“I will pledge both personally and in my capacity as a bishop to take every reasonable step to protect children from any abuse or misconduct perpetrated by clergy, diocesan employees or volunteers.”

Is there a heart-felt apology there?  Is there even an apology there?  That is what Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City – St. Joseph  is quoted as saying after his guilty verdict on one count of failure to report suspected child abuse.   At least he is also quoted, “I regret and am sorry for the hurt that these events have caused.”  Again, in my opinion, not really an apology. 

I must ask what reasonable step consists of, apparently not acting immediately when confronted with a priest with a computer full of child porn.  Maybe in six months, (the same amount of time he delayed notifying law enforcement of the child pornography on Father Shawn Ratigan’s computer), he will come out with a true apology and take personal responsibility for breaking the law.  Maybe he believes that notifying law enforcement in a timely fashion of a cleric with child pornography on his computer is not a reasonable step.