A ROMAN Catholic bishop faces a possible prison sentence and $1,000 fine for failing to report a priest who was found to have hundreds of pictures on naked children on his laptop computer.
Bishop Finn
Bishop Robert Finn, who heads the Kansas City diocese, became the highest-ranking US church official to be charged in the long-running Catholic clergy abuse scandals when prosecutors in Jackson County, Missouri, began proceedings against him on Friday.
The prosecution, according to this report, alleges that Finn, 58, became aware of the images on Rev Shawn Ratigan’s computer in December, 2010, but failed to notify police or state child abuse authorities for five months.
Finn’s lawyer entered a not guilty plea and the bishop issued a statement saying he would fight the misdemeanor charge:
With a steady resolve and a vigorous defence.
The diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, was also charged with the same misdemeanor.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said:
This case is about protecting children. I want to ensure there are no future failures to report resulting in other unsuspecting victims.
Ratigan is still awaiting trial on charges of possessing child pornography. He pleaded not guilty earlier this year with possessing photos of children taken around churches and schools where he had worked in the diocese.
Shawn Ratigan
According to this report:
Some of the photos were ‘up-skirt’ images of clothed girls ages 12 and younger, and at least one nude photo focused on a girl’s genitals.
Earlier this year, the diocese hired former US Attorney Todd Graves to investigate, and his report last month concluded that diocese leaders, in Ratigan’s case:
Failed to follow their own policies and procedures.
The diocese over the years has faced lawsuits from scores of people who claimed to be sexually abused by priests, mostly in the 1950s through early 1970s.
Two years ago Finn came under fire from a fellow priest for opposing Barack Obama’s health care reforms. Father Michael J Gillgannon criticised Finn’s leadership and accused him of trying to drag the church back to pre-Vatican II culture.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
October 16th, 2011 at 9:28 am
I hope they both get bummed in prison…
October 16th, 2011 at 9:30 am
And on it goes…
October 16th, 2011 at 9:37 am
Robert Finn is also a member of Opus Dei.
http://www.rickross.com/reference/opus/opus60.html
October 16th, 2011 at 10:41 am
With all this on his CV already, we can surely expect to find Bishop Finn fast-tracked by the Catholic Church for a senior position in Rome.
Perhaps he’ll be put in charge of “child protection” or something. That would fit in with the Vatican’s previously shameless approach.
October 16th, 2011 at 11:27 am
Here’s a lengthy, disturbing in places but outstanding overview article on the RC child-rape scandal here in, of all places, Rolling Stone magazine.
If you weren’t in a rage before reading this, you sure will be after.
http://goo.gl/Wru1c
October 16th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
Why should they should be rewarded, DannyJ?
October 16th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
#also charged with the same misdemeanor.#
Fucking misdemeanor!
What the hell constitutes a serious crime in Kansas?
October 16th, 2011 at 8:17 pm
Bishop Robert Finn = Shift Nobbier Porn
October 16th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
And yet the RCC keeps on insisting that the abuse scandal is history. Of course it is you lying, hateful paedophiles!
I honestly just don’t get why there aren’t people on the streets in their thousands demanding that this evil institution is torn down and the vile, complicit bastards that run it are run out of town.
If the RCC was a charity, a government body or some other kind of accountable institution that had free access to young minds and bodies there would be blood on the streets. But no, it is none of those things. It doesn’t answer to anyone. Despite the heinous crimes committed by its most ardent followers it enjoys ‘untouchable’ status, and normally sane people, millions of them, still swallow more lies than your average priest… well, you know where I’m going with that one.
The RCC is rotten to its despicable core. The sooner it is brought to account and consigned to the dustbin of history the better.
October 16th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
#AgentCormac
If the RCC was a charity,#
But they are (like all the major religions) a registered charity, that’s why they’re tax exempt.
October 17th, 2011 at 1:38 am
alan c asked: “What the hell constitutes a serious crime in Kansas?”
teaching evolution?
October 17th, 2011 at 5:14 am
Can’t help thinking that in a sane world, all of these disgusting Catholic clergy would have been arrested and safely locked away by now. That there are still people who defend and even celebrate these filthy creatures is sad and sick indeed. It’s surely well past time for a “zero tolerance” policy regarding both Catholicism and Islam.
October 17th, 2011 at 8:01 am
@ Alan C
Point taken.
October 17th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
More tales of RCC villainy here.
http://freethoughtblogs.com/ph...../#comments
October 18th, 2011 at 3:48 am
Good article Ivan…some sick people looking after our children in the name of god.