IOWA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Wednesday, Jan. 21
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com , davidgclohessy@gmail.com )
An Iowa man has been deemed too dangerous to be a Catholic priest and has been formally expelled by the Vatican. But no one seems to know where he is. Des Moines’ bishop must do more to protect children from him and warm others about him.
Last summer, Fr. Howard Fitzgerald was suspended – from two parishes and Simpson College – for child sex abuse allegations. Now Catholic officials in Rome have permanently removed him from the priesthood.
Bishop Richard Pates should now hold a news conference to warn parents, parishioners, police, prosecutors and the public about Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald can’t work as a Catholic priest. But that doesn’t “cure” him of pedophilia. It’s Pates’ duty to do all he can to also protect the safety of non-Catholic kids.
The only decent move would be to warn as many people as possible about Fitzgerald’s crimes. But if for some inexplicable reason Pates can’t bring himself to do that, he should tell the public more about Fitzgerald’s crimes. Because that’s where Fitzgerald is now: among the public, not in a Catholic parish.
It’s irresponsible for bishops to recruit, educate, ordain, hire, train, transfer and protect predators like Fitzgerald and then – when they’re finally exposed – cut them loose on society with little or no warning.
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