced Finn to two years of probation then suspended the sentence, meaning that if Finn completes the unsupervised probation without any new incidents happening, his criminal record will be expunged."

This is so disgusting.

To begin, it should have gone to a jury, to a juried trial.

I saw this little figurative slap on the wrist coming.

I'm disgusted.

Isn't it super that Catholic leaders have gotten off easy one more time and they're free--still--to molest or sexually or physically abuse the students--their children--in their own schools and churches still longer?

They'll never learn, at this rate.

To Judge John Torrence and the Catholic Church--you all disgust me.

You deserve each other.

Congratulations to all Catholics.

To our disgust--but not our surprise--you get to keep your male hierarchy that keeps molesting and abusing your own children:

A) We hope you're happy;

B) We can't believe you keep giving these people money;

C) We can't believe you still support these people in any form, verbal, financial or otherwise and finally,

D) Unless and until you stand up, speak up and demand this end--including getting the resignation or firing of Bishop Finn--you are culpable for what Bishop Finn, Shawn Ratigan and all the rest of the people like them have inflicted and for what they will continue to inflict into the future on your children, because it will surely continue to keep happening, as we see time and again, across the nation and world.

Seriously, y'all are disgusting, vile, enabling human beings.

Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/06/3800269/bishop-finn-verdict-guilty.html

SNAP urges no sentencing for bishop today

Direct from their email:

Victims write to the judge and the prosecutor"

A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is urging a Kansas City judge and prosecutor to delay any sentencing of embattled Bishop Robert Finn today, should he plead guilty or be found guilty of concealing child sex crimes.

A copy of the letter, sent this morning by fax and e mail, is below:

Dear Judge John M. Torrence:

Dear Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker:

We respectfully urge that Bishop Robert Finn not be sentenced today. Essentially he is guilty of a crime involving secrecy. He ignored and refused to listen to people who should have been listened to. It would be a shame if his case was resolved in a way that also involved secrecy and the ignoring of people who should have been listened to.

Bishop Finn wants this over as soon as possible with the least amount of public scrutiny and public input. While sentencing the Bishop today serves his interests, it does not serve the public's interest. Nor does it help bring justice, healing and prevention.

Normally, weeks transpire between a guilty finding or plea and a criminal's sentencing. That's what should happen here. Bishop Finn should receive no special consideration or privileges. Doing so would only undermine public trust and faith in our justice system.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, have been hurt by Bishop Finn’s wrongdoing. Victims include families hurt by Fr Ratigan, other clergy sex abuse victims, and devout but betrayed Catholics. As victims of Bishop Finn’s crimes they deserve a chance to be heard before the bishop's sentence is determined.

Fast-tracking his trial is bad enough. Fast-tracking his sentence is even worse. The justice system should not be abused for the convenience or protection of a powerful wrongdoer.

One reason child sex abuse victims stay silent is because they have seen predators and their allies get preferential treatment by authority figures. Many victims are hopeless and feel if they speak up, somehow, wrongdoers will still escape punishment, get privileges and future crimes will not be deterred. Please do not exacerbate the hopelessness many victims feel. Please do not show such favor to Finn and thereby rub even more salt into the already deep and still-fresh wounds of those he has hurt. Please give them the opportunity, another crime victims have, to express their views, in court, after his plea, at a later date before sentencing is determined.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Barbara Dorris
SNAP Outreach Director

Bishop Finn---Going down?

Wow.

The Star really had a scoop today. They posted this story (link below) online this afternoon:

'Boys will be boys,' Bishop Finn purportedly said after being told of priest's lewd photos

When confronted by the diocese’s computer director about her concerns over lewd images found on a priest’s laptop, Bishop Robert Finn replied that, “Sometimes priests do things they shouldn’t,” court papers filed Thursday alleged.
“Sometimes, boys will be boys,” the bishop is purported to have said, court records show.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/30/3787983/boys-will-be-boys-finn-purportedly.html#storylink=cpy

That seems like quite the "smoking gun" in the Bishop's case. The prosecutors now have, it seems, something in which they can prove he knew of the pictures on former priest Shawn Ratigan's computer and that he did nothing of it.

All this in spite of the fact, too, that the Bishop and the Catholic Church in this diocese swore, last time this happened--the last time there were Catholic schoolchildren found to be sexually molested or exploited--that they would do everything possible to look into the situation but to also turn it over to the police to investigate.

Unfortunately for Bishop Finn, that ain't all. There's also this:

Julie Creech, the director of management and information systems for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, described her meeting with the bishop during an Aug. 17 deposition in a Jackson County civil case. According to that lawsuit, the Rev. Shawn Ratigan abused a 9-year-old girl months after the diocese learned of the photos on his computer...

According to the study, prepared by former U.S. Attorney Todd Graves, Creech examined Ratigan’s laptop on Dec. 16, 2010, and discovered hundreds of disturbing photographs of young children, primarily girls. That evening, Creech called vicar general Robert Murphy and advised him to call police, the study said. The diocese did not report the suspected abuse until May 2011.

This flies in the face of everything Bishop Finn has said, to date.

This certainly doesn't look good from the Bishop's point of view, for sure.

I'm not assuming he's guilty, in spite of all we've learned from the documents and facts printed in the Star and reported in the media so far. It's up to the court and the defense attorneys and prosecution to come to a conclusion.

But the fact is, if Bishop Finn is guilty in this situation--and it has looked as though he is for a long, long time, since the reports broke, he and the Catholic Church let those children and their families down and he should be held accountable.

We shall see what we shall see.

Side note: It seems a bit tacky if not out-and-out tawdry that the advertisement at the bottom of the online page for the Star I saw had an add for mattresses. It seems in poor taste, at least, for what it's worth.

Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/30/3787983/boys-will-be-boys-finn-purportedly.html

Bishop Finn's defense attorneys swing for the fences

Did you see this article in the Star yesterday?

Lawyers for bishop, KC diocese want some evidence kept out of trial

Attorneys for Bishop Robert Finn and diocese make the argument in a pre-trial motion.

It's no surprise, really. The more the Bishop's attorneys keep out of the court, the more likely they are to be able to keep him out of the slammer and serving time as so many of us think he should, given his lack of responsibility and criminal betrayal of the children in their schools.

There are parts, however, that I find particularly egregious if not out-and-out disgusting.

The first is that they want to see to it that they keep material from the Shawn Ratigan trial out of his own trial. They're trying to make sure that "even if the evidence establishes that other diocesan employees described images discovered on the Ratigan computer to Bishop Finn, there is still no evidence to indicate that Bishop Finn read the memo or saw the images,' the motion states."

It seems Bishop Finn wants to get off scot-free in all aspects and claim he had absolutely no responsibilities to these children/students of the church.

Here's what's worst of the entire case and article, at least to me, however:

The motion also seeks to exclude another memo, written in May 2010 by the school principal at the Northland parish where Ratigan was pastor, that raised concerns about Ratigan’s behavior toward children. The memo predates the alleged criminal conduct for which the bishop and diocese are being tried, and Finn never saw or read the memo, the defense says.

This letter that the principal wrote and sent was, as I understand it, from an earlier article in the Star, sent directly to Bishop Finn. If that's the case, it seems difficult to believe that his assistant, Monsignor Murphy, was to intercept his letters and that he did so in this case.

All this said, we have a few things going in our favor on this whole mess, to see to it Bishop Finn is held responsible for the failure of his duties:

--Shawn Ratigan finally, finally admitted guilt in his own case and

--the Cardinal's aide, back East, was found guilty in his case (see link below) and there are some similarities in Bishop Finn's and this one.

Here's hoping justice is truly served here, in this case.

More importantly--much more importantly--here's hoping that, one day soon, Catholic school children will no longer be ignored or denied, let alone sexually or physically abused.


Links: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/20/3770769/lawyers-for-bishop-kc-diocese.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/23/us/philadelphias-msgr-william-j-lynn-is-convicted-of-allowing-abuse.html?pagewanted=all

Great news on the Catholic front!

Breaking news from The New York Times:

Archbishop’s Aide Guilty of Endangerment in Abuse Case

Here's why it's big news:

PHILADELPHIA – In the first criminal conviction of a Roman Catholic Church official in the United States for covering up sexual abuses, Msgr. William J. Lynn was found guilty Friday of endangering children by allowing a known pedophile priest to continue ministering to youths, resulting in an assault on a 10-year-old boy.

The first time in the US that a criminal conviction of a Roman Catholic Church official is upheld for covering up sexual abuse. As an aside, the current situation of former priest Shawn Ratigan and Bishop Finn is mentioned, too, briefly, at the end of the article, not surprisingly.

And I only "celebrate" it if, in fact, he was guilty, as it seems he was. I am not taking any pleasure in his guilt, to be clear. I am only glad justice is being served if an injustice was done.

I hope this isn't a case of having "thrown the 'little guy' under the bus", however.

Anyway, the thing is, as I have said here before several times and as SNAP repeats, too--we must stop child and student abuse--sexual, physical, emotional or otherwise--wherever it is and it has been prevalent in Catholic institutions for decades and centuries, across the world, unfortunately and sadly. It must stop.

What must stop, too, is the Catholic Church's attempts, repeatedly, to protect their male hierarchy and leaders, at the expense of their members and students and children. That's disgusting.

Now, hopefully this case will serve as a sort of precedent for Bishop Finn's case, here in our area.

If Bishop Finn is, in fact, guilty, as, I and so many of us think and believe the hard evidence shows, may he, too, be brought to justice.

Frankly, from the information on the case against both Shawn Ratigan and Bishop Finn, the case here in Kansas City seems far more clear-cut, simple and uncomplicated and possibly damning against both of them, than this case in Philadelphia.

Again, let me be clear, I say this not for anyone to extract any revenge or retribution but so the abuse of children or, in fact, anyone in the Catholic Church or any organization, stops. It must be clear that all of us--our society--does not allow this to happen in hopes that it will at least decrease, if not stop altogether and as soon as possible.

Here's hoping.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/23/us/philadelphias-msg-william-j-lynn-is-convicted-of-allowing-abuse.html?_r=1&smid=fb-share

The chutzpah of the Catholic hierarchy

The further these situations go on for and with the Catholic Church, the more stunningly stupid they seem to be.

Did you see this, latest one? It's a beauty:

Catholic Church Lobbies Against Allowing More Sex Abuse Suits

"Reports this week that decades-old sexual abuse allegations at the Horace Mann School probably can't be prosecuted because of New York's statute of limitations raised new questions about why the state only gives victims up to five years after their 18th birthday to report childhood abuse. While lawmakers in Albany have tried many times to relax laws on filing abuse complaints, the Roman Catholic Church has been quietly fighting efforts to change the statute of limitations in New York and throughout the country. They say it's a matter of principle, but it could also have something to do with the ensuing lawsuits potentially costing the church billions.

More than 30 states have already managed to ease laws on reporting child abuse, but the New York Times reports today that religious officials are pushing against similar efforts in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. The church has even hired lobbying and public relations firms to help their cause in New York and Colorado. In the latter, parishes have actually handed out postcards to parishioners and asked them to contact their representatives on the church's behalf.

The church argues that the statutes of limitations exist to prevent unfair cases in which many of the witnesses are dead and evidence is hard to come by. Religious leaders are pushing hardest against "window" laws, in which victims are given a year or two to file suits no matter how long ago the alleged crime occurred. It's likely they're afraid of a repeat of what happened when California passed such a law in 2003. In just one year, 550 sexual abuse lawsuits were filed."

It's just shameful.

Once again, here's a case of the Catholic Church hierarchy--men--trying their best to protect that same hierarchy instead of putting the children and their protection and best interests--their safety--first.

It's just disgusting.

Once again, I call on Catholics, for what it's worth, to stand up against this effort by their church to protect the leaders instead of the students and children.

Link: http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/06/church-lobbies-against-allowing-more-abuse-suits.html?mid=382834&rid=422702124

When will the surprises from Catholic Church sex scandals end?

Yet another, new Catholic Church sex scandal. This from SNAP (Survivor's Network of those Abused by Priests) today:

Ex-KC area seminarian pleads guilty to child porn

"Nickolas Pinkston, a Warrensburg man who was studying to become a KC MO priest, has pled guilty to child porn charges while studying at a St. Louis seminary."

Fortunately, this was found out and will be handled before Mr. Pinkston was made a priest.

As if that weren't bad enough, however, there is yet more possible scandal to the story (more from SNAP):

"As best we can tell, Bishop Finn stayed silent when Pinkston was arrested. Let’s hope he doesn’t stay silent now. It’s possible Pinkston could face more charges and that others he may have hurt could come forward. But that’s more likely to happen if Bishop Finn acts responsibly and uses his bully pulpit and communications tools to spread the word about Pinkston’s history."

So many of us keep asking, time and again--when will these sexual abuse cases end with the Catholic Church? Surely they will one day.

We all have to demand they stop. We all have to demand that the Catholic Church be responsive to these situations. Further, we have to demand these "situations" end and never happen again.

There is a little bit of good news from Catholics today, however, thankfully:

Dominic Holden from the Stranger reports:

"Seattle's Catholics are angry--at other Catholics. Their ostensible leader, Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, has spent the last three months crusading to stop same-sex marriage from becoming state law and, even more controversially, is now leading a pope-mandated inquisition against thousands of American nuns for adopting "radical feminist themes." Finding themselves at ground zero of a national fight with implications for millions of secularists, Catholics here have held weekly vigils near the archbishop's office, filed a political action committee to counter his views on marriage equality, and even begun cutting off money."

Let's hope the people in the pews will rise up and demand accountability in all ways from their leaders and leadership.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 12,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers and increasingly, victims who were assaulted in a wide range of institutional settings like summer camps, athletic programs, Boy Scouts, etc. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, bblaine@snapnetwork.org), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688, 314-503-0003, SNAPdorris@gmail.com), Joelle Casteix (949-322-7434, jcasteix@gmail.com), Peter Isely (414-429-7259, peterisely@yahoo.com)

Links: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/former-kenrick-glennon-seminarian-admits-child-porn-charge/article_4b432a52-ab6b-11e1-bd62-0019bb30f31a.html;

Why The Star and SNAP are right about this Catholic Church Abuse Scandal with Bishop Finn

The reasons why our own Kansas City Star and SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) is correct, to date, about Bishop Finn, the Catholic Church and the abuse charges against this Bishop are because, first, the Star is merely reporting things as and when they happen. It's called reporting. It's what they're supposed to do.

Should they take editorial stands on it?

Sure they should. It is, after all, adults sexually and/or physically abusing the students--children--they are supposed to be otherwise responsible for. That and they're from their own churches and schools. What other stand should any people or organization take?

As for SNAP? Same thing. They're trying to see to it that the sexual and physical abuse of students--children--isn't left unpunished so that it doesn't take place any longer.

So the Catholic Church and their attorneys have done their best to intimidate SNAP by asking the courts to take their files.

Crazy but not a huge surprise. It is, after all, the law firm's goal to win the case, whatever ugliness that might entail.

But, in spite of that, the latest news today on this scandal vindicates, I think, both SNAP and the Star. It is this:

Prosecutor wants new charge against Bishop Finn, diocese in failure to report child abuse case --Mark Morris, The Kansas City Star (link at bottom)

The new charges would not allege any new facts about conduct attributable to either Finn or the diocese. Rather, the new charges would subdivide the existing charges into two distinct periods in which Finn and the diocese allegedly should have reported Ratigan to state child abuse and neglect investigators.

The first period would cover Dec. 17, 2010, to Feb. 10, 2011, when the church learned of the photographs, Ratigan attempted suicide and he was sent for medical treatment.

The second period would begin on Feb. 11, 2011, the date Finn sent Ratigan a letter outlining restrictions on his conduct and May 18, after Murphy notified police.

Additionally--and this seems logical and like a good move to me, knowing what we do of the case and the events to date--they've added this:

"Prosecutors also have asked a judge to approve a massive request for records from the diocese’s so-called 'secret archive' detailing the diocese’s responses to child abuse allegations both before and after Finn began serving in Kansas City in May 2004."

In the first place, Finn's attorneys did this to SNAP so turnabout is fair play but far more importantly, if the Church and their offices have any such "secret archive", it should naturally come out to the light of day so the prosecutors know what they're dealing with.

The last word on this case and all others facing the Catholic Church is that this abuse--sexual, physical and any and all other--must, at long last, end after all these centuries and continents, literally, once and for all.

Hopefully that day is coming soon. Hopefully that day is nearly here.

Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/07/3599367/prosecutor-wants-new-charge-against.html

Ladies and gentlemen, the Catholic Church

From the news last evening: U.S. priests accused in 700 sex cases in 2011: report. Forget, for now, conveniently, the Crusades and Inquisitions of the last 600 years and all the people tortured and/or killed by the Catholic Church. Let's focus, instead, right this moment, on the current state of the Catholic Church. In 2011 alone, 700 claims of abuse were put up before our courts in one nation--the US--alone. First, imagine how many more cases there are out there that weren't reported. Statistically, it's estimated that the people who do file charges are only 10% of those actually committed. Second, imagine what's out there in the rest of the world. It's long since time that the Catholics in the pews stood up and said they won't take this any longer, that they won't tolerate any further abuse. Link to original post: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/04/11/u-s-priests-accused-in-700-sex-cases-in-2011-report/#.T4Y4Z35as0g.facebook

Great news on Bishop Finn and justice

Breaking news today tells that the Federal Judge in the Bishop Finn case here in town is going forward: Judge refuses to drop charges against U.S. Catholic bishop (Reuters) - A Catholic bishop in Kansas City must stand trial on charges that he failed to report a priest found with pornographic pictures of young girls on his church computer to police, a judge said on Thursday. Bishop Robert Finn, head of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, faces one misdemeanor charge that he failed to tell authorities that church officials had found disturbing pictures of unclothed little girls that appeared to have been taken by a popular local priest, Father Shawn Ratigan. His trial is set to start September 24." And that's good news, for sure. The right thing needs to happen here and this is the beginning of that. Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/09/us-usa-bishop-trial-idUSBRE8380LQ20120409

Bishop Finn case: going forward or no?

Tuesday, The Star reported that the judge in the case on Bishop Finn announced that he'd reveal in the next few days whether the prosecution against the Bishop will go forward or not. Three things on it: One, I hope it does (as it should). Two, I'm hopeful it will but third and finally, if the past gives any insight to the future, the judge will buckle and back down from the institution that the Catholic Church is, however ugly, self-serving and abusive. Here's hoping. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/03/27/3517642/ruling-expected-next-week-in-criminal.html

High hopes for Bishop Finn's day in court

Yes, we have high hopes that Bishop Finn's day in court for him, his church and the very protective and male hierarchy in the Catholic Church finally, finally get held responsible both for the students, the children that are supposed to be in their care and for the laws they are supposed to follow. There's a great article in a St. Louis newspaper today: High stakes for church in case against KC bishop. "The charge is only a misdemeanor, but if prosecutors are able to win a conviction against Kansas City Roman Catholic Bishop Robert Finn, they could be opening up a whole new front in the national priest abuse crisis. Finn is accused of violating Missouri's mandatory reporter law by failing to tell state officials about hundreds of images of suspected child pornography found on the computer of a priest in his diocese. Experts say a criminal conviction against Finn, the highest-ranking church official charged with shielding an abusive priest, could embolden prosecutors elsewhere to more aggressively pursue members of the church hierarchy who try to protect offending clergy." (Link to original story at bottom). And let's hope this is exactly what happens. That is, that the court finds that Bishop Finn didn't, in fact, follow the law--that he broke it--by not reporting Shawn Ratigan (since he clearly didn't) and that they find him guilty. In the first place, that's exactly what happened and in the second place, it's long since time this stopped. It's so important to remember, too, that THE REASON THIS LAW WAS CREATED IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS BECAUSE OF THE LAST CATHOLIC SEX ABUSE SCANDAL, too. It's obscene. It's unconscionable. It has to stop and here and now is a great place to get it to stop. Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/state-and-regional/missouri/high-stakes-for-church-in-case-against-kc-bishop/article_71719047-24f4-504f-aa69-ecb7cb913734.html#ixzz1qEmYrJb2

Catholics: What to give up for Lent

How about pedophilia? Would you give up that one for us, please? And protecting your male, Catholic hierarchy. There's another good one. Please? If not for us and if not for yourselves, how about for your own children?