UNITED STATES
Bilgrimage
William D. Lindsey
Breaking news, thanks to this press release by David Clohessy of SNAP: a woman who alleges sexual abuse by Father Thomas Euteneuer, formerly head of the pro-life organization Human Life International, has sued the Catholic diocese of Arlington, Virginia, its Bishop Paul Loverde, and Human Life International for, as she alleges, covering up sexual abuse she says she endured as Euteneuer performed exorcisms on her.
The suit claims that the defendants knew that the rite of exorcism should not be performed by a priest acting alone and with no observers–and that this did, indeed, happen in her case, as Euteneuer, who told her that her case was “severe,” took her to a bedroom where he lay with her all night, touching her, and “blowing the Holy Spirit” into her with passionate kisses. I’ll spare readers other details of subsequent exorcism sessions that are provided in the preceding article, and which the plaintiff alleges involved physical violation under the guise of exorcism that became more intense.
She is also alleging that because Euteneuer knew she had kept a journal chronicling her interaction with him, he asked to keep the journal in a safe place for her and then informed her he had burnt it, and searched her house for other journals she might have kept. She also maintains that Euteneuer remained in his position at Human Life International for two months after she described in detail his violation of her to a priest of the Arlington diocese.
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