SNAP to Release Evidence of Sex Abuse Cover-up in Kansas City Diocese

By Chris Oberholtz and Elisabeth Rentschler
KPAX
April 30, 2015

http://www.kpax.com/story/28946810/snap-to-release-evidence-of-sex-abuse-cover-up-in-kansas-city-diocese

Kansas City, MO -- Bishop Robert Finn, who was convicted three years ago of failing to report suspected child abuse, has resigned, but some in the Catholic community are still angry.

The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests say Kansas City, KS, Archbishop Joseph Naumann, who was appointed temporary leader of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese after Finn resignation, isn't the right choice.

SNAP members say Naumann is part of a child sex abuse cover-up that happened at the Catholic Archdiocese in KCK. They are calling for system-wide change in the Catholic church.

They held a protest at the Kansas City-St Joseph Diocese after they found out that Finn will preside over the ordinations of seven deacons next month due to a scheduling conflict for his temporary replacement.

Naumann will be leading the ordination ceremony of deacons in the KCK diocese he leads at the same time the May 23 ordinations are scheduled for the Missouri diocese.

SNAP members feel that makes Finn's resignation useless.

"We're very hopeful that Catholics and priests here will stand up and things will change," said Barbara Dorris, outreach director with SNAP.

A different SNAP news conference focusing on Naumann is scheduled to take place Thursday.

SNAP members say they plan to release undisclosed documents from clergy sex abuse victims that allegedly show evidence of a sex abuse cover-up in the KCK diocese.

Naumann has yet to comment on these allegations. However, he sat down for an interview on Monday with KCTV5's Brad Stephens. He said his job is to make the Catholic Church a better place and not dwell on the past.

"This is a moment to try to refocus ourselves and not continue to rehash the past except in ways we can learn from it, but how do we go about going forward and doing the mission that Jesus gave us, which is to go and make disciples," Naumann said.

The news conference is scheduled to take place at 11:15 a.m. outside the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph headquarters in downtown Kansas City.