KANSAS CITY (MO)
KCUR
[with audio]
By ALEX SMITH
The local Roman Catholic diocese has attracted worldwide attention for its problems with child abuse, particularly for Bishop Robert Finn who is the first and only U.S. bishop to be convicted of failing to report suspected abuse.
Later this month, the Diocese’s Office of Child and Youth Protection will release its second annual public report on abuse in the parishes. The report is one of several big steps the Diocese has taken in recent years to address abuse, but some say these steps aren’t enough.
In the northern end of downtown Kansas City, Mo., employees of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese and Catholic Charities come to work in a 19th century brick and brownstone high rise, and quietly carry out the administrative work for a diocese that serves more than 130,000. But even among these faithful employees, there’s anger at the Church. In a meeting room, Ombudsman for the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese, Jenifer Valenti, remembers the upset that she shared with millions when she learned about the sexual abuse scandals.
“I grew up Catholic and I watched the scandal unfold nationally and now it’s unfolding worldwide,” says Valenti. “There are many times I was disappointed about the way it was handled.”
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