Pope Francis accepts the resignation of Bishop Robert Finn

By Justin Kendall
Pitch
April 21, 2015

http://www.pitch.com/FastPitch/archives/2015/04/21/pope-francis-accepts-the-resignation-of-bishop-robert-finn

Now ex-Bishop Robert Finn ... he gone.

Bishop Robert Finn is finally out. Pope Francis has reportedly accepted Finn's resignation. Finally.

In September 2012, Finn was convicted on a misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected child abuse and received two years of probation. That conviction stemmed from Finn shielding priest Shawn Ratigan, who was found to be keeping sexual images of young girls on a laptop in 2010.

The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph knew about the images for five months before sharing the information with law enforcement authorities. Instead of keeping Ratigan away from the flock, Finn placed him at an Independence mission house where he would be accused of victimizing a 12-year-old girl on Easter Sunday — the same girl whom he was accused of taking naked pictures of when she was 6 years old.

Ratigan pleaded guilty to several child-pornography-related charges in August 2012. His victims ranged in age from 2 to 12.

Finn's conviction made him the highest ranking Catholic Church official in the country to be found guilty of a charge related to a sex-abuse scandal.

There had long been calls for Finn's resignation and removal — even from higher ups.

KSHB Channel 41 reports that Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann is in as interim leader of the diocese until a full-time bishop is appointed.