Comments on Fishwrap’s editorial against Bp. Finn and their call for his removal

Today Fishwrap offers up a fantasy editorial railing against Bp. Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph.  Based on his conviction by a Kansas City court, Fishwrap demands Finn’s resignation or removal from office.

It would take too many words here to pull their editorial apart, so just go read it HERE.

I don’t remember seeing National catholic Reporter‘s editorials demanding the resignation of Archbp. Rembert Weakland or Card. Mahony.  They were into some truly deep problems, but there was no high dudgeon from NCR about them.

Bp. Finn got what we can only describe as a hand-slapping by a court.  He received suspended probation the record of which is then to be expunged from his record.  If what Finn did was truly a massive crime, would the court have done this?

Based on this draconian sentence inflicted by the court, Fishwrap claims that Bp. Finn won’t even be able to blow a pitch pipe in a church because of his record… a record he won’t have.

Just to refresh your memory, from the Kansas City Star:

The verdicts came after a short nonjury trial in Jackson County Circuit Court. Judge John Torrence immediately sentenced Finn to two years’ of probation, then suspended the imposition of the sentence. That means that if Finn finishes the probation without incident and completes nine steps as part of his sentence, the bishop’s criminal record will be expunged.

In the present environment, this outcome for Finn and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph is the best that could have been hoped for. Even the all charges against the Diocese itself were dropped.

How thin does Fishwrap want the tripwire for bishops to be?

I can see it now.  When bishops are finally elected by the laity, their principal job description will be to report whispered suspicions concerning priests to the police. Perhaps we will even have new statistics for bishops: Earned Reporting Average.  They will have a red phone installed in their offices connecting directly to the DA’s mobile and a black phone hotline near to hand so that they can receive the daily stream of anonymous tips from people who have suspicions.

The NCR piece inflates what happened in Kansas City to the point where it is unrecognizable. The editorial seeks to group Finn together with the likes of Law, Bevilacqua, Mahony.

I didn’t see an editorial from NCR demanding that the LCWR meet with SNAP.  Did you?  Beat bishops and priests to pieces.  Nuns get a pass.

Bottom line, for those who are distracted by other issues:

The editors hate Bp. Finn, bishop of the diocese where their offices are.  They hate him with a personal hatred, unhinged animus.  I think they are actually happy that the diocese had to spend piles of money on this, because, in the end, it hurt Bp. Finn.  They are inflating what the court recognized as something so vaporous as to require that even the record of it be expunged, and they are dancing around it with pikes and torches.

The moderation queue is on, to filter comments that pursue tangents.

UPDATE: 13 Sept 1410 GMT:

I am receiving email from some people who are whining that I am not letting their comments (focused on the need for Bp. Finn to resign) through to public view.

Too bad.

I guess, however, that I have to explain what is going on here.

Bp. Finn’s removal by the Holy Father, or his resignation, or his remaining in place, is grist for some other post, but not this one.   This entry is about the NCR more than it is about Bp. Finn’s future.  NCR hates Bp. Finn and they will do anything to the facts to make him look bad.  They don’t do this because they are interested in the truth.  They do it because of their unhinged animus.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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20 Comments

  1. Christine says:

    The Fishwrap is still mad about Bishop Morris of Toowoomba. They probably feel that since a liberal bishop was removed, it’s only fair that a conservative (i.e. faithful) bishop get removed too. Of course I could be wrong, but as a mother of 8, I’ve seen this kind of thing before. ;-)

  2. jarhead462 says:

    “Progressive” Nuns get a pass.

    Semper Fi!

  3. Maria says:

    Been praying for him and for fishwrap to close ….

  4. TheAcolyte says:

    It’s the case of Herod (National Fishwrap) working with Pontius Pilate (the anti-Church State) to deal with a common enemy: the Catholic Church.

    The NCR (and their secular buddies at the KC Star) has had it out for Bishop Finn even when he was just the co-adjutor bishop and began to make waves then – then they declared all-out war when as the new local ordinary, Bishop Finn finally rid the Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri chancery office of the worst, liberal elements and brought back a level of sanity to the diocese.

    This liberal persecution against Bishop Finn is disgusting and my prayers are with him.

  5. SimonDodd says:

    This way, if +Finn finally drops the long-overdue excommunication on NCR’s staff, they can play the sympathy card and say it’s nothing more than retaliation for their brave truth-telling.

  6. wmeyer says:

    I’m afraid my comment will not pass their moderator, as I challenged them on their Christian values, and their rush to condemn.

  7. Pingback: TUESDAY AFTERNOON EDITIOIN | Big Pulpit

  8. Sword40 says:

    Soon we will all be carrying our own Crosses, even more than normal. I pray for his Excellency and for “Fishwrap” to experience a change of heart (if they have one).

  9. marknelza says:

    When will these people do us all a favour and just go create a new church that meets all their criteria for a good church.

  10. Phil_NL says:

    SimonDodd nails it. This is just preparation for the battle when Bp. Finn will take on the NCR. Or, in true Alinsky style, perhaps trying to goad the bishop into abstaining from cleaning out that Augias stable. The best strike is a pre-emptive strike, afterall, and the bishop will hear this matter for decades to come. They’ll sneak in the conviction into every article on him, long after the record has been expunged.

  11. Glen M says:

    Bishop Finn should have take action against NcR years ago. When a snake slithers into your house, if you don’t get rid of it eventually it’s going to bite you.

  12. Funny how the libs of every persuasion seem to be united by the same playbook, straight from hell!

  13. acardnal says:

    Bp. Finn is probably not in the strongest position right now, but he should direct the NCR to remove the word “catholic” from their moniker!

  14. kiwiinamerica says:

    Agree with everything you say, Father but we must stop giving ammunition to the deconstructionists. Same with Bishop Cordileone and his DUI out in California. We’re in a war and these are knuckleheaded mistakes which these otherwise good bishops are making. They are playing right into the hands of the naysayers like the Fishwrap which is looking for anything to use as a weapon of convenience with which to attack bishops who are loyal to the Holy Father. Bishop Finn being Opus Dei makes him a doubly desirable target.

    [Your comment touches on the point of the entry. Thanks.]

  15. Ralph says:

    What a burden it must be to be a faithful bishop.
    Thanks be to God I was not called to that vocation.

    I’ll pray for him. And them.

  16. Indulgentiam says:

    John 15:18
    If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you.

    Really derision from this group is like a badge of honor. Hold your head up your Excellency your in excellent company! Anytime liberals in the Church take a swipe at me its like a big sign that says, “headed in the right direction!” i will most definitely pray for His Excellency…ok, ok and the fishwrap

  17. jflare says:

    Hmm.
    I made two rather pointed, but civil, comments over there, one about the justice of the situation overall, the other as a response to the Midwest director of SNAP. Neither has been allowed. MAYBE they simply haven’t made it yet due to my having made comments a few moments past 5 PM. MAYBE.

    I’m afraid I have real doubts about the credibility of their editing and/or moderating staff.

    I understand this to have been a misdemeanor. I wonder if they’ll stop at editorials of a holy bishop winds up convicted of a felony of some half-baked charge.
    Perhaps this sort of thing is what it looks like before we’re persecuted 0penly for our faith….

  18. jflare says:

    Well, it seems the time of day DID have an impact on when comments went through moderation. NCR apparently didn’t object to my comments. I’m slightly surprised really; they tend to be rather finicky about even indirect criticism of their own views.

  19. Bev says:

    This is a good time to remind ourselves that the NCR is not Catholic and has been condemned by a previous bishop of the diocese they operate in. They were even told to not call themselves Catholic.

    Go HERE.

  20. DeaconJR says:

    Dear Fr. Z–

    Just want to say thank you, thank you, and Amen to your observations in this post. The NCR is stupendously biased when it comes to their Bishop, as can be seen in their statement that : “From the very first day of his tenure in this diocese, Finn has been a source of division and divisiveness. He does have supporters, but he has never won even a grudging respect from majority of active Catholics. ” The translation of which is, in my view: “The NCR has been hoping to get rid of this Bishop since day one….” NCR apparently has no scruples about using the abuse crisis as an expedient tool to advance a pre-existing agenda. A show of hands from anyone surprised by this. What, no raised hands? God bless you, Deacon JR

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