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...
Sancte Pater
HT Steve Kuhl
Fr. Tom Euteneuer recently wrote a fantastic piece in The Latin Mass magazine on the traditional form of the exorcism. I wonder if that got him in some trouble...
3 comments:
Where did they HIDE HIM? And why? Seems fishy
Not fishy or unexpected, what with the NO church that still honors Vatican II, not to mention wanting to canonize a priest that kissed the Koran and dissed traditional dogma.
It's time Ratzinger really defended tradition, if he's really serious. But don't hold your breath practicing catholics, he never was a friend to Tradition, why would he be now?
Anon2: This Holy Father doesn't kiss Qurans and is working toward restoring much of what has been lost. There's no magic switch that is going to fix everything overnight. And obviously he has nothing to do with the disposal of Fr. Euteneuer.
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