Bishop Finn ignores calls for resignation
October 20, 2011
Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City has brushed aside calls for his resignation, saying that he will continue to fulfill his pastoral duties while defending himself against a misdemeanor indictment for allegedly failing to report suspected child abuse.
Critics of the bishop—who had faced angry opposition from liberal Catholics in his Missouri diocese even before the abuse scandal arose—have insisted that Bishop Finn should step down. Priests who are credibly accused of abuse are removed from ministry under the US bishops’ “Dallas policy,” they noted. But Bishop Finn himself has not been accused of abuse. A spokesman for the diocese said that the bishop has no plans to change his regularly scheduled activities.
Meanwhile the Jackson County prosecutor who secured an indictment against Bishop Finn said that it was a “tough decision” to pursue criminal charges against the bishop. Nevertheless, Jean Peters Baker claimed: “Some people felt that we should have filed felony charges.”
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Further information:
- Indicted Bishop Plans to Continue Leading Diocese (AP)
- Prosecutor explains decision to charge Finn (Examiner)
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