Fr. Thomas Euteneuer Steps Down from the Presidency of Human Life International

By Deacon Keith Fournier
8/30/2010
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Will Return to Diocese to Serve in Parish

'It has been 15 years since I last had any significant time for renewal, and after traveling more than 1.1 million miles, authoring two books, visiting 58 countries and making thousands of public appearances, I am ready for a break! I intend to continue to do pro-life work wherever I may be called to serve, and my bishop agrees that this is a vital charism of my priestly life.' ( Fr. Euteneuer)

The board of directors of Human Life International (HLI) has announced that after nearly 10 years of meritorious service to HLI as president, Reverend Thomas J Euteneuer has stepped down from his position after being asked by his Bishop to return to his Diocese in West Palm Beach, Florida.

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FRONT ROYAL, VA (Catholic Online) - There is no doubt that when the history of the Pro-Life movement and the struggle to build a new culture of life is written, Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer, now the former President of Human Life International, will be acknowledged as one of its most articulate and courageous champions.

The news of his immediate departure from the Presidency of Human Life International comes as a real surprise. It was completely unexpected. It was accompanied by very little explanation. He will apparently return to his Diocese, West Palm Beach. However, he has no parish assignment as of the announcement. Of course, we honor Father's extraordinary work for the Church and courage over all these years. We ask our readers around the globe to pray for him and the transition at HLI.

Stephen Phelan, the Communications Manager for Human Life International, just issued the following Press Release:

HLI President to Return to Diocese

"The board of directors of Human Life International (HLI) has announced that after nearly 10 years of meritorious service to HLI as president, Reverend Thomas J Euteneuer has stepped down from his position after being asked by his Bishop to return to his Diocese in West Palm Beach, Florida.

"The board thanks Fr. Euteneuer for his leadership, hard work and dedication in carrying on the legacy of Fr. Paul Marx. During his tenure Fr. Euteneuer traveled more than one million miles as a pro-life missionary to the world.

"While Fr. Euteneuer's leadership at HLI and his influence on the pro-life movement around the world will be greatly missed, we are blessed to have gifted staff who will continue to carry out our mission while a search for a new president is undertaken.

"Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro Car�mbula, Executive Director of HLI's office in Rome, will assume Fr. Euteneuer's responsibilities until such time as a permanent replacement is named"

Fr. Euteneuer's acknowledgement of his immediate departure from this significant leadership came in the form of a column in HLI's Spirit & Life Newsletter. Again, there is very little explanation; simply a statement of fidelity from a good priest. We present it in full below:

*****

Dear Friends of Life,

Nearly ten years ago I answered the call of the Lord to come to Human Life International and work full-time in pro-life work with the permission of my bishop. I have been utterly privileged to serve this great mission for a decade, and now I am called back to my diocese to continue my priestly service in parish work, which was the original calling of my vocation. A priest is a soldier of Christ and the Church, and obedience is the primary virtue of his state in life, but for my part, my discernment about this decision tells me that this is the right thing for me to do and at the right time. I have great peace about the road that lies ahead and about all that has been accomplished up to this point.

Our international mission remains in good hands with my departure. HLI's Board of Directors has asked Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro of our Rome office to assume my responsibilities until such a time as a permanent replacement is named. Our tremendously competent staff and generous supporters are looking to the future with great hope despite the many challenges of the death peddlers on a global scale which are only increasing. There is more need of our mission now than ever! HLI's network of affiliates and associates is more than 100 countries strong, and our international leaders, so often highlighted in our publications, are literally the best in the world! Our dear founder, Fr. Paul Marx would be extremely proud of what we have accomplished in the past decade. I am sure he is smiling on us from where he is now.

I do not have a parish assignment in my diocese as of yet, but I hope to take some time out before I go back into full-time parish work. I expect that some time of rest and renewal will help me to make the transition. It has been 15 years since I last had any significant time for renewal, and after traveling more than 1.1 million miles, authoring two books, visiting 58 countries and making thousands of public appearances, I am ready for a break! I intend to continue to do pro-life work wherever I may be called to serve, and my bishop agrees that this is a vital charism of my priestly life. A true pro-lifer is not oriented to a job so much as to the daily task of fighting the culture of death and building the culture of life!

I ask for your kind prayers as I move forward and for your continued support of HLI and the new leadership that will come soon. I will not be a stranger to HLI's mission or life but I promise that I will remember each of you every day in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, the font of all unity and LIFE!

Blessings in Christ,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer

President, Human Life International

*****

We ask our readers around the globe to pray for this heroic priest and for the vital work of Human Life International.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

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1 - 10 of 19 Comments

Charles Fuentes
2 years ago
Both Fr. Tom and Fr. Corapi ?!

This is definitely the attack of Lucifer. These two priests know very well that this was bound to happen sooner or later. They will ride out the storm with the help of our Blessed Mother and our Lord Jesus.
Lucifer fears these and other holy priests that are in the forefront of the battle against evil.
In the end the Sacred and Immaculate hearts will triumph. Hang in there Fathers Tom and Corapi.
In hoc signo vinces
Britt
2 years ago
Well, it's been pretty well established by credible sources that there was some kind of inappropriate behaviour on Fr. Tom's part, or at least enough false allegations to discredit him if he wasn't removed (a possibility). Do a google search and you'll find plenty of info., HLI's Jenn Giroux wrote a column a couple days ago here: http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/giroux/110128 : I'm quite surprised by this, I thought for sure when this all came about last august that Fr. was simply going full-time into the deliverance ministry/training other priests and such. If you think about this is the only explanation for the quiet and hasty way his exit was done, and the pulling of his recent book. Pray for Fr. Tom, he was no doubt experiencing demonic attack on a high level, and priests are human like the rest of us. The Bishop is only trying to protect the Church from scandal, don't be so hard on them. All of this (abortion, exorcism, contraception) is the Lord's battle ultimately, we are just soldiers in the feild, the fight continues even without Fr. Tom on the stage.
Jennifer
2 years ago
Thank you, Bob, for this reassurance. The situation is mysterious, but I know we have to trust that God is working for the good in all of it, whatever it is. I will be praying for Fr. E.
Bob Allard
2 years ago
I have personally known Fr. Tom for more than 13 years and I have known Bishop Barbarito, his bishop and mine, for more than 7 years and I can assure you that we need to trust both of these men of God. I have personally seen Fr. Tom sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament in prayer for hours at a time and I am sure that he is still doing that right now. Father was a former Marine and he has always kept that personna in his priestly work to fight off the evil one. I totally trust Bishop Barbarito in whatever he does. He is a very humble and prayerful person and I know that he will pray about whatever needs to be released to the public for the good of all.
Marcel A. Bertrand
2 years ago
I always enjoyed Fr. Tom as the celebrant on EWTN and everyone in the world knows that when the Catholic Church pulls a priest from a post and then that priest "disappears" and nothing more is said about him especially a man who has been in the papers and so well known for so long, something terrible has happened and the longer they hold it back, the more rumors that will be spread around. His bishop should tell the people what's going on with him, we'll find out eventually as all news media is trying to find out what's going on, so it's to their advantage to tell the people so if Fr. Tom is seriously ill, we can pray for his cure, if it's something else, we can pray for his intentions. But saying absolutely nothing for so long now, well something is up for sure and it's time for the bishop (s) to stop stalling and making the Catholic Church look bad and tell us what's going on. It might be nothing or it could be major, but we have a right to know since we support the Church and it's missions.
We'll expect to hear something real soon from Father's Bishop PLEASE. Stop keeping us in the dark and making yourselves look so terribly bad.

Marcel A. Bertrand
Biddeford, Maine 04005
jeff brig
2 years ago
i must say i also go along with this line of thought as does my my sister,we find something really really wrong with the sudden exit of father Tom. we have followed his words and works for years, and this is typical bishop hush hush stuff to be honest. having read all his books. i can say this, he stepped on the toes that needed stepping on. even father corapi did a forward for the exorcism book. nothing wrong with it, this is why some of us don't trust the bishops,,lets face it, he vanished, we have been sending emails to all sites and to the florida diocese,,,no answer. nada nothing, He just vanished id love to think it was because he was a training exorcists or secretly spending time training them, but its far more likely these modernist bishops shut his mouth, plain and simple,,i also noticed he is off courageous priests website, like i said he just vanished into thin air right when all his books were best sellers,,.you figure it out,,,we will continue, to look for father tom. as should you...he dont even have a website, email address or anything. thats not only not normal its basically a "we don't care what you think from the bishops"i love my church and i love with all its flaws and i stay in obedience to it,,but i also ask questions,,,,like NOW.
OldTimerRC
2 years ago
I know, this happened in August. As mentioned above, the book is no longer being offered in the Diocese of Omaha & it is no longer being sold on HLI's website & it was also said the book would have to be changed if reprinted. This is the one thing that gets my dander up about the Catholic Church. Why was he recalled? Why has the Bishop stopped his book? Something is going on....but it's all being hushed by Church officials. Everyone knows what happened the last time the officials were hush hush about something. Why can't they be honest & up front with people. This is the very reason some of the faithful don't trust the Bishops. What are they hiding? It seems odd for a priest like Fr. Euteneuer to be suddenly recalled by his Bishop for no apparent reason. Sometimes this "Do As I Say" right of the hierarchy bothers me. The work Fr. Euteneuer did at HLI was outstanding to say the least. It seems when those in charge want to "quiet" someone....they transfer them to some obscure job/place. How about a truthful explaination for a change?!?!
Tom
2 years ago
Did Fr. Euteneuer leave HLI, or was he "pushed out"?
His recent book on exorcism has been "discontinued"

From the Spirit Daily article on the suppression of the Intercessors of the Lamb, "TUMULT ERUPTS AS OMAHA BISHOP SHUTS DOWN ORDER AND EX-HEAD ALLEGES 'DRASTIC ACTION'" (http://www.spiritdaily.com/intercessorsupheaval.htm):

We live in interesting, topsy-turvy times. ... In a development that had no apparent connection [with the suppression of the Intercessors of the Lamb], it was also announced last week that a book by Father Thomas Euteneuer, the former head of the large pro-life group, Human Life International, will be discontinued. The book, Exorcism and the Church Militant, which ironically lauded the Intercessors, was in wide circulation. Weeks before, Father Euteneuer left the organization when he was recalled to his home diocese after a reported controversy. A spokesman for HLI told Spirit Daily that the organization simply decided it was not its role to promote material on exorcism. "There was no problem fatal to the book," said the spokesman, Stephen Phelan, adding however that had it been reprinted, several changes would have been necessary. Limited copies remain available through Ignatius Press.
Melissa
2 years ago
I feel sad about this news, but Christine, thank you for your wisdom.
Br. Joseph
2 years ago
I do not understand that what was the reason of bishop called Fr. Thomas back to diocese immediately?

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