Breaking News: Victim of Father Thomas Euteneuer Files Suit

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.  

Continued Interest in the Spike in Exorcisms: What's Behind This Development?

Andrew Sullivan linked a few days ago to a thought-provoking article this past May by Daniel Burke about the precipitous rise in exorcists (and exorcisms) in the Catholic church these days.  Burke notes that "[e]xorcism is experiencing a renaissance in American Catholicism," and there are more exorcists now than at any time in the history of the Catholic church in the U.S.

Readers Write (about Euteneuer Story): "I'd Like to Investigate the Growth of Exorcism"

Again, fascinating discussions taking place here in the past few days on the threads discussing the Euteneuer story.  And as with the previous posting in which I lifted material from the comments section to the blog, I think some of this discussion is so important that it deserves wider attention.  And so I'm excerpting the following pieces from yesterday's discussion of Matt Abbott's "final word" on the Euteneuer case.