Robert Finn (bishop)
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Robert William Finn (born April 2, 1953) is an American
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph from 2005 until his forced resignation in 2015. Finn is the only American bishop to be convicted of failure to report a priest suspected of child sex abuse to government authorities.Eligon, John, and Laurie Goodstein
"Kansas City Bishop Convicted of Shielding Pedophile "
''New York Times'', 7 September 2012


Early life

Robert Finn was born in
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
, on April 2, 1953, the second of five children of Theodore (Pat) and Betty Schneider Finn. He has three sisters— Kathleen Fornwalt, Patricia Bax, and Nancy Meyer —and one brother, Richard Finn. Finn completed his elementary education at All Souls Catholic School in
Overland, Missouri Overland is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 15,955 at the 2020 census. History The area south of the King's Road to St. Charles, Missouri, St. Charles was first settled in the ea ...
. He studied for the priesthood at archdiocesan seminaries and in Rome. He is a 1971 graduate of St. Louis Preparatory Seminary North, and received a
Bachelor of Philosophy Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil, BPh, or PhB; or or ) is the title of an academic degree in philosophy that usually involves considerable research, either through a thesis or supervised research projects. Unlike many other bachelor's degrees, the ...
degree at Cardinal Glennon College in Shrewsbury, Missouri, in 1975. While a seminarian at the
Pontifical North American College The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Prie ...
in Rome, Finn earned a
Master of Theology Master of Theology (, abbreviated ThM, MTh or MTheol, or ''Sacrae Theologiae Magister''; abbreviated STM) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a ...
degree in 1979 from the Angelicum University. Finn served as a deacon in 1978 to 1979 at Saint Charles Borromeo Parish in the Archdiocese of Westminster in England.


Priesthood

On July 7, 1979, Finn was ordained a
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
by Bishop John Nicholas Wurm for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis at All Souls Parish Church. After his ordination, Finn was named as associate pastor of two parishes in the archdiocese. He was later appointed to the faculty of Saint Francis Borgia Regional High School in Washington, Missouri, where he taught from 1983 to 1989. During those years, he lived in residence and served as part-time pastoral associate in area parishes. In 1989, Finn received a Master of Education Administration degree from
Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Missi ...
and was appointed administrator of St. Dominic High School in O'Fallon, Missouri. During his tenure at St. Dominic's, he assisted the pastors of area parishes. He served the St. Dominic High School community until 1996. In 1996, Finn was appointed director of continuing formation of priests and, in 1999, while continuing as CFP Director, he was named editor of the ''St. Louis Review'', the weekly newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. Finn was named by
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
as a chaplain to his holiness in August 2003, upon the recommendation of the Archbishop Justin Rigali. Finn served in several other capacities including chairman of the archdiocesan Committee on the Diaconate. Finn served as pastor of Our Holy Redeemer Parish in
Webster Groves, Missouri Webster Groves is an inner-ring Greater St. Louis, suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 24,010 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is home to the main campus of Webster Universit ...
, prior to being appointed the coadjutor bishop of Kansas City.


Bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph

On May 3, 2004, Finn was named by John Paul II as
coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) ("co-assister" in Latin) is a bishop in the Latin Catholic, Anglican and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in administering the diocese. The coa ...
(with right of succession) of the Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph. Finn was consecrated by Cardinal Raymond Burke at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City. He also became a fourth degree member of the
Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic Church, Catholic Fraternal and service organizations, fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney, Blessed Michael J. McGivney. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. ...
. On May 24, 2005, the Vatican accepted Bishop Raymond Boland's request for retirement. As coadjutor, Finn automatically succeeded Boland as sixth bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. Finn became a member of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, which is linked to the Catholic personal prelature
Opus Dei is an institution of the Catholic Church that was founded in Spain in 1928 by Josemaría Escrivá. Its stated mission is to help its lay and clerical members seek holiness in their everyday occupations and societies. Opus Dei is officially r ...
. In an interview with the ''Catholic Key'', Finn told of how Opus Dei had helped open his heart to the work of the Holy Spirit. Upon his arrival in the Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph in 2005, Finn said that vocations to the priesthood and
religious life Consecrated life (also known as religious life) is a state of life in the Catholic Church lived by those faithful who are called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way. It includes those in institutes of consecrated life (religious and sec ...
would be 'super-priority' for his diocese. Before Finn's arrival, in the 2003/2004 seminary school year, the diocese reported having nine seminarians. For 2007/2008, the diocese reported that there were 24 men studying for diocesan priesthood. In March 2006, Finn invited to his diocese a small order of
Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
nuns, now titled
Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, are a Benedictine order of nuns founded by Sr. Mary Wilhelmina Lancaster, OSB, in Gower, Missouri. The nuns are also choral singers, and their first two albums of recorded chants and hymns reached num ...
. The entire order moved from its place of founding,
Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Scranton is the most populous city in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the ...
. , Finn served on the Administrative and the Priorities and Plans Committees for the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 2001 after the merger of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic C ...
, and had been chairman of the Task Force on the Life and Dignity of the Human Person.


Sex abuse scandal

In May 2011, Finn apologized for his failure to act in a more timely manner in the case of Reverend Shawn Ratigan, who was accused of engaging in inappropriate behavior with children. Finn had received a letter in May 2010 from a Catholic elementary school principal, reporting numerous instances of inappropriate behavior by Ratigan. Finn said he failed to read the letter. Finn's admission came five months after the diocese discovered inappropriate pictures of children on Ratigan's computer, and a week after he was arrested on
child pornography Child pornography (also abbreviated as CP, also called child porn or kiddie porn, and child sexual abuse material, known by the acronym CSAM (underscoring that children can not be deemed willing participants under law)), is Eroticism, erotic ma ...
charges. On June 9, 2011, Finn appointed former U.S. Attorney Todd P. Graves to conduct an independent investigation of diocesan policies and procedures used to address sexual misconduct by church personnel, including Ratigan. Finn also announced the appointment of an independent public liaison and
ombudsman An ombudsman ( , also ) is a government employee who investigates and tries to resolve complaints, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation. They are usually appointed by the government or by parliament (often with a sign ...
. In a September 2011 report, Graves said "that Diocesan leaders failed to follow their own policies and procedures for responding to reports" of sexual abuse by clergy. On October 14, 2011, a county
grand jury A grand jury is a jury empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a person to testify. A grand ju ...
indicted both the diocese and Finn with failing to inform police about child pornography, a criminal
misdemeanor A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than admi ...
. According to the indictment, the diocese became aware of those images on December 16, 2010. Rather than reporting it to law enforcement, Finn ordered Ratigan to undergo
psychiatric evaluation Psychological evaluation is a method to assess an individual's behavior, personality, cognitive abilities, and several other domains. A common reason for a psychological evaluation is to identify psychological factors that may be inhibiting ''a p ...
, then sent him to a
convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
under orders to have no contact with children. During that time, Ratigan proceeded to take more inappropriate pictures of children he met through church contacts. Without Finn's approval, other diocesan officials finally reported Ratigan to police on May 11, 2011. Ratigan eventually pleaded guilty to five counts of producing child pornography and was sentenced to 50 years in
federal prison A federal prison is operated under the jurisdiction of a federal government as opposed to a state or provincial body. Federal prisons are used for people who violated federal law (U.S., Mexico), people considered dangerous (Brazil), or those sen ...
. While other bishops had been charged with directly perpetrating abuse, Finn was the first U.S. bishop to be charged in his role as a supervisor of priests, the first criminal case against a sitting bishop in the child sex abuse scandal in the American Catholic Church. Finn was convicted on one charge in September 2012 and sentenced to two years of
probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incar ...
. All charges against the diocese itself were dropped. In September 2014, the Vatican initiated an apostolic visitation to the diocese, conducted by Archbishop Terrence Prendergast. The director of SNAP called the investigation "overdue". Cardinal Sean O'Malley from the Archdiocese of Boston criticized Finn's actions in a November 2014 interview with the television news program ''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...
.'' O'Malley said that Finn's conviction for failing to report suspected child abuse would disqualify him from teaching
Sunday school ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...
in the archdiocese. "It's a question that the Holy See needs to address urgently," O'Malley said.


Resignation

On April 21, 2015, the Vatican announced that Finn had resigned as bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph without providing any reason. In 2016, Finn became chaplain of the School Sisters of Christ the King Convent in
Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...
. As of July 2018, he had largely limited himself to this role, but has made occasional public appearances.


Views


Tridentine mass

In August 2005, Finn encouraged use of the
Tridentine mass The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite or ''usus antiquior'' (), Vetus Ordo or the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) or the Traditional Rite, is the liturgy in the Roman Missal of the Catholic Church codified in ...
in his diocese. This was in accord with indult provisions established during
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
's tenure. Finn also welcomed the
Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, , abbreviated as ICKSP and ICRSS, is a society of apostolic life of pontifical right in communion with the Holy See of the Catholic Church. The institute has the stated goal of honouring God and ...
to the diocese to celebrate mass at St. Patrick's Oratory, the oldest church in Kansas City, Missouri.


Abortion

In a
pastoral letter A pastoral letter, often simply called a pastoral, is an open letter addressed by a bishop to the clergy or laity of a diocese or to both, containing general admonition, instruction or consolation, or directions for behaviour in particular circu ...
published in the October 24, 2008, issue of the diocesan newspaper, ''The Catholic Key'', Finn referenced the upcoming
2008 US presidential election Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 4, 2008. The Democratic ticket of Barack Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, and Joe Biden, the senior senator from Delaware, defeated the Republican ticket of John Mc ...
:
"Our Catholic moral principles teach that a candidate’s promise of economic prosperity is insufficient to justify their constant support of abortion laws, including partial-birth abortion, and infanticide for born-alive infants. Promotion of the Freedom of Choice Act is a pledge to eliminate every single limit on abortions achieved over the last thirty-five years. The real freedom that is ours in Jesus Christ compels us, not to take life, but to defend it."


References


External links


Biography of Bishop Finn at the Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph website

Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finn, Robert 1953 births Living people American Catholic priests convicted of crimes Roman Catholic bishops of Kansas City–Saint Joseph 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Kenrick–Glennon Seminary alumni Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni Pontifical North American College alumni Saint Louis University alumni Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis Clergy from St. Louis Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals in the United States 21st-century American criminals