Posted on 03/13/2007 6:37:06 AM PDT by NYer
[Fr. Morris’ letter to Sean Hannity is reprinted below this “Open Letter.”] 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. [See “Fr. Euteneuer asks to meet with Hannity about birth control” on sidebar.] 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, Fr. Morris’ 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, brandishing law without palpable love almost always repels. I must assume he just made an honest mistake. 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 affects 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 conger 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
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer
President
Human Life International
Roundtable discussion down the pike?
Fr. Jonathan Morris does not draw out of my mouth words of praise.
Wow! You go Father! We need more men like you!
Wow. Euteneuer is awesome.
Oh, that is good. I can see this good priest has a spine.
Mr. Hannity and Mr. O'Reilly have both become Catholic men of the world, drunk on their own status. They make the mistake of picking and choosing which doctrines to follow and their pride and foolishness spews out of their mouths when they make their views known on national television.
I have been watching some of the back and forth on this. I was a bit surprised at the public admonishment delivered by Fr. Euteneuer, but I now learn that he made the effort to speak to Sean in private.
I wish that Sean had taken that opportunity to speak with the good Father. I think he would have benefitted.
Someone should also tell Sean Hannity that having gone to a high school seminary of the Diocese of Rockville Center in the waning days of its existence hardly qualifies him to brag about having studied theology - much less Latin!
Puhleeeze!
Well, we always have Fr. John Corapi.
And O'Reilly went to Chaminade in Mineola. I lived in the next town of New Hyde Park when he was a kid.
Poor catachetics from the Rock ville Center Diocese.
In light of the fact that Fr. Eueteneur sought to engage Hannity in private, his invitation to the show becomes not just an interview, but an ambush. And a cowardly one, at that. In my estimation, Hannity was thinking he could cleanse his conscience by placing his detractor in a setting which would pressure the good priest into accepting Sean's dissent as a matter of conscience and not moral absolutes. When Fr. Euteneur made it clear he didn't come on the show to do any back-patting, Hannity went into bully mode (good sign of a guilty conscience there) and tried to throw him off the stage, as it were. Unfortunately for Sean, the good father has the Truth on his side, and Hannity has been exposed as the poseur he is.
Fr. Euteneur owes no one an apology for caring enough about Sean's soul to correct him, even at great cost to himself.
Saint Athanasius, pray for us!
Who do you think would be invited to a round table discussion? Sean foolishly talked down Fr. Enteneuer. Would he do it again?
It also appears to be a something of an attempt to justify his own "out to lunch" performance on this one. As Fr. Euteneur points out, Morris as Fox Catholic Analyst, should have been the one to take Hannity to task and I detect a little anger on Morris' part that his own sin of ommission has been exposed by Fr. Euteneur's bold actions.
Morris conveniently forgets that it was Hannity who started this with his outburst against Catholic treaching. Morris says this;
I consider his (Euteneuer's)willingness to give his personal opinion about your status within the Church inappropriate and ill-considered, to say the least.
Funny, I thought exactly the same thing about Hannity's willingness to give his own personal opinion about certain points of Catholic teaching. He used the public airwaves to trash Church teaching, so it was only appropriate that his error was pointed out to him in public.
Exactly, Hannity should be called to the table especially, because as a public personality, he has influence that you and I don't have and could steer Catholics in the wrong direction.
And I attended the "sister" school of Chaminade - Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead.
Poor catachetics from the Rock ville Center Diocese.
Most of my Catholic education was in the Brooklyn Diocese. But, you are absolutely right! The Diocese of Rockville Centre was/is pitiful.
Sacred Heart, yes. My daughter went to St. Joseph in Brentwood. Strange how things change. In grammar school, many years ago, I had a teacher who had just started upon graduating from St. Joseph's in Brooklyn. She taught in public school as only Nuns taught in Catholic Schools.
I looked at the St. Joseph's web page and it scared me. Certainly a far cry from the 1930s and 1940s (teacher) and 1960s (daughter)
BRAVO, Fr. Euteneuer!!!!
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