Click here to read: “Vatican accepts resignation of bishop convicted of sex abuse coverup but remained in office,” by Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, April 21, 2015
Excerpt: The Vatican on Tuesday announced the resignation of a Kansas City, Mo., bishop who was convicted of a sex abuse cover-up but remained in office – a fact that particularly horrified abuse survivors and their advocates. Bishop Robert Finn’s resignation will be seen as a key achievement for Pope Francis, who has said his papacy would show more accountability for abuse within the church.
Editor’s note: However, he will remain a Bishop. That fact particularly horrifies me.
Catholics4Change 
It’s a shame that it took so long! What happens to Finn now remains to be seen. Will the Pope continue to protect him? I can only hope not.
The survivors on the pope’s commission (Marie Collins and Peter Saunders) along with Sean O’Malley, head of the commission, deserve our thanks. When a bishop, in this case, O’Malley, does something right, he should be acknowledged.
The commission members are pressing to have another willfully blind bishop removed, This one appointed by Francis.
Meanwhile in San Francisco people take out a full page ad asking the pope to remove their bishop.
These are positive signs. They are chipping away at clericalism and the lack of accountability that created the perfect conditions for the sex/power abuse crisis and, for all practical purposes, remain in tact.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/5bd2163d4ec2412f8304cd008a0d9962/much-anger-southern-chile-over-bishop-appointment
That this says “accountability” is a joke. It took 2 1/2 years! No pope could do it; a commission did it (if not Marie Collins, alone). The Vatican bulletin, today, announcing Finn’s resignation, refers to the sinner-criminal as “His Excellency”! The bulletin makes no mention of WHY Finn resigned! He hurt children! What? He won’t be laicized???
” However, he will remain a Bishop. That fact particularly horrifies me.”
Me too.
After Finn’s conviction, he said to a group of priests under his authority: “I was trying to save his (Fr. Shawn Ratigan’s) priesthood.” Finn’s motive was clericalism. Clericalism has fueled and driven the Church’s centuries-old, insidious, and shameful response (or lack thereof) to priestly sexual abuse. Face it. It’s alive and well, today.
Finn may be gone (at least from Kansas City) but clericalism is not. There have been many theories and ideas on how to bury clericalism once and for all. Jerry Slevin’s theory, in my opinion, is the most astute one. The answer to clericalism lies in democratizing the Church– immediately undoing the top-down, monarchical, model of governance. Democratization would put an end to the clerical 1% running their arrogant and authoritative show. The Catholic 99% would have a chance to voice and act upon reality.
Will he be collecting a pension?