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	Catholics March through Downtown Kc in Support of Bishop Kansas City Star June 18, 2011 http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/18/2959042/catholics-march-through-downtown.html Catholics turned out today to show support for Bishop Robert Finn, who has been embroiled in a controversy involving a priest accused of possessing child pornography. About 75 Catholics marched through downtown Kansas City this morning to proclaim their support for their bishop and to call for unity in the church. Finn's supporters gathered at 10 a.m. at the old St. Patrick Oratory, 806 Cherry Street, and paraded more than a mile to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at 416 W. 12th Street. The march was peaceful and punctuated by prayer and singing. Participants carried posters with messages saying, "We Support Bishop Finn" and "We Love Our Priests and Bishop." "Our presence here today can be healing, and that is our intent today," said Bob Roper, spokesman for the grass-roots group calling itself Cross of the Crosier. "It's an opportunity to show unity and pray for unity." Roper said the group was praying for Finn, for the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, for victims of sexual misconduct, and for Catholics and all people of faith. He acknowledged it has been a difficult time for all Catholics, in the wake of a scandal involving the Rev. Shawn F. Ratigan, who was charged in May with possessing child pornography. Bishop Finn has been criticized for not responding to warnings about the priest a year before he was formally charged. Some Catholics have called for Finn to resign. Finn has apologized and said he is taking steps to make sure similar incidents don't occur in the future. Rebecca Pawlowski, who helped organize the event, said it would have been nice to have even more people attend the solidarity event, but she was generally pleased. "It went off without a hitch," she said. Contact: lhorsley@kcstar.com
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