Deep Thoughts: How did I miss father Shawn Ratigan?

Thursday, June 16, 2011

How did I miss father Shawn Ratigan?

I must have been asleep at the switch on this story. I apologize. I honestly cannot keep up with these miscreants. Especially miscreants of the Catholic persuasion.

Father Shawn Ratigan liked to take pictures of children. He took them at every opportunity. Apparently, many of these photos were lewd or pornographic. Several of the photos were of the “up skirt” variety involving 12-year-old girls. Creepy, right? It gets worse though, his parish knew about the problems and did nothing for over a year.

The principal of a Catholic school warned a top official of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph more than a year ago that parents and teachers found the Rev. Shawn Ratigan’s behavior toward children troubling, including the hundreds of pictures the priest took.

When you add that to the fact that parish authorities knew about the images for six months before alerting authorities, well – it looks bad for everyone involved.

The parish authorities hid behind their legal counsel. Which is odd given the public push to out pedophile priests. Why would they delay reporting Ratigan? Why did they wait until others made the complaint?

“The very next day, we contacted a Kansas City, Missouri Police officer and described one of the more disturbing images,” Bishop Finn continued. “At the same time the diocese showed the images to legal counsel. In both instances we were told that, while very troubling, the photographs did not constitute child pornography as they did not depict sexual conduct or contact.”

It’s clear the process has no integrity. I have no idea how to fix this mess short of suing the Catholic church out of business and having the believers start over.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Pedophiles

Comments (17)

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deleted6200246 105p · 722 weeks ago

Your statements are inaccurate. You must do your research if you want credibility. The main message you are giving is that you hate Catholics, as is apparent in your refusal to capitalize the word, which is a proper noun. Read more, then write. You only look foolish when you come out with such absolute junk.

2 replies · active 714 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 722 weeks ago

You read an awful lot into missing a capitalized letter. I write about Catholics all the time. I capitalize the word routinely. I corrected the capitalization. I let stand my other accurate statements. Ratigan is still a pedophile who was protected by his church.

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@617patrick · 714 weeks ago

The reporting is right on the money, although as the truth comes out, it is much worse than originally reported, and it goes to show that the Catholic practice of hiding pedophile priests is still in effect today.

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deleted6200246 105p · 722 weeks ago

Nope. You also said his parish protected him. What others made a complaint? Most of the parish had absolutely no clue there was a problem. Do you know what a parish is? You need to use specifics and ACCURATE ones at that, when writing this kind of piece. What happened to the priest when "they first found out" about the problem? Did he continue to serve in the parish (oh, there's that word again)? Was he hospitalized? Were the police aware of the problem? Who had the police get a warrant? You don't know, or you don't think it is important to your agenda. How did Shawn Ratigan violate his restrictions? Why did he have people praying for him in January, or inviting him to family birthday parties? I am Catholic, and I am probably more outraged at Ratigan than you. But to say that the whole church needs to be sued into oblivion is the language of someone who enjoys peeing the yards of people he doesn't like. He doesn't really know them, but it's easier to urinate than to educate himself.

4 replies · active 663 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 722 weeks ago

Dude - if you care that much. Write the story. I'll run it.

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guest · 717 weeks ago

Well said nonname!!!

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@617patrick · 714 weeks ago

Bishop FInn protected him, just as you appear to be doing. Finn got a 4 page memo from a school principal about Ratigan and ignored it for a year. You Catholics will do anything to hide your continued pedophile problem.

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Mojoey 107p · 663 weeks ago

This is where I get to say that you should look at the scoreboard. Ratigan is set to plead guilty. My only agenda is to hold pedophile priests and pastors accountable.

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@617patrick · 714 weeks ago

Good reporting, Deep Thoughts, and don't beat yourself up. Its very tough to keep up with all of the child sex abuse int he Catholic church.

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wyne · 698 weeks ago

Please people.. dont blame the religion, blame the people behind it..

4 replies · active 663 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 698 weeks ago

The people behind the religion are the religion.

Sent from my iPhone

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Diane · 695 weeks ago

Hmmm.....are you implying that among atheists there are no pedophiles, pornographers, and the like? No shady characters, no lying, no hypocrisy? No double standards? Where are all these sterling people, I would like to meet them all.... I'm suprised we don't here more about them, since they must also walk on water....oh, wait....

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Diane · 695 weeks ago

excuse my typo.
sorry to use sarcasm, what's the point?

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Mojoey 107p · 663 weeks ago

Diane - these people represent God. They should be held to a higher level of accountability. I am in no way saying there are no pedophile who are atheists. Instead, think of it like this, there are no atheists acting like priests who are pedophiles because there are no atheists who act like priests. We all have our problems. I don't tell people how God wants them to live their lives though, and that makes all the difference. It's all about hypocrisy.

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wyne · 698 weeks ago

oo ya ..and u look like him..:p

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deleted8470268 143p · 698 weeks ago

The catholic church seems to have turned molesting children into a sport.Each Parish a Franchise with the Vatican as the owners. They should dress priests up like Nascar Drivers ,and make Nuns into cheerleaders. The virgin cries,and the SHEEP of the church do nothing.Time for OCCUPY the Vatican. 99% that!

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Diane · 695 weeks ago

yeah, right sbj, speaking from Pennsylvania, take a look at what's gone on at one of our public universities....it's not the Catholic Church, it's the HUMAN RACE that's the problem.

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