Decision in Bp Finn case expected next week

The most contentious question, however, was whether Finn had a legal duty to report Ratigan. His lawyers argued that the diocese had adopted a clear policy designating a response team headed by Finn’s top clerical deputy, Vicar General Robert Murphy, as the body responsible for notifying civil authorities about suspected child abuse within church institutions.

Because the diocese had a “designated reporter” responsible for making such calls, Finn’s legal duty to report had been “extinguished,” the lawyers contended.