"It is with great sadness, but also with a certain measure of relief, that I can now respond to the many inquiries about my departure as president of Human Life International (HLI) at the end of August 2010. It has been painful for me to remain silent in light of the ongoing speculation, particularly when much of it assigned blame to those who were, in fact, blameless. I am thankful to be able to set the record straight so that speculation can stop and blame can be placed right where it belongs – with me..."
Showing posts with label Father Tom Euteneuer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Father Tom Euteneuer. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Father Tom Euteneuer Update
By Tom O'Toole
"I talked to Father Euteneuer for forty-five minutes on Saturday night, and while he couldn't talk about the reasons he left HLI because his bishop (Bishop Gerald Barbarito) bound him under vows of obedience not to.."
"I talked to Father Euteneuer for forty-five minutes on Saturday night, and while he couldn't talk about the reasons he left HLI because his bishop (Bishop Gerald Barbarito) bound him under vows of obedience not to.."
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Exorcist priest (Fr. Tom Euteneuer) exits public spotlight, mystifying many
By Lona O'Connor Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
...This summer, without warning, Euteneuer, 48, left his HLI post, saying he had been called back to the Palm Beach Diocese by Bishop Gerald Barbarito. His book on exorcism disappeared.
The Catholic blogosphere lit up like a Christmas tree, as supporters speculated on where he was, why he left an organization he seemed destined to lead and what his professional future might be.
The person who could answer those questions is Barbarito, Euteneuer's superior. And Barbarito is not talking.
A diocesan spokeswoman said only, "This is a matter dealing with priestly personnel, and we are not going to participate in this story."
Euteneuer did not respond to an interview request.
Euteneuer's supporters are still questioning the reasons for his departure.
"What really happened to exorcist Euteneuer?" wrote Catholic blogger Matt C. Abbott in December on RenewAmerica.com, a Catholic website.
Trained in exorcism ritual
Before he dropped out of public life, Euteneuer was a frequent interviewee on Abbott's blog. Abbott contacted the Diocese of Palm Beach regarding Euteneuer, but received no response.
A small number of modern-day priests, like Euteneuer, are trained in a specific Catholic exorcism ritual, in which the priest orders demons to leave a possessed person or place.
Exorcism has been a part of Catholic Church practice since its earliest days. There are references in the New Testament to Jesus casting out devils.
In a speech he would give titled "An Evening with an Exorcist," Euteneuer attempted to demystify one of the least understood of Catholic rituals. He also recounted his bizarre experiences.
In another interview, Euteneuer said one demon offered to help him with his Latin if he would let him stay put. Asked by the interviewer if that might be an example of demonic humor, Euteneuer retorted that demons have no sense of humor.
He condemned the Harry Potter books and movies, the Twilight vampire books and movies and the television sitcom Sabrina the Teenaged Witch as vehicles for the devil to enter weaker natures. He also advocated that exorcisms be performed outside abortion clinics, which he described as "temples of a demonic religion..."
Whatever happened to Euteneuer, it happened swiftly.
In June, HLI was promoting his new book, Exorcism and the Church Militant. In July, Euteneuer was back in his home diocese, in Jensen Beach, giving his "An Evening with an Exorcist" presentation.
On Aug. 27, Human Life International issued a brief press release saying Euteneuer had "stepped down" at the request of Barbarito.
All references to the exorcism book disappeared from the HLI website.
His scheduled September talk on Catholicism in a Chicago suburb was canceled.
By September, it was nearly impossible to buy a copy of his book, Exorcism and the Church Militant, just published in June. One online bookseller was offering it for $975...
The Catholic blogosphere lit up like a Christmas tree, as supporters speculated on where he was, why he left an organization he seemed destined to lead and what his professional future might be.
The person who could answer those questions is Barbarito, Euteneuer's superior. And Barbarito is not talking.
A diocesan spokeswoman said only, "This is a matter dealing with priestly personnel, and we are not going to participate in this story."
Euteneuer did not respond to an interview request.
Euteneuer's supporters are still questioning the reasons for his departure.
"What really happened to exorcist Euteneuer?" wrote Catholic blogger Matt C. Abbott in December on RenewAmerica.com, a Catholic website.
Trained in exorcism ritual
Before he dropped out of public life, Euteneuer was a frequent interviewee on Abbott's blog. Abbott contacted the Diocese of Palm Beach regarding Euteneuer, but received no response.
A small number of modern-day priests, like Euteneuer, are trained in a specific Catholic exorcism ritual, in which the priest orders demons to leave a possessed person or place.
Exorcism has been a part of Catholic Church practice since its earliest days. There are references in the New Testament to Jesus casting out devils.
In a speech he would give titled "An Evening with an Exorcist," Euteneuer attempted to demystify one of the least understood of Catholic rituals. He also recounted his bizarre experiences.
In another interview, Euteneuer said one demon offered to help him with his Latin if he would let him stay put. Asked by the interviewer if that might be an example of demonic humor, Euteneuer retorted that demons have no sense of humor.
He condemned the Harry Potter books and movies, the Twilight vampire books and movies and the television sitcom Sabrina the Teenaged Witch as vehicles for the devil to enter weaker natures. He also advocated that exorcisms be performed outside abortion clinics, which he described as "temples of a demonic religion..."
Whatever happened to Euteneuer, it happened swiftly.
In June, HLI was promoting his new book, Exorcism and the Church Militant. In July, Euteneuer was back in his home diocese, in Jensen Beach, giving his "An Evening with an Exorcist" presentation.
On Aug. 27, Human Life International issued a brief press release saying Euteneuer had "stepped down" at the request of Barbarito.
All references to the exorcism book disappeared from the HLI website.
His scheduled September talk on Catholicism in a Chicago suburb was canceled.
By September, it was nearly impossible to buy a copy of his book, Exorcism and the Church Militant, just published in June. One online bookseller was offering it for $975...
- Exorcist priest exits public spotlight, mystifying many
- Fr. Thomas Euteneuer - Exorcism and the Church Militant Book Pulled?
- A Tribute to Outgoing HLI President Fr. Tom Euteneuer
- Father Thomas Euteneuer Called Back to Diocese by Bishop - Leaving Human Life International
- Gay Marriage and the End of Christian Civilization
- Vampire Logic
- Sean Hannity vs. Father Thomas Euteneuer on Contraception and Dissent
- The New Rite of Exorcism: A Potent Weapon Is Weakened
- Father Euteneuer: Legion has 'lost it'
- The Church Will Not Be Hannitized
Monday, November 22, 2010
Fr. Thomas Euteneuer - Exorcism and the Church Militant Book Pulled?
I've seen references in the blogosphere to Fr. Thomas Euteneuer's book Exorcism and the Church Militant being pulled. Does anyone have any more information about this? The reason(s)?
It's listed as being out of print at Amazon, out of stock at Ignatius Press.
tantamergo writes:
It's listed as being out of print at Amazon, out of stock at Ignatius Press.
tantamergo writes:
"Human Life International was the publisher. They not only declined to print any more copies, they pulled out of circulation almost all copies already printed. They made cryptic statements that “there is no problem with the content of the book, but if we were going to print any more copies, there would have to be changes.” I read it and found nothing even remotely heretical. It’s all a big mystery – Fr. Euteneur first loses his job at HLI, and then they pull his book, all within a month or so of publication (it was published in August)."Source:
Update from Spirit Daily, with a little more information:
"...it was also announced last week that a book by Father Thomas Euteneuer, the former head of the large pro-life group, Human Life International, will be discontinued. The book, Exorcism and the Church Militant, which ironically lauded the Intercessors, was in wide circulation. Weeks before, Father Euteneuer left the organization when he was recalled to his home diocese after a reported controversy. A spokesman for HLI told Spirit Daily that the organization simply decided it was not its role to promote material on exorcism. "There was no problem fatal to the book," said the spokesman, Stephen Phelan, adding however that had it been reprinted, several changes would have been necessary. Limited copies remain available through Ignatius Press."Related:
- A Tribute to Outgoing HLI President Fr. Tom Euteneuer
- Father Thomas Euteneuer Called Back to Diocese by Bishop - Leaving Human Life International
- Gay Marriage and the End of Christian Civilization
- Vampire Logic
- Sean Hannity vs. Father Thomas Euteneuer on Contraception and Dissent
- The New Rite of Exorcism: A Potent Weapon Is Weakened
- Father Euteneuer: Legion has 'lost it'
- The Church Will Not Be Hannitized
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Tribute to Father Tom Euteneur
Commentary By John-Henry Westen
FRONT ROYAL, VA, September 1, 2010, (LifeSiteNews.com) - Following the recent announcement that Fr. Tom Euteneuer has left Human Life International to return to his diocese, it seems appropriate to comment on his years of dedication to the pro-life cause.
For many of us at LifeSiteNews, he has been one of the most outspoken and courageous leaders in the pro-life movement. This short commentary and accompanying video is a tribute to a friend and colleague for whom I have great respect. And like any tribute to a great man, he can be best saluted by reviewing his actions.
Courage and heart are Fr. Euteneuer's defining characteristics. The incident for which he is most famous (or infamous depending on your outlook) is his interview on the Fox News show Hannity and Colmes. He was invited onto the program for having called on famed Catholic conservative and Fox News personality Sean Hannity to repent for publicly backing birth control. See the video.
Hannity blasted Fr. Euteneuer for daring to 'judge' him, but Father persisted and would not relent. The program famously ended with Hannity asking Father if he would deny him communion to which Father replied frankly and in charity in the affirmative. A shock to Hannity, sure, but one which may yet lead to Hannity's turn around on the issue. In charity, Father could not let Hannity persist in calling himself Catholic while publicly espousing positions contrary to the faith.
Fr. Euteneuer was and is very much of a modern-day prophet. In an interview last January with LifeSiteNews which was picked up around the world, he warned of a coming global disaster. He bases his intuition on a look at the collapse of ancient civilizations which, after reaching a pinnacle, collapsed from moral decay.
In his recently released book on Exorcism, Fr. Euteneuer, himself an exorcist, warned that "Never in all of history have we seen evil promoted so effectively and the true good so roundly mocked and rejected as in this age of extreme technological prowess." He explains: "the difference between the modern world and past generations is that Satan has a greater ability to use groups and institutions for increasing his wicked reach into human life and society."
The former HLI President did not shy away from controversies even when they involved important Churchmen. When Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl said in an interview that he would not deny communion to pro-abortion politicians, Fr. Euteneuer noted that the Vatican had in fact ruled that he should do otherwise.
When Nancy Pelosi went to the Vatican to greet the Pope, Father publicly stated that he hoped she would not be granted a photo-op and that the pope would "give her a stern lecture on contraception and abortion and let her know that her eternal salvation is in danger." He even suggested that "this would be the perfect opportunity to formally excommunicate the Speaker."
While she wasn't excommunicated, the pope did gently lecture her and incidentally also denied her a photo op.
Fr. Euteneuer has always been good for a pointed, insightful quote on current news developments. His comments went straight to the heart of the issues, without any consideration for political correctness or fear of causing unintended offense when proclaiming the truth was the needed act of true charity.
We at LifeSiteNews wish Father Euteneuer well in his future endeavors and pray that our many friends at Human Life International, the world's largest pro-life organization, will find another leader of similar caliber.
Link to original:
Related:
- Father Thomas Euteneuer Called Back to Diocese by Bishop - Leaving Human Life International
- Gay Marriage and the End of Christian Civilization
- Vampire Logic
- Sean Hannity vs. Father Thomas Euteneuer on Contraception and Dissent
- The New Rite of Exorcism: A Potent Weapon Is Weakened
- Father Euteneuer: Legion has 'lost it'
- The Church Will Not Be Hannitized
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Father Thomas Euteneuer Called Back to Diocese by Bishop - Leaving Human Life International
From Human Life International:
Dear Friends of Life,
Nearly ten years ago I answered the call of the Lord to come to Human Life International and work full-time in pro-life work with the permission of my bishop. I have been utterly privileged to serve this great mission for a decade, and now I am called back to my diocese to continue my priestly service in parish work, which was the original calling of my vocation. A priest is a soldier of Christ and the Church, and obedience is the primary virtue of his state in life, but for my part, my discernment about this decision tells me that this is the right thing for me to do and at the right time. I have great peace about the road that lies ahead and about all that has been accomplished up to this point.
Our international mission remains in good hands with my departure. HLI's Board of Directors has asked Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro of our Rome office to assume my responsibilities until such a time as a permanent replacement is named. Our tremendously competent staff and generous supporters are looking to the future with great hope despite the many challenges of the death peddlers on a global scale which are only increasing. There is more need of our mission now than ever! HLI's network of affiliates and associates is more than 100 countries strong, and our international leaders, so often highlighted in our publications, are literally the best in the world! Our dear founder, Fr. Paul Marx would be extremely proud of what we have accomplished in the past decade. I am sure he is smiling on us from where he is now.
I do not have a parish assignment in my diocese as of yet, but I hope to take some time out before I go back into full-time parish work. I expect that some time of rest and renewal will help me to make the transition. It has been 15 years since I last had any significant time for renewal, and after traveling more than 1.1 million miles, authoring two books, visiting 58 countries and making thousands of public appearances, I am ready for a break! I intend to continue to do pro-life work wherever I may be called to serve, and my bishop agrees that this is a vital charism of my priestly life. A true pro-lifer is not oriented to a job so much as to the daily task of fighting the culture of death and building the culture of life!
I ask for your kind prayers as I move forward and for your continued support of HLI and the new leadership that will come soon. I will not be a stranger to HLI's mission or life but I promise that I will remember each of you every day in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, the font of all unity and LIFE!
Blessings in Christ,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer
President, Human Life International
Link to original:
Related:
Dear Friends of Life,
Nearly ten years ago I answered the call of the Lord to come to Human Life International and work full-time in pro-life work with the permission of my bishop. I have been utterly privileged to serve this great mission for a decade, and now I am called back to my diocese to continue my priestly service in parish work, which was the original calling of my vocation. A priest is a soldier of Christ and the Church, and obedience is the primary virtue of his state in life, but for my part, my discernment about this decision tells me that this is the right thing for me to do and at the right time. I have great peace about the road that lies ahead and about all that has been accomplished up to this point.Our international mission remains in good hands with my departure. HLI's Board of Directors has asked Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro of our Rome office to assume my responsibilities until such a time as a permanent replacement is named. Our tremendously competent staff and generous supporters are looking to the future with great hope despite the many challenges of the death peddlers on a global scale which are only increasing. There is more need of our mission now than ever! HLI's network of affiliates and associates is more than 100 countries strong, and our international leaders, so often highlighted in our publications, are literally the best in the world! Our dear founder, Fr. Paul Marx would be extremely proud of what we have accomplished in the past decade. I am sure he is smiling on us from where he is now.
I do not have a parish assignment in my diocese as of yet, but I hope to take some time out before I go back into full-time parish work. I expect that some time of rest and renewal will help me to make the transition. It has been 15 years since I last had any significant time for renewal, and after traveling more than 1.1 million miles, authoring two books, visiting 58 countries and making thousands of public appearances, I am ready for a break! I intend to continue to do pro-life work wherever I may be called to serve, and my bishop agrees that this is a vital charism of my priestly life. A true pro-lifer is not oriented to a job so much as to the daily task of fighting the culture of death and building the culture of life!
I ask for your kind prayers as I move forward and for your continued support of HLI and the new leadership that will come soon. I will not be a stranger to HLI's mission or life but I promise that I will remember each of you every day in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, the font of all unity and LIFE!
Blessings in Christ,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer
President, Human Life International
Link to original:
Related:
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Sean Hannity to Fr. Jonathan Morris: Biggest Problem You've Gotten Into is Defending Me Against the Guy Who Wanted to Excommunicate me
Tonight June 22, 2010 (paraphrasing - didn't record it *Update upon 2nd airing: some word corrections):
Update on Fr. Morris - just saw this:
Sean Hannity: "I think the biggest controversy you were involved in is defending me against the guy who wanted to excommunicate me.."Regarding this show from March 2007 with Father Tom Euteneuer:
Sean Hannity: "Or you don't want to go there?"
Fr. Morris: "I don't think YOU want to go there."
Update on Fr. Morris - just saw this:
"Formerly a member of the Roman Catholic religious order the Legion of Christ, he [Morris] became a diocesan priest for the Archdiocese of New York in May 2010..."More background on Hannity/Euteneuer/Morris:
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The Church Will Not Be Hannitized
Father Thomas J. Euteneuer
To say that I am humbled and awed by the overwhelming response of the faithful to last Friday night's Hannity interview would be an understatement. To show my gratitude I have celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving for the literally hundreds of people who wrote emails, sent faxes and made phone calls in support of the Church's teaching, and for the unique opportunity to offer this witness to millions more. At the writing of this column, HLI has received more than 1250 emails and dozens of other communications which have run clearly 90-10 in favor of the Church's teaching - this is just incredible! I was aware that there were good Catholics out there who support the Church, but I didn't realize how many were willing to go to bat for the Truth. This gives me the greatest of hope for the future of the Church!
In light of this hope, I have to say that the "Hannitization" of the Church will not prevail! "Hannitization" is the stance that Mr. Hannity displayed on Friday night in his attitude toward infallible Church teaching. It is the curious fantasy of people who consider themselves devout Catholics in every way yet see no incompatibility between contraception and Communion. In this, he is just an icon of a whole sector of "Catholics" who live out of that template in public and private. Forty years of vigorous internal dissent against clearly-defined teachings on contraception have ceded the battlefield to the default cultural mindset that says contraception is not only morally justified, it is actually "a good thing," as Mr. Hannity has stated.
We know that all chemical contraception actually causes abortions at the embryonic stage, but dissenters are rarely swayed by medical facts. Our recent Popes call the "hannitization" phenomenon moral relativism and condemn it in the starkest possible terms as incompatible with the Faith of our Fathers. Pope Benedict has even used the term "dictatorship" to describe the arrogance with which such people tend to treat all who question their private judgments about objective truths. This whole incredible episode has exposed, in a graphic way, the profound internal crisis of Catholicism in a post-Vatican II world.
The battle is not at all between so-called liberals and conservatives. The poster boy for conservative values has just gone on record admitting that he is - obstinately - in denial of a truth of the Faith that must be believed, as the Catechism says, "with divine and catholic faith" (n. 2089). "Liberal" and "conservative" values must all be held up to scrutiny by the Church because no political ideology has the charism of infallibility. Only Christ's Vicar has that. Rather, the internecine battle within our own Church is between those who believe in objective right and wrong and those who believe that they, individually, are the arbiters of right and wrong.
This issue is not over, friends, because the battle lines are being drawn between the two worldviews and the stakes are high. Those stakes are the hannitized souls of this and the next generation of youth, and they are worth fighting for. For my part I have been deeply gratified to see evidence of the soldiers of the Church Militant who accept objective right and wrong about contraception and are quite fed up with the nonsense of the high profile dissenters who have done so much spiritual damage to souls. We stand together to defend our first love - Christ's Church! After all, it's not just Hannity's soul we are worried about. How many millions are potentially led astray by a man with that kind of platform? Keep in mind, though, that our project is much more than just objecting to dissenters in the media. We are to lead souls to the Truth through the media, or despite it. That is our common mission.
By the way, as Providence would have it, our Holy Father just this week issued a Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist which will knock your socks off. Read paragraph 83 to see whether denying a guy like Hannity the Eucharist would be something the Pope would agree with!
Now I need to ask you for a quick favor. Starting today there are nine days before our Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation - that day in history when Our Lord took on embryonic form in the womb of His most holy Mother. Pray with me a novena for the conversion of all those who have bought into the lies of the contraceptive culture - including Mr. Hannity. Then pray that he responds to my second request to meet with him privately. Who knows, we may de-hannitize our whole Church through his conversion.
Sean Hannity vs. Father Thomas Euteneuer on Contraception and Dissent
From 2007:
Then this response [with my comments] was posted by Father Jonathan Morris, Fox News Analyst and at the time, rector of the Legionaires of Christ seminary in Rome:
An Open Letter to Sean Hannity
Dear Sean,
As I watched a fellow Catholic priest spar with you on the March 9 edition of Hannity and Colmes, I hung my head in shame and sadness. My colleague in religion (whom I've never met) used the public airways and Internet to call you a heretic and hypocrite. Because he chose to do this in a public forum, I want you and your viewers to know, publicly, that as an analyst of this television network, I believe this good priest, who does great work, exercised, on this occasion, shockingly poor judgment. I consider his willingness to give his personal opinion about your status within the Church inappropriate and ill-considered, to say the least.
Regardless of the issue and arguments at hand [the issue was artificial contraception and dissent from Church teachings, teachings which Fr. Euteneuer accurately described and defended, and which Fr. Morris apparently isn't willing to bring up in this letter], brandishing law without palpable love almost always repels. I must assume he just made an honest mistake. [by using the term "mistake," here, Fr. Morris may be implying unintentionally to the reader that Fr. Euteneuer was wrong about Church teaching, and he was not.]
The unfortunate event reminded me of the bigger question of the fast-eroding credibility among religious leaders in our nation and its causes.
I should start, or rather continue, at home with the Catholic Church, your church and mine. As you rightly stated in the same television segment, the systematic cover-up of sexual abuse within some sectors of Catholic Church leadership was a monstrous scandal and its effects will be long-lasting. Even those priests who were not involved in the mess, as I am sure is the case with the priest in question, can never forget that those of us who wear a clerical collar still conjure up painful memories in many people's minds. The strange looks and rash judgments to which we are at times subjected is not the people's fault; it's ours, in as much as we are members of a very guilty family.
In this light, before we clergy members speak out publicly against public offenses, as sometimes we must do, we should ask ourselves and God why we are doing what we are doing, and what the best way to do it is, according to the circumstances, and always with palpable love. The question is not only if what we have to say is correct, but where, when, and how we should say it. I, for one, would have communicated my beliefs in a different way on more than one occasion if I had followed this advice.
I would be remiss if I were to suggest that the loss of religious credibility begins and ends with Catholic leaders. When we hear television evangelists wonder out loud whether Ariel Sharon's stroke might be God's judgment on him for making territorial concessions to the Palestinians, we lose trust. When, year after year, we listen to self-proclaimed prophets predict the day and the hour of the “end-times,” we lose trust. When we turn on the television and hear preachers promise heaven on earth if we give, give, give to the Church — their church — we lose trust. When we hear mainline Protestant pastors and their associations throw Biblical tradition to the wind and make wishy-washy statements about faith and morality, we lose trust.
The non-Christian religions are in even worse shape regarding leadership credibility. Is there a single Muslim imam who stands out today for his national leadership toward peace? What Muslim scholar can we trust to speak with scholarly proficiency and universal authority about the alleged peaceful nature of Islam?
The Jewish community in America is so splintered and disjointed on themes of dogma and religious tradition, it is difficult to find anyone who speaks for the majority, or even for the masses.
Here's my point:
When we believe we have discovered truth and, therefore, we believe others are wrong — a sign of cultivated intelligence, not pride — we must reject the temptation to throw civility to the wind. Being right always didn't ever inspire Jesus to jeopardize people's reputation or dignity. It went against his very nature, and it should go against ours too. Sometimes he spoke harshly, but he always spoke in love, and he made sure people knew it.
Sean, I don't always agree with you and Alan, as I have told both of you in person, but I think you are both honest, and both have the humility and courage to accept truth when you stumble across it, even when it comes in bits and pieces. I think it's precisely this three-pronged attitude of honesty, humility and courage that best prepares us, with all of our imperfections, for heaven.
God bless, Father Jonathan
And Father Euteneuer's response (source: Tea at Trianon):
The Church Will Not Be Hannitized
Then this response [with my comments] was posted by Father Jonathan Morris, Fox News Analyst and at the time, rector of the Legionaires of Christ seminary in Rome:
An Open Letter to Sean Hannity
Dear Sean,
As I watched a fellow Catholic priest spar with you on the March 9 edition of Hannity and Colmes, I hung my head in shame and sadness. My colleague in religion (whom I've never met) used the public airways and Internet to call you a heretic and hypocrite. Because he chose to do this in a public forum, I want you and your viewers to know, publicly, that as an analyst of this television network, I believe this good priest, who does great work, exercised, on this occasion, shockingly poor judgment. I consider his willingness to give his personal opinion about your status within the Church inappropriate and ill-considered, to say the least.
Regardless of the issue and arguments at hand [the issue was artificial contraception and dissent from Church teachings, teachings which Fr. Euteneuer accurately described and defended, and which Fr. Morris apparently isn't willing to bring up in this letter], brandishing law without palpable love almost always repels. I must assume he just made an honest mistake. [by using the term "mistake," here, Fr. Morris may be implying unintentionally to the reader that Fr. Euteneuer was wrong about Church teaching, and he was not.]
The unfortunate event reminded me of the bigger question of the fast-eroding credibility among religious leaders in our nation and its causes.
I should start, or rather continue, at home with the Catholic Church, your church and mine. As you rightly stated in the same television segment, the systematic cover-up of sexual abuse within some sectors of Catholic Church leadership was a monstrous scandal and its effects will be long-lasting. Even those priests who were not involved in the mess, as I am sure is the case with the priest in question, can never forget that those of us who wear a clerical collar still conjure up painful memories in many people's minds. The strange looks and rash judgments to which we are at times subjected is not the people's fault; it's ours, in as much as we are members of a very guilty family.
In this light, before we clergy members speak out publicly against public offenses, as sometimes we must do, we should ask ourselves and God why we are doing what we are doing, and what the best way to do it is, according to the circumstances, and always with palpable love. The question is not only if what we have to say is correct, but where, when, and how we should say it. I, for one, would have communicated my beliefs in a different way on more than one occasion if I had followed this advice.
I would be remiss if I were to suggest that the loss of religious credibility begins and ends with Catholic leaders. When we hear television evangelists wonder out loud whether Ariel Sharon's stroke might be God's judgment on him for making territorial concessions to the Palestinians, we lose trust. When, year after year, we listen to self-proclaimed prophets predict the day and the hour of the “end-times,” we lose trust. When we turn on the television and hear preachers promise heaven on earth if we give, give, give to the Church — their church — we lose trust. When we hear mainline Protestant pastors and their associations throw Biblical tradition to the wind and make wishy-washy statements about faith and morality, we lose trust.
The non-Christian religions are in even worse shape regarding leadership credibility. Is there a single Muslim imam who stands out today for his national leadership toward peace? What Muslim scholar can we trust to speak with scholarly proficiency and universal authority about the alleged peaceful nature of Islam?
The Jewish community in America is so splintered and disjointed on themes of dogma and religious tradition, it is difficult to find anyone who speaks for the majority, or even for the masses.
Here's my point:
When we believe we have discovered truth and, therefore, we believe others are wrong — a sign of cultivated intelligence, not pride — we must reject the temptation to throw civility to the wind. Being right always didn't ever inspire Jesus to jeopardize people's reputation or dignity. It went against his very nature, and it should go against ours too. Sometimes he spoke harshly, but he always spoke in love, and he made sure people knew it.
Sean, I don't always agree with you and Alan, as I have told both of you in person, but I think you are both honest, and both have the humility and courage to accept truth when you stumble across it, even when it comes in bits and pieces. I think it's precisely this three-pronged attitude of honesty, humility and courage that best prepares us, with all of our imperfections, for heaven.
God bless, Father Jonathan
And Father Euteneuer's response (source: Tea at Trianon):
Father Euteneuer's Reply to Father Jonathan Morris
Here is Father Thomas Euteneuer's polite but firm response to the brother priest who publically chastised him for taking a stand. (Via Spirit Daily) The red highlights are mine. What happened to fraternal correction? It seems that those who speak out against what is wrong are the ones who get corrected.
Dear Father Jonathan,
Your letter to Sean Hannity indicates that you did not know that I asked to speak to him in private about this matter in 2004 otherwise you may have tempered your remarks about my supposed lack of charity in dealing with a high profile Catholic who dissents from clearly-defined and reiterated Church teachings....You also seemed to be unaware of the fact that Sean was the one who invited me on his program and who then promptly “[threw] civility to the wind,” refused to display “cultivated intelligence” on the issues and jeopardized another person’s “reputation and dignity.” May I also point out that you did not employ with me the same standard of “fraternal correction” that you expected me to employ with Mr. Hannity. I at least made the attempt to speak to him about this issue in private without success; you, in contrast, went immediately to the internet to take me to task. I do not intend to understand your motives; I can only evaluate what I see in your actions.
The question that comes to mind is an obvious one: if you are a Fox analyst on Catholic matters, wouldn’t you have been the one to have had those “private conversations” on birth control with Mr. Hannity? How about discussions on his abortion exceptions? When you told Sean “in person” that you “disagreed with him,” was it on the issue of birth control? If you had done that, I applaud you, but your powers of persuasion may need a little honing—Sean has only gotten more vocal on this issue over time. If you did not speak to him about his public dissent, then I ask you, “Why?” While we are on the subject, have you also analyzed and disagreed with Bill O’Reilly’s perfectly horrible disdain for the Holy Father and the Church that you represent?
The church sex abuse scandal was not just about homosexual and predatory priests. It was about clerical negligence and silence on issues that not only affect people’s souls but also ruin people’s lives. It is highly unusual that you or anyone else would want a priest to be silent on issues that affect the salvation of souls. We used to recognize “admonishing the sinner” as one of the Spiritual Works of Mercy, and I consider my admonishment of Mr. Hannity to have been done in that spirit. I might also add that in doing so I have fulfilled my duty as a priest which is a requirement for my salvation.
As a seminary rector, I would sincerely hope that you are not teaching by word or example the young men in your charge to be politically correct sissies who are afraid to roll up their sleeves and defend the Church in private and in public. We have tons of those types in the clergy already. I would advise you to drink deeply of the wisdom of the Number Two man at our Headquarters who has in no uncertain terms told all of us that high profile dissenters are a scourge and a danger to souls. [See item: “Bertone: Dissident Catholics More Worrying Than Atheists.” http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jan/07011003.html.]
I wish you fraternal blessings for your priestly work.
Sincerely,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer
President
Human Life International
______________________________The Church Will Not Be Hannitized
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Father Euteneuer: Legion has 'lost it'
By Matt C. Abbott
In addition to Father James Farfaglia, Father Tom Euteneuer, president of Human Life International, has weighed in on National Catholic Register executive editor Tom Hoopes' take on the election results.
Writes Father Euteneuer:
The Legion of Christ priest who defended Sean Hannity's dissent on birth control on Fox News last year was bad enough, but the editorial in the National Catholic Register after the election shows that the Legionaries have allowed another misguided agent to speak in their name and on their watch. They are now officially part of the problem, not part of the solution. Editor Tom Hoopes is a layman, but he does the Legion's bidding and should be fired immediately for his absurd editorial in support of Barack Obama. Even were it not for Hoopes' personal glowing support of the most radical abortion president in American history, certain other points of his editorial are just naïve:
In addition to Father James Farfaglia, Father Tom Euteneuer, president of Human Life International, has weighed in on National Catholic Register executive editor Tom Hoopes' take on the election results.
Writes Father Euteneuer:
The Legion of Christ priest who defended Sean Hannity's dissent on birth control on Fox News last year was bad enough, but the editorial in the National Catholic Register after the election shows that the Legionaries have allowed another misguided agent to speak in their name and on their watch. They are now officially part of the problem, not part of the solution. Editor Tom Hoopes is a layman, but he does the Legion's bidding and should be fired immediately for his absurd editorial in support of Barack Obama. Even were it not for Hoopes' personal glowing support of the most radical abortion president in American history, certain other points of his editorial are just naïve:- 'In America, there's no reason to fear the president.' — Has Mr. Hoopes ever heard of the coercive power of the Attorney General, the IRS, the FBI or the ATF that viciously persecuted pro-lifers in the previous pro-abortion administration? I have personally been visited by the two latter entities, and they are not boy scouts. Has Mr. Hoopes seen the radical federal judiciary (appointed by the president) routinely overturn the will of the people on critical moral issues? Doesn't he know that the president appoints the delegation to the UN which will now use our tax dollars to ram abortion down the throats of poor countries like never before? Let us hasten to emphasize that the unborn 'in America' have every reason to fear this president, but apparently they can be overlooked because, in Hoopes' opinion, Obama is 'a civil, decent man.'
- Mr. Hoopes seems to think that he can just have a little gentleman's disagreement with Obama, '...if [he] dare attack the voiceless, defenseless unborn.' This is the measure of the insanity of this editorial. What does he mean 'if'? Is he simply unaware of the public record of this man who is preparing to attack the unborn in unprecedented ways? The radical cabinet appointments Obama is making should be curbing all the naïve estimates of this man's beneficence toward the unborn both at home and abroad. Extreme pro-aborts like Hillary Clinton (Sec. of State), Tom Daschle (Sec. of HHR) and Ellen Moran (White House spokesperson) will only be marshaled as attack dogs of an Obama administration against the voiceless, defenseless unborn. Where exactly is that 'change' America voted for?
- Mr. Hoopes says that teaching children to dislike and belittle the president 'undermines civic responsibility and social cohesion.' Well, outside of the fact that it was the Obama supporters who engaged in that type of vicious behavior toward the current president, his idea of 'civic responsibility and social cohesion' does not come from Catholic social doctrine. It comes from political correctness. Our Church says that these are based on solidarity with the poor and suffering, and in violation of that principle, President Obama will systematically exclude the unborn from any measure of our social concern. Mr. Hoopes' 'Can't we all just get along?' ground rules for talking nice about that 'impressive man' are not even realistic, let alone Catholic.
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