Calls for Pope to Discipline US Bishop over Failure to Report Offending Priest

Independent Catholic News
February 17, 2014

http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=24175

Bishop Finn

A petition signed by more than 113,000 people, and a letter from a group of parishioners and religious in Kansas City, Missouri, has been sent to Pope Francis this week urging him to take disciplinary action against Bishop Robert W Finn, who was convicted in 2012 of failing to report a priest who was an active paedophile, the Kansas City Star and New York Times report.

Bishop Finn was found guilty on a misdemeanour charge for failing to inform authorities after he learned there were hundreds of pornographic pictures of young girls on a laptop belonging to Fr Shawn Ratigan. He was given two years of court-supervised probation. Ratigan has begun a 50-year prison sentence.

The group ask why Pope Francis suspended a German bishop who spent many millions of Euros building his luxurious quarters, but left in office a bishop who failed to protect children. They argue that Bishop Finn also broke church law and should be subject to a penal proceeding.

The request to the Pope was initiated by Fr James E Connell, a priest and canon lawyer in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, who belongs to a newly-formed group of Catholic priests, religious and laypeople called Catholic Whistleblowers.

Father Connell cited Canon 1389 in the church’s Code of Canon Law, which says that a person who through 'culpable negligence' harms another person by performing or omitting his 'ecclesiastical power' is to be given a 'just penalty'. Fr Connell said he cited this canon because it was recently mentioned by Bishop Charles Scicluna, the Vatican’s former chief prosecutor, as a means of holding church officials accountable.

“Your holiness, these past two years have been extremely painful for the Catholic community in this diocese,” wrote John Veal, one of the parishioners. “The anger and hurt is palpable among many who still attend Catholic liturgy, including many priests who feel helpless to speak out. Many laity have left the Church.”

In 2002 the Catholic church in the United States instituted policies that require reporting suspected abuse to civil authorities.

Pope Francis has set up a Vatican commission on child sexual abuse. Some advisers have said the issue of accountability is being examined.

Speaking on behalf of the Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph, communications officer Jack Smith said: “Bishop Finn has his supporters and his detractors, and people are free to have their own opinion about what happens here. We remain committed to fostering safe environments in all of our schools and parishes, and we’ve made great strides.”

Mr. Smith said that Bishop Finn’s office had received a copy of the letters and other materials, which were sent last Tuesday to the Papal Nuncio in Washington to be forwarded to Pope Francis.

The request to the Pope was initiated by Fr James E Connell, a priest and a canon lawyer in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, who belongs to a newly formed group of priests and nuns known as Catholic Whistleblowers.

Father Connell cited Canon 1389 in the church’s Code of Canon Law, which says that a person who through 'culpable negligence' harms another person by performing or omitting his 'ecclesiastical power' is to be given a 'just penalty'. Fr Connell said he cited this canon because it was recently mentioned by Bishop Charles Scicluna, the Vatican’s former chief prosecutor, as a means of holding church officials accountable.

Bishop Finn is the only bishop in the United States to have been convicted of a misdemeanour crime of not reporting suspected child abuse.