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	The Star’s Editorial | Why Didn’t Diocese Move More Quickly in Ratigan Case? Kansas City Star May 31, 2011 http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/30/2914444/the-stars-editorial-why-didnt.html The latest news on a Catholic priest accused of possessing child pornography raises more concerns about the failure of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph to move quickly after warning signs became known. As The Star reported Friday, a school official in the priest’s former parish expressed her worries a year ago in a letter to the diocese. Julie Hess wrote that among other things, the Rev. Shawn Ratigan allowed children to climb on him and reach into his pocket for candy. According to the letter, he allowed a fourth-grader to sit on his lap “until teachers moved to stand next to him.” Ratigan even complained about teacher intervention. Brownie Scouts and parents gardening at Ratigan’s house reported that his home was “kid-friendly,” with numerous stuffed animals scattered around. A parent reported finding a pair of girl’s panties in a planter in Ratigan’s back yard. Incredibly, Bishop Robert W. Finn has acknowledged that it wasn’t until last Thursday that he actually read the Hess letter, which apparently had only been read by Vicar General Robert Murphy. Finn has expressed regret for not acting sooner, but the letter makes the delay even more inexcusable. The diocese learned of “troubling” images on Ratigan’s laptop last December, but it wasn’t until earlier this month that a police investigation was triggered. The Hess letter is a “smoking gun,” said the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, a support group. At the very least, the letter shows the diocese — and the vicar general — has more explaining to do.
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