New bishop called to heal diocese wounded by sexual abuse scandal

KANSAS CITY (MO)
The Kansas City Star

Editorial

James V. Johnston Jr., the newly named Catholic bishop of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese, is completely on record about some of society’s most divisive issues.

He opposes the death penalty. He also vocally opposes same-sex marriage. These are long-held positions of Catholic leaders in Missouri, certain to satisfy some and alienate others.

But Johnston isn’t coming here to be a politician. His task is to heal a diocese that has been wounded by clergy sexual abuse scandals and the rigid stances of the previous bishop, Robert Finn.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.