The lemmings are on the loose.
I was wondering how long it would take for the knee-jerk defenders of the Catholic hierarchy to rise in defense of Bishop Robert Finn of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.
At first — after the shocking news of the diocese’s five-month-or-more cover-up of Father Shawn Ratigan’s child-porn propensities — the lemmings were quiet, for the most part. They were so taken aback at the gravity of the diocese’s action (or inaction) that they really didn’t know what to say or how to respond.
But now, after several weeks of the diocese coming under heavy bombardment from every direction, they’ve circled the wagons and launched a counterattack:
Call it the “good and holy man” defense.
Here are three examples:
Daniel G. Obermeier of Olathe, in a June 10 letter to the editor of The Star:
“Bishop Robert Finn made one mistake…Bishop Finn has lived and taught the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic faith. For this he should definitely not resign.”
Mark S. Robertson of Independence, in a June 11 letter to the editor:
“I have met Bishop Finn, but don’t know him personally It is quite obvious, though, that he is a good and holy man, and I think he has been a great bishop. He has launched many strong Catholic initiatives, and there are now over 25 seminarians, according to the Catholic Key 2011 diocesan directory.”
Kelly Roper of Platte City, in a June 12 letter to the editor:
“Bishop Finn is a true example of Christ in accepting the cross now being presented to him. He continues to talk to groups of people who are hurting, enduring persecution with the hope of correcting wrongs and bringing healing to his flock.”
As you know, Finn unleashed his own counter punch last Thursday, when he appointed former U.S. attorney Todd Graves to investigate the diocese’s handling of sex-crimes cases, including that of Ratigan, who is in the Clay County Jail on three felony counts of possessing child pornography.
“These are initial steps,” Finn said, regarding the appointment of Graves. “Other actions are forthcoming.”
So, Finn has decided to fight back, and unlike the sexting case of Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York, there’s no Nancy Pelosi or other higher-up to say to him:
“Robert, you’re embarrassing us. It’s time to get out from under the harsh spotlight.”
Finn may be a good and holy man, but he’s also shown his true stripes. He has done that by working, from Day One, to establish a set of priorities that puts the church hierarchy and Pope John Paul II’s vision of a very conservative church at the top of the list, with the laity — especially the welfare of children — at the bottom.
Bishops everywhere are trying to stack the deck with conservative priests, and I have heard enough to convince me that Ratigan is of that ilk. The conservative priests are going to get more rope than the liberals, it’s as simple as that.
If you look at this episode, then, within the context of the overall direction of the Catholic Church — and not as “one mistake” — it’s clear that it’s the product of a wayward philosophy, a philosophy that starts at the top.
I remember when my wife Patty and I had decided to join a Disciples of Christ Church in Olathe, and we were talking to the senior pastor, Rev. Holly McKissick, about our decision to leave the Catholic Church.
Something that Holly said that day stuck with me because it went right to the heart of our concerns.
“The Catholic Church has made a lot of good contributions over the centuries,” she said, “but there’s something wrong when one person at the top has all the answers and nobody else has any.”
The Catholic Church is strictly a vertical operation. Finn and the 5,000 other bishops are accountable to no one except the Pope. And Pope Benedict XVI, I feel sure, believes that Finn and almost every other conservative bishop is doing a fine job.
To me, the people who are putting up “the good and holy man” defense are, for the most part, moving in lockstep with church philosophy. To them, I think, the children who are victims of priestly perversion are collateral damage as the church plows ahead into the iceberg of conservatism.
I know that that’s a harsh opinion, but I just don’t see any other explanation for what happened in the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese. It’s a scandal, not “a mistake.”
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Finn has tried to revive the bygone days when a bishop’s word in his diocese was never challenged, when his pronouncements were accepted without question and his actions not examined. It doesn’t seem as though he revived those days soon enough.
And the longer this drags out, the more likely it is that he’ll get his way, too, and it will be swept under a figurative rug and he’ll remain “untouchable.” Sad. Pitiful. Pathetic. Tragic. Sick.
I don’t know the three supporters that you cited in your posting, but I think it’s a safe bet that they are staunch pro-lifers. There are many people so consumed by the abortion issue that they would support Charles Manson if he were to speak about the so-called plight of the unborn. That is a big reason why there are so many scoundrels holding elected office these days. Many of these staunch Catholic pro-lifers love Finn. And I think you are right, Fitz, in that children sexually abused by priests are collateral damage to them.
Funny line about Charles Manson, Mike…and great point about choice and right-to-life being the seminal wedge issue in the church.
Mike Rice.
Dead on the money.
Thank you. I will add that while I and my family were in church at St. Elizabeth’s on the Sunday before the 2008 presidential election, someone put a flier on every car in the church parking lot and the adjacent streets. Those fliers encouraged voters not to vote for Obama because of his pro-choice views. I’m sure that Bishop Finn was behind this and I have had nothing but contempt for him ever since. As I have said before in these posts, I am convinced that he looked the other way on Fr. Ratigan because they share the same pro-life mission.
And what is so mentally ill about the “pro-life” movement is that their concern stops at birth. How will the mothers support those babies you want them to have? Don’t care, not my problem. What IS that?
Or, my other favorite, they can just be adopted. Listen folks, the opposite of abortion is NOT adoption, mmkay?
More than most religions, Roman Catholics are immersed in a religion-centric world because of the church’s education mission. Millions have attended Catholic schools from kindergarten through college. It’s more a matter of culture than theology, and for many, it is the dominant element of their lives until they become adults. There are those who find comfort in the certainty and direction provided by a top-down church structure….there are those who find it troubling, but believe the Christian message buried beneath the institutional bureaucracy and hypocrisy outweighs the sins of the human priests and bishops, so they remain part of the church (This is my church, not their church, they say). But an equally valid response is to conclude that because of the misguided and sinful actions of those who are responsible for providing leadership in the Catholic Church, it is no longer possible to trust and support the institution, even if one finds its theology superior and its liturgy more powerful. The easy thing is to stay and not say anything. It’s far more difficult to break those deep-seated ties and walk away, but many of us, guided by the moral teachings of Jesus, have found it necessary.
Tremendous insight there, Harwood, and beautifully expressed. I think that’s one reason this has raised such a firestorm — many cultural Catholics are pounding their fists against the wall in frustration…Your comment hits home with me on several fronts, including my belief that the Catholic liturgy is superior to that of most Protestant churches. Specifically, I think the Catholic music is by far the best, and as for sending loved ones to rest, nothing else approaches the Mass of Christian Burial. You can cry your eyes out and know you’ve given your loved one the best possible send-off.
When you combine the lemming qualities and capabilities with the co-dependence, you get a very sad and dangerous result. These apologists are just maddening.
So true, Mo.
Rome of the 1500s and 1600s where church leaders fell upon pre Christian Greek PAGANs to harass and even burn good hearted CHRISTIAN scientists, including Galileo, Newton and Bruno ……….
OJ only made one mistake.
We have laws in this country because we don’t want children to get raped, but the Catholic church doesn’t care. Put Finn in jail, then do a grand jury investigation. See what they found when Philly did a grand jury investigation. Just read the first 6 pages at http://www.philadelphiadistrictattorney.com/images/Grand_Jury_Report.pdf
The pedophiles and pedophile protectors in the Catholic church are sick, and the congregation that supports them is almost as sick.