IV

Father Ratigan was arrested on May 18 and subsequently charged with three counts of felony possession of child pornography in Clay County, one of several jurisdictions that overlap with the boundaries of the diocese. He also was charged in U.S. District Court with 13 federal counts of producing and possessing child pornography.

Following Ratigan's arrest, Bishop Finn sought prayers and forgiveness: "I deeply regret that we didn't ask the police earlier to conduct a full investigation," Finn said in a statement. "Let us pray for each other in these difficult days."

Five months after Ratigan's arrest, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker obtained a grand jury indictment against Bishop Finn, charging him with failing to report Ratigan to authorities as he was legally mandated to do. Baker also obtained an indictment against the diocese, and says that holds accountable all the officials there who failed to act.

"It's all a violation of trust. Kids can't protect themselves," Baker said in an interview. "All of us should be looking to safeguard kids."

The charges are based on "mandated reporter" laws, which require school officials, clergy and virtually anyone with access to and control over a child to immediately alert child protective services and law enforcement if they have any reason to suspect abuse or child endangerment.

The prosecutor in neighboring Clay County also pursued criminal charges but reached an agreement with Finn in November requiring the bishop to undergo close civil oversight in exchange for avoiding criminal charges.

FALLOUT

Immediately following Ratigan's arrest, the diocese issued a statement, saying its foremost concern was for "the safety and welfare" of the unidentified children in the photos and their families.

"Preventing and reporting the suspicion of abuse is a required response to what we are called to do as followers of Jesus," the diocese said.

Some are calling for the bishop's ouster. A Facebook page has been created called "Bishop Finn Must Go" and critics have held protests outside diocese offices.

Members of the Ratigan family say they are furious at Finn and the diocese for not sharing information with them. During the months preceding the arrest, they continued to let Ratigan spend time with his nieces and nephews. "When I learned Shawn had been arrested for child pornography, a feeling of anger, disgust, and hatred came over me like I had never felt before," said Blankenship.

In addition to the criminal charges against Finn and the diocese, four civil lawsuits have been filed alleging the actions of the bishop and others in the diocese amounted to a cover-up, charges they deny.

The 141-page Graves report, commissioned by the diocese itself and published in August, does not address the legal issues, but did conclude that diocese officials failed to "properly react" as a "direct result of Diocesan officials' decisions and oversight."

Bishop Finn has sought to calm parishioners, holding meetings with parents, promising to expand diocese policies to better protect children and declaring that "things must change."

He has banned Ratigan from performing sacred rites of the church and started the process of dismissing him from the clergy entirely, said diocese spokeswoman Becky Summers. The bishop has also appointed a new ombudsman to handle complaints about priests, and on November 30, the diocese established a Department of Child and Youth Protection and named a director to lead that office starting December 1.

"The leadership understands this is something that must be addressed," said Jenifer Valenti, a former assistant prosecuting attorney for Jackson County hired this summer to be the diocese ombudsman.

Bishop Finn maintains the diocese will get through the crisis. In a statement issued in October following his indictment, Finn said: "With deep faith, we will weather this storm and never cease to fulfill our mission, even in moments of adversity."

(Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Claudia Parsons)