Hannity the Liberal (Full Column)

Spirit and Life ^ | 3/12/2007 | Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer

[Pyro7480]

it seems he was looking for the publicity, and not to correct Sean (who is saying just that).

How did you come to that conclusion?

[marshmallow]

The question becomes, can you peacefully co-exist in a free nation, with people who are not required by society to hold the same religious beliefs as yourself.

"Peacefully"???

The Catholic Church is guilty of breaching the peace? Wow!!! Tell us more. What happened? Have them damn Catholics been rioting again?

Surely you mean Islam, yes??

[Siobhan]

National TV is exactly where it should have been handled since Hannity would not meet with the priest in private. Public celebrity's who publicly thumb their noses at the Church's teaching have a public drubbing coming to them.

When a Catholic has one area of life disordered, usually there are others. Better a public admonition and an opportunity to rethink and repent than nothing at all and an inevitable fall into disgrace. (Just my opinion this a.m.) (By the way, redgolum, it is good to see you. I appreciate your posts and point of view.)

[Siobhan]

You owe the priest and your faith an apology, it's lent, good time to repent.

Excellent point, Cap'n Crunch. I especially like what you wrote about Hannity owing his faith -- the Catholic Church -- an apology.

[Antoninus]

Wow, thank God someone finally said it! This is the reason I stopped listening to both Yawn Vanity and BO'Ring--because they are poorly catechised Catholics who nonetheless spout off very ignorantly about things Catholic. Hannity's claim to be a "devout" Catholic was always a laugher as far as I was concerned.

The fact that he's now in the tank for Rudy is the last straw. Sean, you are radio persona non grata in my house.

[Tax-chick]

Now it seems he was looking for the publicity, and not to correct Sean (who is saying just that).

It may "look like" that, but that's absurd. Sean Hannity invited Fr. Euteneuer, whose views are perfectly well known, to appear on his show.

If Hannity honestly believed that his support for positions the Catholic Church has categorically condemned, while proclaiming himself a Catholic, would go unchallenged, then his good sense is extremely questionable.

Sean Hannity doesn't seem to be a stupid man, in general. I've found him likeable, to the extent I've seen his show and writings. Perhaps his success has gone to his head, and he thinks others will believe the lies he tells himself.

[Antoninus]

But if Sean Hannity's patriotism and conservatism are under question by the Catholic Church, then perhaps I should reevaluate my thoughts on the position of Catholicism in our society.

Huh? Where did you get this from? This priest is only concerned with the fact that Hannity is claiming to be a 'devout' Catholic, while dissenting from some pretty basic Catholic teachings. I assume you are a Protestant Christian of some sort? How would you like it if Sean got on the air and claimed, "I'm a member of sarasmom's denomination, but I just don't buy all that Bible stuff. Some of it, sure. But not all of it. I pick and chose what I want to believe."

[Jaded]

Thanks! Great article!

[RobbyS]

Did you see the look on Hannity's face after Father said that he would not give Hannity communion in his church?

[Campion]

The question becomes, can you peacefully co-exist in a free nation, with people who are not required by society to hold the same religious beliefs as yourself.

Not a germane observation in this case, because Sean Hannity is required to hold the same religious beliefs as Catholics, because he is one ... or claims to be.

In any case, we are required by our faith to obey the law except where it requires us to sin.

But I'm intrigued ... if you conclude that we "cultists" cannot "peacefully co-exist" with others, what do you suggest as a remedy? Prison? "Re-education" camps? Execution?

All in the name of "freedom of religion," no doubt.

[ichabod1]

Thought you'd be interested in this...

[sageb1]

To be fair, I thought the priest was very high-handed in his approach. My first thought was that he should have discussed it with Sean off the record. According to the article, he says he tried to. Sean does not reply to his email, which is unfortunate. Birth control is not a "patently secular realm." The Church has a very definite position. The priest said he believes in self-control, rather than birth control. What's wrong with that?

[ichabod1]

Someone is:

[Tax-chick]

Hannity should be embarrassed by that whole performance. He made Alan Colmes look like a reasonable person with a cute sense of humor, in comparison.

Just dang. When you go after a person's sacrament (birth control, in this case) he or she can turn really ugly.

[ichabod1]

When I started hearing Planned Parenthood commercials on Sean's show, I figured they must be local ads sold by the radio station that carries him. Now I have no doubt that they are his sponsor.

[ichabod1]

Now the priest probably shouldn't of done things the way he did (causing scandal etc),

What? Fr. Euteneur didn't create the scandal, Sean did. Speaking out doesn't equate.

[ichabod1]

Yep. I'm officially boycotting Sean Hannity now. I've never seen him so angry. The engineers must have been doing backflips to keep the color temperature from showing how red his face and neck were getting.

[ichabod1]

I was just thinking about that... he looked like he'd been hit with a sledgehammer.

[redgolum]

My point is this. Sean's views are not orthodox, and by airing those view via his shows he is promoting and causing scandal. But I am not sure that going on national TV was the best pastoral response to that scandal. I come from the school of "take you beatings in private and praise in public." By causing a visible and open disagreement, Sean has threatened that "He will become Baptist" if the good Father and other priest keep up the pressure. I have also heard a few Catholics here at work say similar things as a result (which to be honest I was surprised they listened to Hannity!). So I have to wonder if this could have been handled better.

Now, there is the question that Sean might not have been able to be reached any other way. Siobhan has a good point, and it sounds like his parish priest was/is fine with Sean's views. So this might have been the best way to reach him.

[GOP_Thug_Mom]

Thanks! I hadn't read the full article. "Go, Father Euteneuer!!"