Time to heal in dioceses

Letter to the editor
Kansas City Star
Nov. 14, 2012

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is meeting this week. Our convicted Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph Bishop Robert Finn is attending.

A local church spokesman said: “Bishop Finn did not intend to address the bishops either in their public or closed-door sessions. USCCB officials also said there were no plans by conference leaders to raise the issue of Bishop Finn’s status.”

Bishop Finn’s status isn’t a subject the bishops are eager to discuss. The church spokesman said in the two months since Bishop Finn’s conviction, no bishop or church authority has addressed his case and no one has spoken to him privately. Doesn’t this just deepen the scandal?

I wonder whether by their silence, the bishops are condoning Bishop Finn’s actions. Or is membership in their hierarchical ranks of such importance to them that they will not risk speaking their consciences?

Surely, they don’t all condone what took place. Is there a voice of courage among them?

We know Bishop Finn isn’t a voice of courage. If he were, he would resign so the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph could begin to heal and move forward with renewed life.

Sister Jeanne Christensen, RSM

Kansas City