Priest Arrested: Robin Hood or Simple Thief?

en.news5 years ago

Prominent Omaha Father Michael Gutgsell, 73, Nebraska, has been charged with a third count of theft, media reported.

He allegedly stole more than $106,000 from his former St. Joseph’s Church in Springfield.

After his October arrest, he already admitted to stealing $180,000 from the bank accounts of Father Theodore Richling (+2019), who suffered from Alzheimer’s and is accused of “substantiated” sexual misconduct. Gutgsell had been assigned power of attorney to take care of him.

Gutgsell said he gave the money “to a homeless man.” A routine audit had uncovered the theft.

Ordained in 1974, Gutgsell taught at a Catholic High School, studied Canon Law, served full time in the tribunal, became chancellor and Moderator of the Omaha Curia, pastor, Defender of the Bond, and judge at the marriage tribunal.

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en.news links to this post3 years ago

Pieter Wycoff5 years ago

Doesn’t pass the sniff test.

giveusthisday5 years ago

Does anyone have any compassion? We certainly do not know the whole story. Dear Jesus, have mercy on us all.

Facts Not Lies5 years ago

Your point is valid.
There is a chance he funded housing or other good deed.
There is a chance he lied in his confession about stealing the cash.
There is a chance he spent it on some family in witness protection program.
Or a chance of another non-selfish reason for the theft.
I am not able to calculate any of these chances. The confession and obfuscation of the expenditures sort of seem to reduce the chances for most of the above.

Ultraviolet5 years ago

@giveusthisday Please remember "he (the accused) already admitted to stealing $180,000 from the bank accounts of Father Theodore Richling." Given that confession, what do you call "the whole story"?
If Fatherconfessed, then he is already a thief who took advantage of a mentally incapacitated fellow priest and betrayed the trust of whomever assigned him power of attorney.
Now the diocese conducted (or hired a firm to conduct) an audit for the accused's former parish. They found over a hundred thousand in withdrawls Father had no records to justify. What's "the whole story" there?

Facts Not Lies5 years ago

$180,000.000!!
Is that homeless person now living in a nice apartment and eating regularly for the next few years?
Sounds a weak attempt to cover his own abuse of the cash. Likely for proclivities which would be a challenge to cover if he used his own monies.
Maybe further investigation will find more insidious behaviors which consumed the pilfered money. After all... SOMETHING appears to him to be a greater evil than grand theft based on the inexplicable expenditures.

John A Cassani5 years ago

Lock him up. Throw away the key.

Kenjiro M. Yoshimori5 years ago

Bet he is gay for sure.

John A Cassani5 years ago

@Kenjiro M. Yoshimori Wouldn’t be surprised, but, if he’s guilty, it’s a horrible crime for a priest to commit, no matter the intentions. Priests shouldn’t be handling the finances of anyone but themselves. Money can be a temptation as strong as sex. How many priests have fallen to gambling?