(Image Source: CNN)
 

BY ERIK SHUTE
ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN
 

You're watching multisource U.S. video news analysis from Newsy.
 

Catholic Bishop Robert W. Finn and the diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph have been indicted by a grand jury. Charged with failing to report suspected child abuse by a priest, Fox News reports this case has no precedent.

“Kansas City Bishop, charged with failing to protect children, accused of not telling police about child pornography found on a priest's computer. He is the highest-ranking u.s. Catholic official indicted in the priest scandal and the first bishop criminally charged with sheltering an abusive clergyman.”

The abusive clergy was Father Shawn Ratigan. Back in May he was charged with possession of explicit child pornography. Ratigan now sits behind bars, but after the conviction Bishop Finn revealed he knew about quote ‘hundreds’ of images found on Ratigan’s computer. KCTV explains how his involvement is coming full circle.

“Between December 16th, 2010 and May 11th, 2011 that Bishop Finn was a mandated reporter who had reasonable cause to suspect that a child may have been suspected in abuse and this was due to previous knowledge of concerns about Father Ratigan and children... The indictment goes on to say Bishop Finn failed to report this to the proper authorities. In this case it was the Missouri Children’s Division.”

So Finn is charged for what he didn’t do. And the charge is considered a class A misdemeanor and carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and $1,000 fine. Even if the charge sounds minor, CNN Vatican analyst John Allen says...

 “Clearly, it indicates two things... There is a new willingness to go after the highest officials in the church and hold them accountable.”

According to The New York Times an estimated $2 billion has been spent on past abuse case settlements, but Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker says that’s not the issue standing trial. KSHB has her statement.

“This has nothing to do with the Catholic Faith. This is about the facts of this case, nothing more. And this is about protecting children.”

The Kansas City Star reports Finn will find support in his faithful parishioners. It spoke with Matthew Copple who thinks starting the Bishop’s rap sheet is unnecessary.

“The man may have been guilty of incompetence and negligence, but I do not see him as a criminal.. That seems wrong to me. Let’s punish the people who committed the deed. I don’t see the need for the bishop to have a criminal record or be guilty of a crime.”

And in his own defense, Bishop Finn released this statement describing his involvement during Ratigan’s case. Here’s KMBC.

“‘Months ago, after the arrest of Shawn Ratigan, I pledged the complete cooperation of the Diocese and accountability to law enforcement we have carried this out faithfully.’”


Finn has served as a Catholic priest for 26 years. He and the diocese have plead not guilty to all charges.