Letter to Archbishop Cordileone re Fr. Frederick Lutz

Dear Archbishop Cordileone,

A retired priest from the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Frederick Lutz, has been arrested and charged with molesting a child. The media reports that his first known crimes occurred in 1972. According to Fr. Lutz’ work history, two years after molesting a child in Missouri Lutz was suddenly “on leave” in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

As with most abusers, Fr. Lutz is a repeat offender who was also accused of abuse in 2000. The cleric today faces charges related to those allegations. Inexplicably, Fr. Lutz was not restricted from ministry, despite the Dallas Charter "reforms" of 2002. Because of this, we fear he may have more victims and possibly some within the borders of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Your archdiocese is one of only a handful of dioceses in the nation that have consistently refused to publish a list of “credibly accused” priests. Once again we ask that you publish that list. When you do publish a list, you should be sure to include Fr.  Lutz. We also believe that list should include details about where he worked in San Francisco.

Survivors of clerical sexual abuse typically wait until about age 52 to report abuse. Your publication of a list with Fr. Lutz's name on it would encourage not only any of his possible victims, but also of other clergyman from the Archdiocese, to come forward to seek healing.

SNAP has independently compiled a list of about 150 clerics with allegations of abuse who worked or lived in your archdiocese. We doubt our list is complete, as evidenced by this new information regarding Fr. Lutz, and we are sure there are names still hidden within files in your archdiocesan offices.

Nonetheless, it would be a start for you to use our list to begin the process of true transparency and to inform parishioners and the public about the extent of abuse within your archdiocese. The 2002 pledge made in Dallas for “openness and transparency” has still clearly not been upheld by the bishops and cardinals of the USSCB.

Respectfully,

Melanie Sakoda

San Francisco Leader

Survivor Outreach Coordinator

[email protected]

925-708-6175

 

Dan McNevin

Oakland Leader, SNAP

[email protected]

415-341-6417

 

Joey Piscitelli

Northern California Leader, SNAP

[email protected]

925-262-3699

 

Zach Hiner

Executive Director, SNAP

[email protected]

517-974-9009

 

 

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