I'm sure many have heard about the verbal sparring between Fr. Euteneuer and Sean Hannity that took place last Friday night. I was lucky enough to have happened to tune in (I was surfing - the Roman Collar stopped me). Sean Hannity, as many might know is a strong advocate of artificial birth control, yet at the same time calls himself a devout Catholic. Well, Fr. Euteneuer called him to task on it. And naturally, a Fr. Morris, apparently a contributor or advisor to Fox News on religious issues, whined about it.
So Fr. Euteneuer published an open letter to Fr. Morris, which included this gem:
"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. "
God bless him. We need more like him.
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Fr. Jonathan Morris is a very conservative priest, a member of the Legionaries of Christ. That order is devoted to speaking the truth "in love." That's what Fr. Jonathan was having a problem with in the other priest's delivery. Did Sean hear the Gospel?
euteneuer was silly to take on hannity and call him a heretic. he should not have questioned his faith on live tv. if you are going to do that sean hannity is way down the list.
that being said, j morris is a politically correct sissy who readily quotes bla bla when asked a question. he, like most lc's have a underdeveloped theology which is heavy on authority and an over-reliance on 'love.' the love the lc preaches is fundamentalist not the love that benedict preaches. but what can you expect---they were founded by a sexual predator to whom the order swore undying obedience...
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.
When I read Fr. Euteneur's closing words in his letter to F. Morris, I at first thought he was referring to Our Lord (No.2 Man at HQ), and cast around in my mind for the appropriate Gospel text, that is until I clicked the link to Cardinal Bertone!
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer did more damage to the Christians in the world in 5 minute interview on Fox News than Sean Hannity will ever do. The Reverend openly said at the end of his interview when asked if Mr. Hannity would be welcome at his church the Reverend replied “If he renounced his belief in birth control and stopped professing it in public “ and than went on to say the he wouldn’t let him take communion. WOW so what he is saying is that there is no room in the Catholic Church for people who may not see everything the same way. You know Jesus Himself said it’s the sick that need a Doctor not the well. But according to Reverend Tom don’t go to his church if you’re “sick” and don’t even think about taking communion you’re not welcome here unless you have exactly the same beliefs he does. That is sad and one doesn’t have to wonder why the Catholic Church is in so much trouble. I have nothing against Catholics, its just when some one like Rev. Tom gets on the airways and says what he says like he’s got it all figured out(because he doesn’t …no one does ) that that it gives all Christians a bad name.
"WOW so what he is saying is that there is no room in the Catholic Church for people who may not see everything the same way. "
Anonymous,
You're not getting the big picture. Fr. E.'s beef was with Hannity being a public figure and using his very public forum to dissent from Church teaching.
There are plenty of Catholics who go so far as to actually use contraception but until they announce it from the rooftops, no priest is in the position to judge their worthiness to receive Communion.
Hannity's fatal mistake was preaching HIS gospel on the airwaves while insisting he still be classified as a faithful Catholic. Doesn't work that way.
Midwestmom
I can go with you on Hannity shouldn’t have jumped on a platform and said what he said.
But the Rev shouldn’t do what he did as well. The main point of what I was saying. What about the fact that this Rev Tom said that someone (Mr. Hannity) wasn’t welcome in his church unless he said certain things. Let me say it another way. If you believe Mr. Hannity is wrong about what you believe than he is spiritually sick. So than for a Catholic Priest to say you can’t come to my church until you change your mind about something is wrong especially in a public forum. It gives the impression that you can’t come there if you have troubles and that’s not what the church is about. Like I said Jesus said that it’s the sick that are in need of a Dr. If you or Rev Tom really believe Hannity is off or “sick” let him into your church show him love, his yours and my beliefs will be judged by God one day not by you and I or Rev Tom. Do you talk to someone like Hannity about this ….of course you do but you do it in the way the bible tells you to. Matthew 18: 15-17. Please don’t take what I say as an attack it’s really not meant to be that I just hate to see people arguing like that on a nationally watched TV show about faith. It hurts Christianity as a whole when that happens.
God Bless
Frank
It's Fr. Euteneuer's responsibility to shed light to those in the dark, and on BC, Hannity is in the dark. The disservice to Catholicism is done by the hand-wringers who don't want to actually LIVE and BELIEVE the faith, but who'd like to pay some lip-service to some of the tenets of the faith. This is what "cultural Catholics" do, and this is what Hannity is doing.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm no Hannity-Hater, but he got a public kick in the pants, and sometimes, that's not a bad thing.
We need fewer of the politically-correct sissies and more good priests like Fr. Euteneuer.
I have known Jonathan Morris since he was in college.
He is an effeminate intellectual lightweight.
I applaud Fr. E's use of "political correct sissies."
Anonymous,
I suspect you're not aware of the 'background' behind the Hannity - Euteneuer debate.
From what I understand, Fr. E. had already written Hannity a personal letter calling him on his public dissent.
Hannity invited him on his show, probably fully expecting the ensuing fireworks (good for ratings!) Maybe Fr. E. should have declined the invite but he didn't.
Hannity extended the invitation to Fr. E. and he got spanked on national TV. He's a big boy; he can handle it.
It's good for people to see a solid Catholic priest on TV defending the Church. It happens so rarely.
I agree midwestmom. I wish someone would have had more of a backbone when I was a child. I didn't learn the faith and thought "anything goes because God loves everyone no matter what". As an adult, I find it's not true and I now have some rightous anger issues I am dealing with. If our priests and bishops can't take the high ground, we are in trouble. Wait, they don't and we are in trouble. Fr. Euteneuer is my hero :)
Midwestmom
Just saw your response to my post and I just wanted to say Hi again….
HI..:}
All kidding aside, you wrote … I suspect you're not aware of the 'background' behind the Hannity - Euteneuer debate… and your right I don’t know all the background and that really is my point. All I know is what I saw on TV that night and from that I made an opinion on what I saw. That’s the problem so did everyone else who saw that show including non believers. I worry about that, I worry about what impression these two left on non believers about Christians. If Fr. E. did indeed write Hannity a letter He did the right thing and you are probably right that Hannity asked him on the show for the fireworks factor for ratings. So both these guy are to blame Hannity should take what the Father said to him as it was intended and not get offended and the Father should have stayed off the show for the reasons I have stated. Hey no one is perfect. But if they didn’t do what they did we wouldn’t being having fun putting our opinions out on this site. I hope I haven’t offended anybody I just enjoy debating.
God Bless
Frank
Offend us? It's not possible!
Seriously...I didn't see the actual show but only the video on youtube. I've seen two different versions: one is longer and has a bit more explanatory introduction to it. There may have even been MORE preliminary info on the actual broadcast but I don't know.
I wouldn't worry about people's impressions. It's all subjective opinion, right? You were bothered by it but many were cheering Fr. E's. choice words.
At no time did Fr. E. lose his cool or raise his voice, unlike Hannity. Although I'm sure he would have preferred to do it in private, Fr. E.'s admonition of Hannity could not have been more loving and honest considering the circumstances.
I might have missed this in the comments. Mr Hannity is openly living in a state of grave sin. Though Fr Euteneuer cannot bar him from Mass, he certainly would be doing Mr Hannity a favor by not allowing him Communion.
If anyone should understand scandal, it is the Legionaries of Christ, whose founder, if not for old age, would have been excommunicated. The problem here is that if Hannity were a "social justice" type of Catholic, Morris wouldn't have said "boo." Let's face it, when it is in their interest, the LC, Regnum Christi, Opus Dei and others would look the other way on condoms, for example, for their conservative "fellow travelers."
"That is sad and one doesn’t have to wonder why the Catholic Church is in so much trouble."
The Cahtolic Church is not in trouble. Not even hell itself can destroy her. And it deosn't matter whether the assault comes from outside (non-Catholics), inside (supposed Catholics, or a combination of the two. It is not only freee from the prospect of destruction, it is free from even the possibility of it. This was the promise of her founder, Jesus Christ.
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