Kansas City, Mo., Jun 9, 2011 / 19:09 pm
Kansas City-St. Joseph Bishop Robert W. Finn is implementing a plan to improve his diocese's response to cases of suspected abuse, following the recent arrest of a priest on child pornography charges.
“These are initial steps,” Bishop Finn explained, announcing the diocese's initial five-point plan on June 9. “Other actions are forthcoming.”
The plan involves the appointment of Todd Graves, a former co-chair of the U.S. Department of Justice Child Exploitation Working Group, to conduct an independent investigation of recent events and diocesan procedures.
Graves will issue a public report on his investigation, scheduled to conclude within 30 to 45 days. Bishop Finn said the review would “help us to determine the effectiveness of diocesan policies and procedures in a very troubling situation.”