Letter to the Editor: Fred Lutz's sexual abuse made worse by diocese withholding information

Springfield News-Leader
March 21, 2020

https://www.news-leader.com/story/opinion/readers/2020/03/21/letters-march-22-abusive-priest-and-covid-19/5069622002/

Dear Editor,

Thank you and Harrison Keegan for the articles about the sexual abuse perpetrated by Fred Lutz, who is an ordained Catholic priest. Lutz sexually abused me in 1972 when I was 17 years old. There are two more reports of sexual abuse by Lutz of adolescent boys, one in the 1990s and one in 2000. Lutz is being prosecuted for the 2000 report now. The 2000 case was reported in 2002 to the diocese, and I reported my 1972 case in 2006. I regret that I did not report it sooner. We know that the diocese had two sexual abuse reports on Lutz in 2002 and 2006. We don't know when the 1990s report was made because the diocese has never made that report public. However, you would think if there were two separate reports of sexual abuse by Lutz, the diocese, the bishop would begin to doubt Lutz's denials.

The diocese did not make any of Lutz’s sexual abuse reports public until 2018, when they finally revealed that I had reported my 1972 abuse in 2006. Why they decided to finally report it then is unknown, since no new knowledge had come to light as far as I know. A friend of mine said they finally reported it because the Missouri attorney general announced the clergy sexual abuse investigation of all Missouri dioceses about a month earlier. The diocese has still not made public either of the 1990s or the 2000 reports of sexual abuse by Lutz.

The diocese has not been honest with me or the public about the sexual abuse by its priests. As recently as 2018 and 2019, I was told that there were no other abuse reports made on Lutz. The diocese said they would cooperate with the investigation, but the Stoddard County prosecuting attorney indicated that in no way did the diocese cooperate.

The problem of the sexual abuse by Catholic clergy is basically caused by the abuse of power by a privileged class of people — the clergy — composed of popes, cardinals, bishops and priests. The clergy has all the power in the Catholic Church, and some of them have become corrupt. They are not good at policing themselves. Consequently, the corruption is allowed to continue. The clerical system fosters secrecy because as many as one half of the clergy do not keep their vows of celibacy, according to Richard Sipe, who was probably the most knowledgeable person on this subject. The celibacy vow does not cause priests to be abusers, but it is such a difficult and unnatural way of life that men often fail and act out inappropriately because sexual energy is so intense. Therefore, in order to fix the clergy sex abuse problem a reform of the institutional Catholic church is needed. The laity needs to have as much decision-making power as the clergy in order to assure that a privileged clergy would not be dominating or asserting undue privilege.

Steve Essner

I think many citizens are missing the point on the COVID-19 virus and the quarantines that are occurring. The pandemic is not about most of us. The majority of my friends and people I know are below the age of 70 years old. We very well could have the virus and never know it. But do any of you have parents, grandparents or others who you care about and love who are above the age of 70? The present statistics say that any person from age 70-80 has a mortality rate of 9.8% if getting the virus, and those above 80 have a 18% chance of dying. This is about EMPATHY. In a way, each of us could be responsible for a loved one’s death without even knowing it. I think each of us can give up part of our life, to help not pass the virus to someone who is highly vulnerable, with or without our own knowledge.

Tony Armstrong, Springfield

A big thank you and kudos to the staff at the Recorder of Deeds office! In trying to get a Real ID, I was told that marriage "certificates" from the entity that married you don't work, you have to get the real license from the issuing office. This seemed daunting, and I envisioned having to take off work and drive to the courthouse, but one call to the Greene County Recorder of Deeds office was all it took. The lady I spoke with was super helpful, and all she needed was the names on the license and the date; the fee is reasonable ($9 per license plus debit/credit card fee), and they even give you the option of emailing or mailing the license to you. I got mine in the mail in two days! 

Government employees and offices often get a bad rap, and sometimes deservedly so, but the Greene County Recorder of Deeds office and staff goes above and beyond their mission to truly provide a good experience in serving the public.

Roni Blanche, Springfield

To the pastor and parishioners of James River Church who attended service on Sunday March 15, 2020 and any other organizations who held large gatherings: 

Your willful ignorance and disregard of basic public health recommendations, which had been broadcast on the news 24/7 for days, urging groups to cancel large events and practice social distancing, has put the community at risk.

You put my father at risk; he is a 70-year-old practicing infectious disease doctor, one of a handful in the city. You put my mother at risk, who is 66 years old and retired, has both heart and lung issues, and cares for my niece and nephew. You put my sister at risk, who is 38 years old, is a nurse practitioner in the city, and has severe asthma. You put my niece and nephew at risk. You put my in-laws at risk. You put my friends at risk — many of whom are first responders or work in the medical profession. In the end you put the entire community at risk.

A community should look after its own, not put its members at risk. 

#FlattenTheCurve 

#CancelEverythingNow 

#SocialDistancingNow

Andrew Haddow

The League of Women Voters of Missouri believes our public officials must uphold the rights of all voters while simultaneously safeguarding the health and safety of the American people during the COVID-19 crisis. In Missouri, we can uphold voters’ rights by immediately providing for no-excuse absentee voting in upcoming elections.

Missouri is one of just 11 states that require an excuse to request an absentee ballot and a notarized signature for the completed ballot. It’s time to make voting easier in Missouri.

The League of Missouri encourages elected officials to add this pandemic to the acceptable reasons to request an absentee ballot and to waive the notarized signature required on the mailed ballots. In the current crisis, it’s urgent that voters be able to vote without jeopardizing themselves and their community. The deadline to request an absentee ballot from your local election authority is May 20 for the municipal elections that will now be held on June 2.

Proposed Missouri Senate Bill 681 would make these changes to current election law and expand early voting opportunities, but it requires both House and Senate action to become law. In the meantime, elected officials should find a way to allow more voters to cast absentee ballots as an immediate response to the ongoing pandemic.

Evelyn Maddox, president, League of Women Voters of Missouri, Kansas City

If someone wants to volunteer to help that is their decision. It is wrong to be forced to be put in a position to bring risk to yourself and your family. Teachers have a right to be as concerned for their own children and families as anyone else. This is what happens when the Central Office administration does not consult with their teachers. If they will not stand up for the welfare of their staff, it is time for a change at the top of the SPS School District.

Tom Krause, Nixa

Yesterday, the Lawrence County commissioners declared that gatherings of 10 or more people are now prohibited. Similar restrictions are being announced elsewhere, and in not a single case have I seen anyone reference our U.S. Constitution or the First Amendment, which reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

If a portion of the First Amendment can be so easily voided, then what is to prevent voiding the entire sentence “religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Maybe the 10-person rule has already voided religious services, and officials can thus move on to the Second Amendment; the gavel falls and bang, the county commissioners declare the Second Amendment void. In fact, this has already happened in some locales.

My suggestion, for whatever little it may be worth, is that officials should present their case to the public, which the media reports in a measured manner, stressing the threat of this disease to senior citizens, etc., and ask for cooperation. Sure, there are going to be some jerks, but public opinion/reaction will give the jerks pause. In fact, we were already seeing churches, small businesses, etc. voluntarily reducing exposure. Mr. County Commissioners, do not sell your citizens short.

A second comment is how very unnerving it is to see government officials at any level issue such edicts without any recognition of the Constitution. What were these officials doing during their American History class? The right to assemble peaceably was a fundamental issue in the original revolution.

Picking and choosing what portion of the Constitution to respect, at any level of government (federal/county/municipal), will set a trend that will be referenced in the future for yet more draconian edicts.