Sean Hannity faces-off with Priest who calls him heretic

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His comments, did not promote a Catholic backing of ABC. I may just not want to see it, but in his history and previous shows and talks, he simply doesn’t scream in support of ABC and I just can’t find it in any transcripts or evidence presented. I think Mr. Hannity’s view may be a bit more complex then one can see in a a few minute segment on it with a few lines and you simply can’t judge the reception of the Most Blessed Sacrament on such little information.

You don’t illuminate any minds by coming on and declaring someone a heretic. If that is an way to outreach a fellow Catholic to correct their ways, it simply will not work. I disagree with Sean on some of these issues and stances, but I really feel Father Euteneuer could have been more prudent. Bishops didn’t go around declaring John Kerry a heretic and saying stay away from the altar, I believe priests should follow that example. It is a matter that must be dealt with sincerity and pastoral care.

I know Mr. Hannity brought up the issue on commuion, but I am sure he was offended and in defense mode. That is how people get when you come on in such way. It is all about perception, if one comes across as self-righteous or calling someone a heretic, that will completely shut down their reception to the Truth on many occasions. I would love to know if Father Euteneuer tried to contact Mr. Hannity privately and tried to deal with it that way, because if he did that and then wrote an article condemning his view points AFTER he spoke or tried to speak with Mr. Hannity, I could completely agree with how it was handled.
 
His comments, did not promote a Catholic backing of ABC.
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You are correct. Hannity kept insisting that ABC should be acceptable for those “outside the Church, who are not Catholic”. But what is the difference between saying that and saying abortion is acceptable for non-Catholics? And since when does the Church hold that Her rules are only for Catholics? I thought She was here to save everyone through Christ?
I think Mr. Hannity’s view may be a bit more complex then one can see in a a few minute segment on it with a few lines and you simply can’t judge the reception of the Most Blessed Sacrament on such little information.
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I think you are giving him way too much credit. How complex is the argument that birth control is better than abortion? Are they the only two options? What about abstinence? What about adoption in the event of pregnancy? His entire argument was based on the erroneous notion that birth control would prevent abortions. And as for judging, well I thought that was part of the priest’s job description. Are they not in persona Christi? Are they not the one’s with the power to bind and loose? Who else is going to tell Sean he is in error?
You don’t illuminate any minds by coming on and declaring someone a heretic. If that is an way to outreach a fellow Catholic to correct their ways, it simply will not work.
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Since the response here is unanimously in favor of Fr. E’s defense of the faith, I think you may be wrong on this one,
I disagree with Sean on some of these issues and stances, but I really feel Father Euteneuer could have been more prudent. Bishops didn’t go around declaring John Kerry a heretic and saying stay away from the altar, I believe priests should follow that example. It is a matter that must be dealt with sincerity and pastoral care.
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See below regarding the Bishop’s ballyhoo about John Kerry.
At one extreme is St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke (who as bishop of La Crosse, Wis., issued an order banning pro-choice Catholic legislators from taking communion). Burke told the press prior to the recent Missouri primary that if Kerry presented himself for communion he would refuse him the sacrament.
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nationalcatholicreporter.org/washington/wnb040704.htm
I know Mr. Hannity brought up the issue on commuion, but I am sure he was offended and in defense mode.
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Maybe you’re a fan, but as far as I can tell, Hannity is ALWAYS in defense mode. And again, how does that excuse his incredible PUBLIC disrespect of the clergy? Haven’t we all, at times, been in similar situations with our priests or Bishops and yet we are bound to treat them respectfully.
That is how people get when you come on in such way. It is all about perception, if one comes across as self-righteous or calling someone a heretic, that will completely shut down their reception to the Truth on many occasions.
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If someone IS a heretic, they will not be receptive to the truth regardless of how it’s delivered. And again, Father began the dialogue respectfully. It was Sean who dragged it in the mud.
 
Dee_Dee_King said:
sean hannity is a moron when it comes to his catholic faith’s teaching on sexuality. i hear the same arguments by people in my family. doesn’t surprise me much, being the neocon that he is.

he showed no respect to the priest. he made himself look like a total jerk.

fr. euteneuer is awesome. i like how he said he would deny him communion. if only all priests could be so prudent.

youtube.com/watch?v=f50fD5elrcg&mode=related&search=
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Moron: psychological term for one with mental age of 8-12 years of age. Terms such as this (and jerk) are against forum rules. I agree with what I think you are trying to say, but I am sure there is a more appropriate way to phrase it.
 
I think you are giving him way too much credit.
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I am a big fan of Mr. Hannity and watch him regularly. I pay attention to what he says now and in the past. Not with a bias picking at clips of what he says like many critics of Fox News but rather with a ,dare I say it, a fair and balanced approach. I think many have jumped on this and on him unjustly, and this has only served to increase their already deeply rooted dislike for him. I think it takes someone who can speak at large for Mr. Hannity’s opinion, not just one quick clip or one line(Not really myself either). Again, Mr. Hannity is not fully made clear, it is matter of how you read into it. And it is not a matter who is going to tell Mr. Hannity about his error, it is how you tell him. That is a large reason why, after Vatican II the Church no longer screams that all protestants are heretics and damned. Rather, they took a more compassionate platform(Not watered down) but to better embrace them and bring them to the knowledge and Truth of the Catholic Faith. If anything, instead of denying him communion, ask for a explanation in a statement from Sean Hannity not in the form of a debate but rather in form form of dialog without any burning at the stakes.
Since the response here is unanimously in favor of Fr. E’s defense of the faith, I think you may be wrong on this one,
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This board and section, is only a small sampling of Catholics and to say, because 8 or so people have said such things, I must be in error is unfounded. Popularity in a belief, does not mean its right, as you know.

About the Bishops, I am speaking as a whole. The Conference of Bishops, not just one or two.

You must be respectful to a certain degree to all priests but that does not give reason for poor pastoral decisions in my opinion for priests and expect to be met with rose pedals.

When Father made the line about “no one is obliged to be an heretic in public” and saying Sean is pronouncing the issues as if he has authority on the matter, that is when Mr. Hannity responded or said anything. That was set off the debate and right there was the completely wrong lines to use in that discussion. I would like to know how Mr. Hannity presents himself as the finale authority on the Catholic position of Birth Control? Where in Mr. Hannity’s past statements specifically prove this rather then just what he said in the debate with Father Euteneuer.

Your not going to get anywhere with how Fr. Euteneuer approached it. And Like I said before, I turned off the TV because I was so upset to how badly Fr. Euteneuer and Mr. Hannity made the Church look and how they both handled it.

Has anyone thought that the Eucharist is a not a platform for priests to declare them the infallible judge on certain issues that they do NOT have the full facts and complete beliefs or opinions of the person in question. A priest must take someone in private and deal with it to not condem the person but to help and educate the person, which is not how Father Euteneuer went about it.

It is sad that Father Euteneuer responded to Mr. Hannity to say he would deny him communion, I am sure many people, like myself after watching the show, left with a sour taste in their mouths from Catholics while others rejoiced.

Then Cardinal Ratzinger, had this to say on Politicians who support abortion or euthanasia and this is how it should be done, not on TV while condemning them a heretic;
  1. Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws),* his Pastor should meet with him*, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.
We would then have to see if the teaching on ABC is the same degree of Abortion or Euthanasia but nonetheless, pastoral care must be taken and that is my point. I think Father and Hannity are both at fault and both went about it wrong. No one is a winner here, if anything, I really believe the Church loses.
 
If you really want to “shake up the troops” have the good Father reassigned to the Boston Archdiocese (or to Washington DC) and see if he denies Holy Communion to the various pro-abortion folks and to the “careless drivers”.

Before denying Holy Communion to someone, it is necessary that they fully understand the reason for it.

There are three conditions that must be met for a mortal sin (serious matter, knowledge that it is serious, and deliberate full consent of the will). In my opinion, most Catholics have NO IDEA of the details of the Church’s teaching of why contraception is a serious matter. “It merely ranks up there with eating meat on Friday”, in the minds of Catholics.

The word “heretic” is so emotionally charged that it contributes nothing to the discussion. This is normally reserved for deviant Bishops who start up a new religious schism. The next step should be papal excommunication or worse. Hannity is a well-meaning but not well educated lay person; he needs education. The word “heretic” is way over the top. Charity is needed. Not name calling. IMHO.

Hannity has a vast and loyal audience. Hannity himself is a goodhearted guy … an average person who made good. Instead of getting angry the good Father should have used the opportunity to educate and inform. If Hannity had become knowledgeable about the Church’s teaching(s), he would have become a reliable ally. Instead he has to depend on his “gut feel” for a lot of his positions. The exchange on television didn’t contribute anything toward knowledge and understand … except to create a wall.

With the Baltimore Catechism at least we had some explanations of the details of the Catholic Faith. There were/are three versions for different ages of students. Instead of throwing the Baltimore Catechism under the bus, we should have written a fourth version with MORE detail for adults that could be been worked into the parish activity schedule after the noon Sunday Mass. Instead they got rid of it in the vast majority of parishes (replacing it with coloring books) and so the laity had NOTHING.

The huge CCC is wonderful, but is so advanced as to be not much help to the average lay person who is working and commuting and trying to raise a family.

[WHY and HOW on earth, did Hannity and Fr. Euteneuer get together in the first place??? What was the point of that?]

[Whatever happened to Father Marx?]
 
Hannity has shown his true colors.

He should be ashamed. As for me, I’m done with him.
 
I think Sean and Fr. Euteneuer should have a long lunch on neutral territory to give Fr. Euteneuer a teaching opportunity.

Just kind of cancel out the unfortunate highly charged television interview.

Kind of just undo it as something that should never have happened.

Buy each other a cup of coffee.
 
The only people who gain from this kind of “intramural” heated discussion are the James Carvilles of the world.

Visit www.caaction.com for a nice photo of Mr. Carville.

[sigh]

We have enough problems without fighting among ourselves.

[Oops, Catholic Answers Action pulled the photo. It was a GREAT photo! ]
 
Al_Masetti said:
I think Sean and Fr. Euteneuer should have a long lunch on neutral territory to give Fr. Euteneuer a teaching opportunity.

Just kind of cancel out the unfortunate highly charged television interview.

Kind of just undo it as something that should never have happened.

Buy each other a cup of coffee.
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There are doctrines and issues of faith and conscience that can be confusing for even the most devout and well-informed Catholics.

Contraception is not one of them.

I am glad that Hannity put his foot in his mouth in such a way as to expose his lack of basic knowledge.

Kind of makes me wonder about everything else he’s put forth over the years.
 
I read Fr. Euteneuer’s articles all the time. He addresses many issues. Sean Hannity sounded foolish and relied more on tactics than his knowledge of theology (If he has any). I’m sure his protestant fans were cheering. His Pastor should take the time to correct him on this issue before he embarasses himself further.
 
A squandered teaching opportunity to a secular world.

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Vince
 
mmm1 said:
I do agree with everything that everyone is saying. I only mentioned priests denying Communion as an example of priests usually giving private counseling 1st. I can’t get the transcript anymore, but it seemed like Hannity definitely challenged Father about denying him Communion. He was so out of line & heretical, but I do maintain that this should have been addressed privately 1st.

That being said, I understand the incredible frustration with pro-choice Catholics & other heretics.
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Here is the transcript
closedcafeteria.blogspot.com/2007/03/fr-euteneuers-double-whammy-part-1.html

Colmes: You guys need a Jew to break this up. But let me ask you this: Would Hannity be welcome at your Church? Would Hannity be welcome at your Church, Father?

Fr. Euteneuer: Well, if renounced his belief in birth control and stop professing it publicly.

Hannity: Wait, would you deny me communion?

Fr. Euteneuer: I would.

Hannity: Wow, wow.
 
MrS said:
From www.catholicexchange.com :

catholicexchange.com/node/59842

"… Hannity sunk so low as to quote one of the most frequently misused and misunderstood Gospel passages, “Judge not lest you be judged.” Sadly, Fr. Euteneuer was engaged in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent… "

.
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While I think both sides handled themselves badly, I think Sean was somewhat correct. The Church cannot hold non-Catholics accountable for contraception use. One can complain all they want about that. They may condemn it’s use, but a non-Catholic does not recognize the authority of Church, and doesn’t care what the Catholic Church thinks about it.

If it’s truly a sin against God, and scripture BTW is relatively weak on this issue, then he or she will be judged.

A little bit off topic here, but what is your understanding and intended use of this piece of scripture concerning judging?

IMO, not nearly enough people heed these words.
 
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