Bishop Finn takes aim at the National Catholic Reporter

[rug]

January 25, 2013 By Deacon Greg Kandra

In his diocesan paper, Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph raises questions about NCR:

I am very proud of the work of our diocesan Catholic paper, The Catholic Key, our writers, and all involved with its production for the conscientious manner in which they use the paper to teach Catholic doctrine, to provide trustworthy reflections on issues that take place in our culture, and to provide stories of apostolic life and work – particularly from our local diocese – that inspire us to live our Catholic faith more fully.

Similarly, the apostolate of Catholic Radio has blossomed locally. KEXS, 1090 AM, Catholic radio has helped Catholics to know and live their faith. Catholic radio is enjoyed by non-Catholics and has been the cause of many coming to the Faith and entering the Church.

In a different way, I am sorry to say, my attention has been drawn once again to the National Catholic Reporter, a newspaper with headquarters in this Diocese. I have received letters and other complaints about NCR from the beginning of my time here. In the last months I have been deluged with emails and other correspondence from Catholics concerned about the editorial stances of the Reporter: officially condemning Church teaching on the ordination of women, insistent undermining of Church teaching on artificial contraception and sexual morality in general, lionizing dissident theologies while rejecting established Magisterial teaching, and a litany of other issues.

My predecessor bishops have taken different approaches to the challenge. Bishop Charles Helmsing in October of 1968 issued a condemnation of the National Catholic Reporter and asked the publishers to remove the name “Catholic” from their title – to no avail. From my perspective, NCR’s positions against authentic Church teaching and leadership have not changed trajectory in the intervening decades.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2013/01/bishop-finn-takes-aim-at-the-national-catholic-reporter/

Bishop Finn failed to cite to Canon 748:

Can. 748 §1. All persons are bound to seek the truth in those things which regard God and his Church and by virtue of divine law are bound by the obligation and possess the right of embracing and observing the truth which they have come to know.

§2. No one is ever permitted to coerce persons to embrace the Catholic faith against their conscience."

[meow2u3]

1. This coming from a convicted Opus Dei criminal

How rich is that?

[rug]

2. I looked into that before I posted.

Apparently he can get his conviction vacated if he observes certain conditions.

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.

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/06/3800269/bishop-finn-verdict-guilty.html

But for the moment, he remains a convict.

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3. I wonder if he was the Bishop spoken of in this article?

Ironically, from NCR;

Fitzpatrick was later joined by her husband, Jim, a lifelong and devout Catholic who said his loyalty was finally worn down when a new bishop in the Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese began dictating changes in liturgy, requiring such things as chalices made of precious metals, moving laity farther from the altar and prohibiting priests from leaving the altar during the kiss of peace. Yet he describes his move from St. Francis Xavier Parish in Kansas City as gradual and occurring over time, with no one thing triggering his exit.

[rug]

4. Most likely. Finn has been bishop there since 2005. His predecessor was there from 1993.