Bishop Robert W. Finn went to St. Patrick's parish on Friday, a day after a priest who served there was arrested and charged with three counts of possessing child pornography. Finn admitted that the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph mishandled information that a priest, Shawn Ratigan, 45, possessed images of children, including at least one of a nude girl.
The parishioners blasted Finn for nearly three hours, according to an account in the National Catholic Reporter. "As soon as you knew what was going on, why the hell didn't you tell me something?" one woman asked Finn.
Finn learned in December that Ratigan kept disturbing images on his personal computer. The diocese says most of the pictures of the children were taken at public or parish events.
Faced with the information, the diocese then commenced a stupid investigation, which Finn described in a statement he released on Friday.
[W]e contacted a Kansas City, Missouri, police officer and described one of the more disturbing images. At the same time, the diocese showed the images to legal counsel. In both instances we were told that, while very troubling, the photographs did not constitute child pornography, as they did not depict sexual conduct or contact.Finn failed to mention that the police officer serves on a diocesan committee. It wasn't until May 12 that the proper authorities, the police department's Cyber Crimes Against Children Unit, learned about Ratigan. The diocese finally made a report after Ratigan "continued to disregard" the restrictions that Finn placed on him upon the initial discovery of his activity.
Finn has been forced to acknowledge that he screwed up. "I deeply regret that we didn't ask the police earlier to conduct a full investigation," he said on Friday.
Finn's actions appear to have violated the guidelines established by the church in 2002. According to the National Catholic Reporter, independent review boards in each diocese are to help the bishop "in his assessment of allegations of sexual abuse of minors."
But the review board in the Kansas City Diocese was shut out of the Ratigan matter. Jim Caccamo, who serves on the board, told the National Catholic Reporter that he learned of the allegations against Ratigan from the media.
At Friday's session at St. Patrick's, Finn shed some light on the church's tendency to want to protect Ratigan and other priests who are accused of misconduct. "[W]e have a priest shortage in our diocese and we needed a pastor here."
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First, as a female survivor of priest abuse in the diocese of Kansas City (prior to Woodstock) I extend every sympathy to the parishioners of St. Peter's. They have now been abused along with their children. I know how they feel, although no priest was allowed near any of my children while they were growing up. Second, it is important to note that these young victims are all females, which would indicate a skew in the "pedophiles are honosexuals" venom that the authority of the church espouses. What this bishop has done is despicable and in every way violates the non-monetary demands to which he agreed during a settlement in 2008. It is my hope that parishioners and parents, along with survivors and angry Catholics everywhere join together to request a grand jury investigation into Finn's arrogant behavior of deceit and duplicity. His refusal to protect the children should sicken all of us. I will give my contact information to David Martin of the Pitch who wrote this article. If enough of us can join toether perhaps we can make some waves. Sincere best wishes to St. Patrick's during this time of stress that will never go away. You are not alone.
Now you see how easy it is to cover up crimes committed by dysfunctional sex freaks or catholic priests. Anywhere the catholic population is significant, you can believe that crimes were covered up by police, district attorneys, judges and other elected officials. The Pittsburgh Diocese is a perfect example. Allegheny County District Attorney sits on the National Review Board, appointed by Cardinal George back in 2010.
If anyone would like more information about the Zappala Crime family and ties to donald Wuerl, The Lavender Don feel free to contact me at 412-233-5491 or email me at mike@ferencemarketing.com.
@ferencemarketing:disqus
Mike Ference
This is Bishop Finn's first blotched coverup. Which makes me wonder how many successful coverups he has under his belt.
The Kanaas City diocese needs to have a Grand Jury Investigation, just like the recent grand jury investigation done in Philadelphia.. which resulted in the arrest of 3 predator priests, 1 teacher, and 1 high ranking priest for "Child Endangerment" ( covering up sex crimes against children )..
The Philly report also resulted in Cardinal Rigali having to remove over 2 dozen more priests who were accused of abuse but who were still working in parishes. The Philly diocese is NOT unique in the horrible way they handle child sex abuse. Every diocese in the world needs to be investigated by outside law enforcement.
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, 636-433-2511 ( SNAPJudy@gmail.com)
For more info..
CONTACT
David Clohessy, SNAP Executive Director 314 566 9790,
Barbara Dorris, SNAP Outreach Coordinator 314 862 7688, 314 503 0003
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, 636-433-2511
Finn and
his top staff deliberately sat on possible evidence of child sex crimes
- from police, prosecutors, parishioners and the public - for five
months. There is simply no excuse for this reckless, callous and deceptive
misconduct.
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)
Victims blast bishop’s claim
He says one “image” was “described” to one cop
But for months, no actual evidence was given to police
Group to Finn: “Explain why didn’t you investigate yourself”
And oust twice-accused priest who’s still in parish now, SNAP says
That priest was sued months ago for allegedly molesting another child
Victims want public 'question & answer' session with top church staff
WHAT: Holding signs and childhood photos a sidewalk news
conference, clergy sex abuse victims will harshly criticize Kansas
City’s Catholic bishop for
-- keeping evidence of child porn away from the police for months, and
-- trying to blame “nameless others” for his secrecy in a statement issued on Friday.
Victims will also urge the bishop to
-- hold a public “question and answer” session about the controversy soon, and
-- suspend a different priest, accused twice of sex offenses in recent lawsuits, who is still in a parish now.
They will also beg anyone who saw, suspected or suffered crimes or
misdeeds by any church employee to come forward, call police, get help,
expose wrongdoing, protect others and start healing.
WHEN: Tuesday, May 24 at 1:00 PM
WHERE: Outside the chancery (diocesan headquarters) at20 West Ninth Street, Kansas City, MO
WHO: Two-four clergy sex abuse victims who belong to a support
group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
WHY: Late last Friday, KC Bishop Robert Finn issued a
statement explaining his actions in keeping hidden – from police,
parishioners and the public - the shocking allegations of child porn
involving Fr. Shawn Ratigan, who was arrested last week and charged.
Police and court documents show that church staff gave the child porn
evidence to a diocesan employee who copied it, gave the computer and
the original evidence to the priest’s family who destroyed it. Finn
quietly moved Ratigan to a nun’s facility just miles away from the
youngsters he apparently violated.
And despite pledge after pledge after pledge – by Finn and his
colleagues – to be “open and transparent” about child sex cases, local
Catholics were told nothing until the news media reported on Ratigan’s
arrest.
Ratigan lived in an apartment in the 3800 block of North Forest Avenue.
In a related matter, two recent child sex abuse and cover up lawsuits
implicate Fr. Michael Tierney. According to the first suit, filed last
September, Fr. Michael Tierney molested a 13 year old boy in 1971.
According to the second suit filed in February, Tierney made lewd
comments and “parroted” sexual advances made by two other priests to an
11 year old boy in 1970. Both suits are still pending.
Tierney, however, is still in active ministry, and is currently the
pastor at Christ the King parish (8510 Wornall Rd., 816-363-4888,.
SNAP has urged Finn to suspend Tierney and launch a thorough,
independent investigation into the allegations against him. In fact,
SNAP feels that by keeping Tierney in his post, Finn is violating the US
bishops’ national abuse policy which says that “credibly accused”
priests must be suspended.
Victims blast bishop’s claim
He says one “image” was “described” to
one cop
But for months, no actual evidence was given to
police
Group to Finn: “Explain why didn’t you investigate
yourself”
And oust twice-accused priest who’s still in parish now, SNAP
says
That priest was sued months ago for allegedly molesting another
child
Victims want public 'question & answer' session with top church
staff
WHAT: Holding signs and childhood photos a sidewalk news
conference, clergy sex abuse victims will harshly criticize Kansas City’s
Catholic bishop for
-- keeping evidence of child porn away from the
police for months, and
-- trying to blame “nameless others” for his secrecy
in a statement issued on Friday.
Victims will also urge the bishop
to
-- hold a public “question and answer” session about the controversy soon,
and
-- suspend a different priest, accused twice of sex offenses in recent
lawsuits, who is still in a parish now.
They will also beg anyone who
saw, suspected or suffered crimes or misdeeds by any church employee to come
forward, call police, get help, expose wrongdoing, protect others and start
healing.
WHEN: Tuesday, May 24 at 1:00 PM
WHERE:
Outside the chancery (diocesan headquarters) at20 West Ninth Street, Kansas
City, MO
WHO: Two-four clergy sex abuse victims who belong to a
support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
(SNAPnetwork.org)
WHY: Late last Friday, KC Bishop Robert Finn
issued a statement explaining his actions in keeping hidden – from police,
parishioners and the public - the shocking allegations of child porn involving
Fr. Shawn Ratigan, who was arrested last week and charged.
Police and
court documents show that church staff gave the child porn evidence to a
diocesan employee who copied it, gave the computer and the original evidence to
the priest’s family who destroyed it. Finn quietly moved Ratigan to a nun’s
facility just miles away from the youngsters he apparently violated.
And
despite pledge after pledge after pledge – by Finn and his colleagues – to be
“open and transparent” about child sex cases, local Catholics were told nothing
until the news media reported on Ratigan’s arrest.
Ratigan lived in an
apartment in the 3800 block of North Forest Avenue.
In a related matter,
two recent child sex abuse and cover up lawsuits implicate Fr. Michael Tierney.
According to the first suit, filed last September, Fr. Michael Tierney molested
a 13 year old boy in 1971. According to the second suit filed in February,
Tierney made lewd comments and “parroted” sexual advances made by two other
priests to an 11 year old boy in 1970. Both suits are still pending. A photo of
Tierney is available at BishopAccountability.org .
Tierney, however, is
still in active ministry, and is currently the pastor at Christ the King parish
(8510 Wornall Rd., 816-363-4888, mtierney@ctkkcmo.org). SNAP has urged
Finn to suspend Tierney and launch a thorough, independent investigation into
the allegations against him. In fact, SNAP feels that by keeping Tierney in his
post, Finn is violating the US bishops’ national abuse policy which says that
“credibly accused” priests must be suspended.
Attorney Rebecca Randles
(816 931 9901, 816 510 2704 rebecca@rmblawyers.com) represents
Tierney’s victims.
http://ncronline.org/news/acco...
http://www.kansascity.com/2011...
CONTACTDavid
Clohessy, SNAP Executive Director 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com,
Barbara Dorris,
SNAP Outreach Coordinator 314 862 7688, 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com
The District Attorney should prosecute Bishop Finn and
everyone else that was complicit just like they would prosecute any other
organized pedophile unit that is caught committing this disgusting crime.
The Catholic church has been raping children, covering it
up, and lying about it at least for decades, and probably forever. They STILL can't stop themselves. They have a far lower standard when it comes
to child safety and deviant sex than the rest of the U.S., and prosecutors are
afraid to go after them because of the backlash from the sheep in the Catholic
congregation.
Regardless of their former power, the Catholic church
should be prosecuted just as fully as any other organized crime unit. The crime is child rape and child
pornography, and crime doesn't get any worse than that, unless you are one of
the few remaining sheep, following these bishops in the Catholic church.
quoted: "Finn has been forced to acknowledge that he screwed up."
It appears that Finn has also committed the crime of cover up and child endangerment. He should have dialed 911 immediately last December. This diocese needs to have a grand jury investigation just like the one in Philadelphia which resulted in the arrest of 3 predator priests, 1 teacher, and the arrest of a church official for covering up sex crimes against kids.
The report also resulted in finding that there were still 37 credibly accused preists still working in the Phily diocese.. most of whom have been removed because they were forced to because of the scathing report.
Philadelphia is NOT unique in their handling of sex crimes against kids. All diocese needs to be investigated by outside law enforcement.
In KC, the sad thing is for the parents and the kids who were harmed by Ratigan, who was being protected by their bishop.
We can understand your anger and disappointment and pain.
Please know that you are not alone.
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director,
636-433-2511
snapjudy@gmail.com
"Survivors Network of those Abused by
Priests" and all clergy
http://www.snapnetwork.org/
"[W]e have a priest shortage in our diocese and we needed a pastor here."
Oh, well, then all is forgiven.
Can't imagine why a man wouldn't want to become a priest in this day and age.
Thank God a local news outlet has finally reported clearly that the first police contact the bishop made was off-the-record, designed to soothe the bishop's conscience. He did NOT receive an official opinion from the Kansas City Police Department. At no time did he have the best interest of the little girls in mind.
The Jackson County Prosecutor should absolutely charge the bishop with tampering with evidence and whatever other charges fit.
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