Matt Abbott Issues Final Word on Euteneuer Case

A brief postscript to what I have just posted about how the fact that Euteneuer's violations of chastity involved an adult rather than a child might frame the discussion of his case:

Matt Abbott has now issued what he calls his "final word" on the Euteneuer case.  It deserves attention.  It does so because Abbott is a leading American Catholic pro-life spokesperson--someone who would, one would expect, normally be staunchly aligned with Euteneuer and the organization Euteneuer formerly headed.

But then there's this:

Father Tom's statement can be read by clicking here.

HLI's statement can be read by clicking here.

It's important to read both.

Having closely followed this story for a while now, I will say only that I am disappointed in certain aspects of both statements. Pray that the full truth be known, if it be God's will. At this point, however, I'm prepared to move on.

And what do you imagine Abbott means when he says, "Pray that the full truth be known . . ."?

Interesting slant, isn't it, from an ardent Catholic pro-lifer.  When even some so-called progressive Catholics are shouting that anyone pursuing the truth in this story should back off, stop judging, stop being mean, stop engaging in Schadenfreude, stop being self-righteous, stop hounding a good priest who fell after exhausting himself waging war with demons (and who fell, after all, with another adult, and a woman, to boot) . . . . 

Matt Abbott wants the full truth to be known.  Interesting.  I wonder what Abbott himself (and others) know, that they'd like the world to know now.  And why they think that this needs to be known.

And why they're praying for it to be revealed.

And that throwaway line, "It's important to read both," is surely the understatement of the year.  One that may deserve some kind of prize for understated narrative direction.

In this case, narrative direction nudging readers to place Fr. Euteneuer's confession side by side with what his former employer says in response to his confession.  Since a comparison reveals a significant disconnect that we should not miss, if we want to understand what is taking place with this confession.

And isn't it interesting that Abbott finds both statements disappointing.  Wonder what that could mean . . . .

Again, one of the most fascinating aspects of this story is how it has broken from the websites of the Catholic right, from those who had previously been strong allies of Euteneuer and Human Life International.

But who now appear to have information that they're praying the rest of us will eventually hear--evidently, because it's important that we hear it.  And, again, it's also fascinating to read comments of some progressive Catholics in the past several days, who regard the activity of these former strong allies of Euteneuer and HLI as "digging for dirt."

This doesn't sound to me like a situation in which these bloggers are digging for dirt at all.  It sounds far more like a situation in which some people who care very seriously about their pro-life movement have some information that they recognize as serious enough to warrant a fuller disclosure than we've yet seen. 

And I would find it hard to imagine that people of the ilk of Matt Abbott would want more information disclosed if their objective was to harm the pro-life movement.