Sunday, February 20, 2011

More on Father Thomas Euteneuer from the parents of the young woman identified in his public "apology"

"The Church can attest to the fact that there is a considerable body of documentation and evidence, both from third-party sources and the victims themselves, that contradicts significant elements of the public statement by Euteneuer regarding both the nature and extent of the sexual and psychological abuse Father perpetrated on his victims. Both Human Life International and the Diocese of Palm Beach have investigated the claims of our daughter (and the diocese also has investigated the claims of at least one additional victim) versus the statement of Euteneuer, and have found the victims' statements to be true, especially in contrast to Euteneuer's claim that he prayed (and preyed) alone with the victims only on "rare" occasions. Not only were these "alone" times (for at least part of the session) numerous, but his times alone with them often occurred at the end of an exorcism session when the victims were in an altered cognitive and physiological state and at the most vulnerable, both spiritually and emotionally.


To date, the statements released by HLI and the Diocese of Palm Beach also do not reveal anywhere near the full extent of Euteneuer's abuse, both psychological and sexual, toward his known victims, which includes our daughter. While we would be naive to not admit that part of their restraint is merely due to following the advice of their legal counsel, as both devout Catholics and concerned parents, we hope that some of their caution is out of a genuine concern to prevent further harm to currently known victims and/or to potential new victims. We trust that Church authorities are working diligently to insure that Euteneuer has no further access to his current victims (as he apparently did after being recalled to the Palm Beach Diocese) and pray that he is appropriately and perpetually prohibited from any kind of Church-approved position in which he could abuse his authority as exorcist, spiritual advisor, or priest.

May Our Lord's divine love and the tender love of the Blessed Virgin Mary infuse and envelope the victims, including our daughter, on their lengthy journey to spiritual, psychological, and emotional recovery. May God's grace, combined with the extraordinary strength and courage of our daughter (and other victims), our countless prayers and the tireless work of their doctors and therapists, eventually heal the victims from the abusive behavior perpetuated by Euteneuer. Lastly, believing that the resurrected Christ can bring good even out of great evil, we ask Our Lord that His Church not suffer undue harm from Euteneuer's abusive behaviors and the subsequent public outcry, but that uncovering the Truth in this case actually strengthens the Church's pro-life mission and helps us to better understand the Rite of Exorcism.

May God have mercy on Euteneuer's soul." (Full text here).

Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, in his book entitled Dignity and Duties of the Priest, says that, "Every sin of a priest is a sin of malice; it is like the sin of the angels that sinned in view of the light, says St. Bernard, speaking of a priest; hence he adds, 'He has become an angel of the Lord, and sinning as a priest he sins in heaven.' He sins in the midst of light, and therefore his sin, as has been said, is a sin of malice: he cannot allege ignorance, for he knows the great evil of mortal sin: he cannot plead weakness, because he knows the means by which, if he wishes, he can acquire strength; if he is unwilling to adopt the means, the fault is entirely his own...Our Saviour prayed on the cross for his persecutors, saying, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. But for bad priests this prayer was a source rather of condemnation than of salvation: for they know what they do.." (Dignity and Duties of the Priest, pp. 71-72).


Isn't it refreshing to hear the truth from this Doctor of the Church? There have been many scandals throughout the Church and just as many cheap attempts to offer poor excuses for misconduct, sexual and otherwise. But Our Lord Himself has said that, "Much more will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." (Luke 12: 48).

Our age is infected with much pride.  And it has reached a level even within certain corners of the Church which can only be described as satanic.  We must remind ourselves of how unworthy we are, how sinful.  We must humble ourselves before the Lord Jesus.  For when we do so, there is no room for the Devil to operate.  Humility drives the Evil One out faster than you can imagine.  Which is why all of Hell trembles every time the words "Hail Mary" are spoken.  For Our Lady is the model of humility. 

Related reading here.

7 comments:

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

This is precisely why it's so critical that we remain humble. Humility is only honesty. And we don't deserve a medal for telling the truth. It is our DUTY! Lord Jesus, I am weak and sinful, inadequate on so many levels. Help me to always realize this. For when I remove the silly obstacles of pride and self-importance from my innermost being, You have room to work in me and through me. For when I am weak, it is THEN that I am strong. Amen!

Jennifer Goguen said...

The more I learn about Fr. Euteneuer, the more concerned I become. It reminds me of Maciel and his double-life. Scary.

The Woman of the House said...

Thank you Paul for your honest commentary. Wish there were more people out there like you!

God bless you,
Adele

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

Thank you Adele for that very kind comment. There are many good people out there. But most are just scared. We must have the courage of Christ.

Again, thanks for the bon mot dear Sister!

The Woman of the House said...

Thanks Paul! God bless.

Rose said...

"As for hypocritical priests, they should also be unmasked. For, under an appearance of virtue, such souls hide a secret pride, harboring too great a love for themselves and making a show of their sacrifices and lives before God and neighbor. Their own concern is their good name and their anxiety to be esteemed; they flee from every tribulation, however small it might be, and have no love for humiliation and the hidden life that Jesus Christ assumed ..." - words of Our Lady of Good Success to the venerable and incorrupt Mother Mariana in the apparitions of Our Lady of Good Success, approved by the Church since 1611.

pages 287-288

(The Admirable Life of Mother Mariana, Volume II by Fr. Manuel Sousa Pereira, written in 1790, translated by Marian T. Horvat, Ph. D., Copyright 1999, first edition 2006 by Tradition in Action, 357 pages)

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

Thank you Rose for that comment. I would be very wary of "Tradition in Action" however. That group has been highly critical of Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Mother Teresa (among many other notable figures in the Catholic Church.

But again, good comment. God bless.

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