SNAP blasts Finn for picking "biased, bizarre shrink"

Finn clearly didn’t want an honest assessment of Fr. Ratigan’s sickness. He wanted legal and public relations ‘cover’ so he could put Fr. Ratigan around kids again.

What kind of therapist diagnoses an adult as “lonely” because he takes hundreds of pictures of little girls’ crotches? What kind of therapist blames a parochial school principal for that child predator’s problems? And what kind of bishop seeks out this therapist?

At an absolute bare minimum, Finn owes his flock – especially parents of Fr. Ratigan’s victims – an explanation of why he knowingly picked such an obviously biased and bizarre therapist for such a crucial assignment. 

There are tens of thousands of competent, independent mental health professionals in this country. Finn chose none of them. Instead, he deliberately picked a biased guy who would provide the 'cover' Finn sought so he could protect church assets while putting Fr. Ratigan back in ministry. 

Finn didn't want a real evaluation of Fr. Ratigan. He wanted to 'cover his behind.' That's why he picked a man who would tell Finn what Finn wanted to hear: ‘Ratigan's not a pedophile.’ This is an extraordinarily shrewd legal defense and public relations maneuver by a diocesan hierarchy that's very experienced in damage control. 

It’s what bishops have done for years – pay unqualified or unethical therapists who will call child predators anything except child predators so bishops can put them back in parishes. (Then, in yet another cynical betrayal, bishops end up blaming those therapists for giving them ‘bad advice.’ And when the dust settles, and another allegation surfaces later against another cleric, bishops hired the same therapists again.) 

This therapist has at least two associations – and one belief - that cast serious doubt on his objectivity, professionalism and legitimacy: 

First, he’s tied to Opus Bono. He’s also tied to the Philadelphia archdiocese. And he evidently believes gays can and should be ‘cured.’ 

--Opus Bono is a radical group. The Catholic bishop of Ft. Wayne Indiana said "I think it's outrageous what they're doing" and called their work "unauthorized." http://www.opusbono.org/news/bishopsays.html 

Its director:

-- believes that “culpable priests” must be given “opportunities to return to active ministry" http://www.opusbono.org/news/mercytowardourfathers.html

-- thinks that “at least a thousand priests…have been removed and remain out of public ministry because of unproven accusations."

-- has said "the rights of the accused priest are completely ignored" (according to the group's website)" 

--This therapist also served, for years, on the "Counseling Committee of Psychiatrists and Psychologists for Religious of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia," which is perhaps the most discredited Catholic diocese in America on child sex abuse and cover ups. 

http://www.opusbono.org/news/bishopsays.html 

--Finally, this therapist apparently believes in “curing” gay men and women through therapy. He has written that "Those with deep-seated homosexual tendencies . . .are usually unwilling to examine their emotional conflicts that caused this tendency. Strong physical attraction to other men (is) due to profound weakness in male confidence" and “The goal of counseling is . . . to lead to the resolution of same-sex attractions." 

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 23 years and have more than 10,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org) 

Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected]), Peter Isely(414-429-7259, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, [email protected])

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/16/3270664/psychiatrist-who-examined-ratigan.html