Accused Kc Catholic Priest Quickly Restored to Ministry; SNAP Responds

By Barbara Dorris
SNAP
February 6, 2012

http://www.snapnetwork.org/accused_kc_catholic_priest_quickly_restored_to_ministry_snap_responds

We’re disappointed that Fr. Matt Bartulica has been so quickly restored to his job despite allegations of sexual misconduct or abuse. How thorough could an alleged church “investigation” be if it just took a couple of weeks?

We hope that anyone who may have been hurt by Fr. Bartulica doesn’t feel hurt and betrayed again by Bishop Finn’s premature move.

We hope that other current and former Catholic employees and members will do what Bishop Finn refuses to do - beg anyone with information or suspicions about child sex crimes - by Bartulica or any clerics - to call police immediately.

And we caution KC Catholics against getting their hopes up because the head of Finn’s hand-picked abuse panel is stepping down. In virtually every diocese, these committees are full of devout, timid church loyalists who are extremely reluctant to question the bishop who picked them and who use their extremely limited role to almost always “rubber stamp” whatever recommendation Catholic officials offer them.

So having a new person in that post will do little or nothing to make any KC kids safer.