A Palm Beach priest who specializes in exorcisms apparently wasn't able to exorcise his own demons.
Thomas Euteneuer, a Catholic priest in the Palm Beach Diocese, has confessed to "violations of chastity," according to a letter obtained by the Palm Beach Post.
The Jan. 31 letter, titled "Setting the Record Straight," details Euteneuer's straying from his chastity vows with a woman under his "spiritual care."
"I take full responsibility for my own poor judgment, my weakness and my sinful conduct that resulted from it," Euteneuer wrote. "The violations of chastity happened due to human weakness but did not involve the sexual act."
Euteneuer, who was ordained in 1988, spent nearly 10 years as president of anti-abortion group Human Life International. He resigned from his post with the organization this past August.
Euteneuer says he wrote the letter to address the "malicious falsehoods" that were made after his resignation from HLI.
"The campaigners have made intolerable attempts to contact my family, to defame innocent co-workers and even to solicit and to persuade others with whom I have prayed that they are victims despite their unequivocal statements to the contrary," Euteneuer writes. "Some have even claimed falsely and maliciously that there is a possessed person living in my family’s home."
Euteneuer denied that he "targeted vulnerable women," and said that "with rare exceptions, my exorcism/prayer ministry was always conducted with prayer helpers (third parties) present." He also denied soliciting money for exorcisms, other than to cover his travel expenses.
A native of Detroit, Euteneuer published two books about exorcism in 2010, Demonic Abortion and Exorcism and the Church Militant. His biggest claim to fame came during an appearance on Fox News with Sean Hannity, where he told the cable host he'd refuse to give him communion because of his lax views on birth control.
It's unknown what sort of punishment or disciplanary action, if any, Euteneuer faces from the church.
"Father Euteneuer has been undergoing intensive evaluation and counseling to address admitted inappropriate crossing of adult heterosexual boundaries on the occasion of carrying out his priestly ministry," Bishop Gerald Barbarito said in a memo sent to priests Tuesday. "I truly regret and apologize for the hurt and harm which his actions have caused."
