The National catholic Reporter (aka Fishwrap) is out to get Bishop Finn.
Fishwrap has been carrying on a jihad against Bishop Robert Finn of the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph ever since he arrived. Fishwrap’s offices are within that diocese.
A case in point.
Today I noticed on Fishwrap’s RSS feed and then on their site (red lines added):
On the web entry itself:
However, when you go to the Kansas City Star article itself (and the Star is no fan of Finn):
What does the Star article really say (my emphases)?
Testimony about bishop ‘misspoken’ in priest sex abuse case
Diocesan staffer had said Finn told her, “Boys will be boys,” in reaction to priest’s lewd photos.
By JUDY L. THOMAS and MARK MORRIS
The Kansas City StarIn sworn testimony made public Thursday, an employee of Kansas City’s Roman Catholic diocese reported that Bishop Robert Finn said that “boys will be boys” when told of lewd images on a priest’s laptop.
But late Thursday night the employee backed away from that testimony.
John Gromowsky, an attorney representing Julie Creech, the computer systems manager for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, said that she had “misspoken” in deposition testimony taken in a civil case and hoped to correct it.
In the Aug. 17 deposition, Creech said that Finn had said, “Sometimes boys will be boys,” when she raised concerns about how the diocese was handling the Rev. Shawn Ratigan, on whose laptop computer she had seen lewd photos of young girls.
“The statement Julie Creech attributed to Bishop Finn during her deposition that ‘boys will be boys’ is not consistent with her recollection of any conversations she had with the bishop concerning the Shawn Ratigan matter,” a statement released by Gromowsky said. “Following the deposition, Julie realized she had misspoken.”
The statement gave no explanation for why Creech’s testimony differed from her recollections.
[…]
You can read the rest there.
I hope Fishwrap will issue an apology to Bp. Finn when they correct their story.
In the meantime, on this last day of the month, as you sip your Mystic Monk Coffee, irritate the Fishwrapers by sending me a donation.
Loading ...
Shoot first, ask questions later. Responsible journalism at its finest.
Misspoken? That is a lame word for calumny.
If Michael Voris changed the name of his website to suit the Chancery Office in his diocese, why doesn’t Bishop Finn put the hammer down on the NcR heretics? Pope Boniface VIII said silence implies consent. Many Catholics assume the NcR is approved because not only does it carry the Church’s name, it is sold in many parishes. The USCCB should put the Fishwray on the old banned books list.
Glen M., because, just like here in England with the Tablet, some bishops like the NCR.
Looks like somebody conflated the facts of the Finn statement and the facts of the Groeschel statement.
Unprofessional.
Personally although I might agree ideologically with those who leak info from bishops’ offices, I think the practice is vile.
There is a kind of discourse that goes on when a person is in the midst of people that he/she thinks can be trusted, and a sort of letting down of one’s hair that everyone needs to do from time to time. To take advantage of that trust and vulnerability is despicable.
The headline is crafted to say something the article text says the opposite of. That’s an awful lot like libel, but it’s probably just this side of it on the law because they’d just say, “Well, if you read the whole article, it’s obviously not the bishop who misspoke by saying ‘boys will be boys’.” But if you read just the headline, the bishop misspoke and said it.
It’s hard to imagine that’s a mistake, that the headline would mean the exact opposite of the text in the article.
“The hammer” was put down on them decades ago by Bp Helmsing who formally condemned them. They have chosen to ignore it.
These dissenters hate the bishop and have done all they can to dishonor him and the Star does as well. So they add calumny to their list of sins.
Yes, r.j., but that was forty years ago. Bishop Finn could publicly renew that original request, take further legal action if possible, even make a new statement warning the faithful the NcR is a dissenting group bordering on schism.
Liberals apologize? What rock are we living under!
I agree with Father Jim about “letting hair down.” But does the retraction or explanation by the employee who first attributed the “boys will be boys” to the bishop not seem smelly or fishy or “damage control”ing to ANYONE? I do not know whether it really is, but I am astonished that the potential “smell” seems so much overlooked. Sorry to sound so “liberal,” for I am more often than not in accord with what seems to be the general view of most blogsters here.
I must say a word in defense of His Excellency in regards to his “letting” NCR continue.
I wrote to him last winter about the one and only article I ever read in full by them regarding “hell being a myth”. I asked him why they were allowed to be called Catholic when they print such heretical things. This is what he responded, in part:
“Dear Mrs.—-
Since the 1960’s The National Catholic Reporter has operated in Kansas
City, MO, not far from the Catholic Chancery offices. They have been notoriously contrary to many aspects of Church teaching.
One of my predecessors lost a court case attempting to have them
remove the title Catholic from their name. I have attempted to have them
moderate their position. I pray for their demise, and suggest you do the
same. They also have written against me a number of times. They attack
many bishops and any number of faithful people.
Perhaps this responds in part to your note. Thank you for your
prayers.
Peace
In Christ and Mary,
+Bishop Finn”
I excised the paragraph where he specifically addressed and remarked about the article in question as it isn’t relevant to the issue.
I think he has tried very hard to do what he can. He was very prompt in returning my query.
Pingback: Spirituality National Catholic Reporter Bishop Robert Finn | Big Pulpit
That’s interesting what His Excellency says about praying for the demise of the Fishwrap; for several months I’ve been praying to one of my patrons, a strong, outspoken bishop in life, to reform or destroy several publications, NCRep being one of them. I would prefer to see them reform, to be honest, but they just seem to get lower and lower.