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Father John Corapi, the popular Catholic evangelist, announced on June 17 that he would leave the priesthood and begin a new endeavor outside Church control — called "Black Sheep Dog" — focused on a "broader" message and a global audience.
Three months have passed since Father Corapi, a priest of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), was removed from public ministry by his order while it investigated allegations of misconduct leveled by one of his former employees.
Posted on YouTube and on the website of Santa Cruz Media, the company led by Father Corapi that distributes his bestselling catechetical materials, the announcement shocked his many supporters, some of whom had vented their anger at the priest's religious superiors and at EWTN and other media outlets, which suspended his programs after the allegations against him became public. The Register is a service of EWTN.
Raising more questions than it answered, the message did not state the precise reason why Father Corapi chose to resign from the priesthood, rather than waiting for the outcome of SOLT's investigation of the alleged misconduct.
However, Father Gerard Sheehan, regional priest-servant of SOLT and Father Corapi's religious superior in the U.S., confirmed June 19 that the order's investigation faced complications created by a civil suit filed by Father Corapi against the former employee who had accused him of sexual misconduct.
"When she left the company, she signed a contract that she would not reveal anything that happened to her while she was at Santa Cruz Media. Father Corapi paid her for this. Father was suing her for a breach of contract," said Father Sheehan, though he did not specify why Father Corapi had initiated the non-disclosure agreement.
The civil suit against the former employee created a problem for SOLT investigators.
"In canon law, there can't be any pressure on witnesses; they have to be completely free to speak. The investigation was compromised because of the pressure on the witnesses. There were other witnesses that also had signed non-disclosure agreements," said Father Sheehan.
"The canon lawyers were in a difficult situation, and Father does have his civil rights and he decided to follow his legal counsel, which he had a right to do," he said. "We tried to continue the investigation without speaking to the principal witnesses."
The investigation was halted after Father Corapi "sent us a letter resigning from active ministry and religious life. I have written him a letter asking him to confirm that decision. If so, we will help him with this process of leaving religious life," said Father Sheehan.
He expressed disappointment that Father Corapi chose not to remain in SOLT and to refuse the order's invitation for him to live in community, leaving his Montana home. Father Sheehan said he had tried to arrange a meeting with Father Corapi before any final decision was announced, but had not heard back from him. Father Sheehan said that SOLT would issue a statement shortly.
"We wanted him to come back to the community, and that would have meant leaving everything he has. It would have been a drastic change for him," Father Sheehan said. "We will continue to move pastorally and charitably, taking steps to protect his good name."
Father Corapi's YouTube message did not address his relationship with SOLT religious authorities. Though his statement reads "I love the Catholic Church and accept what has transpired," it offered a conflicted message on the respect due the Catholic hierarchy.
On the one hand, Father Corapi affirmed the right of the bishops to implement new guidelines for addressing clerical misconduct. Yet, he persistently attacked the logic and integrity of those guidelines, and sharply criticized Bishop William Mulvey of Corpus Christi, Texas, for taking action to forcibly remove him from active ministry.
The YouTube announcement and a text version of his statement began with an acknowledgement that the upcoming Trinity Sunday, June 19, 2011, marked his "20th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood in the Catholic Church. For 20 years I was called 'father.'"
Expressing his gratitude for ongoing expressions of support, the priest then stated: "All things change, only God stays the same, so I have to tell you about a major change in my life. I am not going to be involved in public ministry as a priest any longer. There are certain persons in authority in the Church that want me gone, and I shall be gone."
Echoing themes repeated in recent Santa Cruz Media posts that asserted his innocence, questioned the motives of his accuser, and criticized recent Church policies that suspended priests from active ministry following allegations of misconduct, he presented himself as one of many priests victimized by disciplinary practices established after the 2002 clergy abuse crisis.
"For 20 years I did my best to guard and feed the sheep. Now, based on a totally unsubstantiated, undocumented allegation from a demonstrably troubled person I was thrown out like yesterday's garbage," he stated.
He provided few substantive details regarding his new Black Sheep Dog initiative, but sketched out an ambitious mission: "I shall continue, black sheep that I am, to speak; and sheep dog that I am, to guard the sheep — this time around not just in the Church, but also in the entire world," he stated.
He confirmed plans to produce radio programs and publish books, including an autobiography Black Sheep Dog. His mention of the book's imminent release suggested that his bombshell announcement had been planned for some time.
The announcement will likely prompt scrutiny of Father Corapi's ties to the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), the apostolic religious order he joined twenty years ago, and raise questions about whether SOLT superiors should have allowed him to live and work apart from his religious community.
In a previous interview with the Register, published after Father Corapi's suspension, Father Sheehan implicitly acknowledged that the accused priest was not living in conformity with SOLT's constitution, approved in 1994.
"The founder's arrangement with Father Corapi was established before that time, when Father Flanagan believed that every mission should take care of its own needs," noted Father Sheehan at that time. "Now, according to our constitution, a different way of life has been established for members. All the money we make is turned over to the society, which gives us an allowance."
During that interview, Father Sheehan confirmed that SOLT had "begun to address the issues of members who joined the society before the new constitution. The society is moving to a more organized structural phase of its existence, with all the Church discipline that entails." The implication of his remarks was that Father Corapi had not accommodated the discipline imposed by the new constitution.
Father Corapi's status in the Diocese of Helena, the location of his home, also raised questions about his legal ability to exercise his ministerial priesthood. In the wake of his suspension, the chancellor of the Diocese of Helena, Father John Robertson, stated that "Father Corapi has a personal residence in Kalispell, Mont. He does not hold priestly faculties in the Diocese of Helena."
Father Corapi's YouTube statement did not address questions raised by these recent public disclosures. In the message, his ire was reserved for the Bishop of Corpus Christi.
"I did not start this process, the Bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas ordered my superiors, against their will and better judgment, to do it. He in fact threatened to release a reprehensible and libelous letter to all of the bishops if they did not suspend me. He has a perfect right to do so, and I defend that right. Bishops aren't bound by civil laws and procedures in internal Church matters."
His remarks raised questions about the role of the bishop of Corpus Christi in the decision to place him on administrative leave. The motherhouse of SOLT is based in that diocese. In the wake of his suspension, Marty Wind, a diocesan spokesman said that his case was outside the jurisdiction of the diocese and that SOLT authorities had initiated the action to temporarily remove him from active ministry.
In his YouTube post, Father Corapi characterized the process that led to his suspension as "inherently and fatally flawed." He added that "The case may be on hold indefinitely, but my life cannot be," he said, implying that his decision to leave the priesthood and establish "Black Sheep Dog" was essentially forced on him.
The painful decision was guided by legal counsel, he said: "My canon lawyer and my civil lawyers have concluded that I cannot receive a fair and just hearing under the Church's present process. The Church will conclude that I am not cooperating with the process because I refuse to give up all of my civil and human rights in order to hold harmless anyone who chooses to say defamatory and actionable things against me with no downside to them."
Attempts to reach Father Corapi for comment were unsuccessful.
He used his statement of resignation as a forum for airing a range of objections regarding the U.S. bishops' "zero tolerance" policy — though not all the concerns he outlined seemed directly applicable to his particular case.
Curiously, his statement did not explain why his case could not be resolved with the outcome of an investigation initiated by his religious superiors, and that suggested there may be other issues complicating a timely conclusion.
As with most of the recent posts regarding the allegations and suspension on his site and by Santa Cruz Media, this statement included a marketing pitch for his fans, who were encouraged to visit the Black Sheep Dog website: "I hope you stay with us and follow us into our new domain and name of 'The Black Sheep Dog.' Through writing and broadcasting we hope to continue to dispense truth and hope to a world so much in need of it."
In his closing statement — where he signed off as "John Corapi (once called "father," now 'The Black Sheep Dog')," he acknowledged that some supporters might turn their backs on him. But given the strong encouragement he received after his initial suspension, it is difficult to predict whether he will hold on to his many supporters — and even make new ones in his forthcoming "global" initiative outside Church supervision, Black Sheep Dog.
Register senior editor Joan Frawley Desmond writes from Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. I cannot be concerned about guilt or innocense. I am only concerned for the future actions of all those involved on both sides. As many have said here: "Actions speak louder than words".
Unless our words are prayerful for all involved: let's leave this alone.
God bless us all.
Father Corapi: May the Love of Jesus continue to be the beacon of light that flows from your heart and may you continue to bring thousands to His heart always. You are a very special priest and may Jesus lead you always through your heart, mind and spirit. God be with you always and forever my friend in Christ.
Father Corapi - God bless you and those you love, and bless your plans and endeavors for the future, as well. Although I am not Catholic, I have listened and watched your broadcasts as often as possible. As a Christian brother I have to say it is clear - as viewed from the heart as much as from the intellect - that you are indeed a man of God and doing an incredibly good and proper job in your works. I hope you have many good people to work with you on future endeavors. I am an adherent of reformed theology (as much as I have learned, thus far), so you and I have some fundamental differences in our beliefs and understandings, and I have disagreed strongly with a few points in your preachings. But, you are also my brother in Christ, and I want to say, as one who sees things through the power and love of the Holy Spirit, as He sees fit to allow - I know you are His. I will pray for your encouragement, wisdom, strength, focus, and continued faithfulness - so that you may do the things you have planned - whatever they may be. I know you are a man of God. I know this to be true. I have little interest in knowing what is said you did or didn't do - but I do have keen interest in knowing what you will do in the months and years ahead. I am totally with you, brother John! Thank you for all the hours of wonderful, nearly spot on (!), and fearless teachings you have given us. I love you for the strength and wisdom you have fearlessly imparted. You are welcome in my Christian house ANYTIME. :)
Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina had enemies who tried to discredit him but he did not resign.
We are humans and the human condition is imperfect until we reach our celestial body with Jesus.
John Corapi please reconsider your position and do not trash the Catholic Church.
We should pray for John Corapi
It appears that he is a millionaire while millions of families are forced to abandon their homes because of the bad economic times."It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven".
Father Corapi we had the honor of seeing you in Omaha and loved you. You are a very holy, compassionate and caring priest. When you was here you acknowledged the Intercessors of the Lamb and Mother Nadine who also is a very loving, compassionate and caring person and their order also has been under attack by Satan and they no longer call them a religious order.
Please know we are out her praying and know you have done nothing wrong and with God's help will become bigger, better and spread the message God has chosen you both to deliver. You are just under severe attack for all the good you do. Keep up the good fight and Jesus will be with you always. Take care and God bless always my friend.
Fr Corapi has often stated that he was very often being attacked by the enemy to the extent that he almost left the priesthood once before, please don't let Satan win the battle. Only GOD knows what the truth is and what is to be done. Katherine and tommie bruce said it all and we do not know what is happening in this situation and i'm sure Satan has his stinky hand in it. We must pray for our priest and all clergy and the church as Mother Mary always ask us to do in her messages and I'm sure GOD will work it out, remember everything happens for a reason. Fr Corapi you are in my prayers always, as the accuser will be as well and if this is where your path is, then it will be.
Bureaucracies do these kinds of things and the Church bureaucracy is no better than any civil bureaucracy if its "rules" are not tempered with compassion and guided by love. John's priority is helping "the sheep", and the Church bureaucracy's priority is to repair it's image by lurching to the opposite extreme by crucifying everyone but the Priests, Bishops and Popes who were responsible. Sound familiar?
I am broken hearted to have Father Corapi find himself in this position. I don't know the true circumstances but I find it very hard to believe that he would find himself acting the way he is accused. No one seems to question the validity of the accuser. Maybe Corapi felt taking this path would save his beloved church being drug through another mud pile. I am sure he is following his attorny's advice. And true, he may be so tired he is making terrible mistakes. I believe the Lord would want us to pray for him and his accusers constantly. I am not Catholic but I rarely failed to listen to his services. He preached love and forgiveness to all no matter the circumstances and he has blessed me with his guidance many many times. Remember what Christ said " judge not lest we want to be judged. Just pray for him and the church and let God work it out.
I don't know what I find more heartbreaking: A very public break of a great defender of the faith and a potential leaving of the Priesthood or people who enter this forum to leave comments and who are I assume Catholic, playing final judge when that is only God's right.
1) We do not know the full story or all or any details
2) You do not know if he is having a mental breakdown from battling many forces that seek to harm the Church and its Priests.
Instead of coming on her and dismissing someone's service to the Church and its flock, assuming gross falsehoods about guilt, etc. ask yourselves this, do you pray DAILY for our Priest's who are under attack?
Past Pope's have warned about the devil in the Church, do not be the person to hold the door open for him.
This is not a blacksheep situation.This is a Catholic Church situation. How does one expect anything from people without leadership that is not contaminated by self-interest.
Catholic radio ( that grotesque idea of Catholic thinking, or am I wrong?) played this guy for a good part of the day. Anyone who has ever been to a carnival knew that he was a liar. This, as the truth? The Drew (whatever his last name is) as anything like the truth? I guess I misunderstand Catholic radio but not unlike the way I misunderstand the Catholic Church.
Is there a Catholic Church? I do not think that there is. I would ask questions of it that would be answered. I would feel part of something that was real and stronger than my individual concerns. Here is the Catholic Church: my writing an email on a site that is of no importance to anyone and would be of equal importance if I wrote it to the Holy See.
To believe that the Church is "holy" and "catholic," and that she is "one" and "apostolic" (as the Nicene Creed adds), is inseparable from belief in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the Apostles' Creed we profess "one Holy Church" (Credo . . . Ecclesiam), and not to believe in the Church, so as not to confuse God with his works and to attribute clearly to God's goodness all the gifts he has bestowed on his Church.
Use the following link for a complete understanding of what obedience in the Church means.
from the Poem of the Man-God Vol 4 no 514 at end of chapter
(Our Lord tells a saintly mystic….)
« Master, can I ask You something? » says a man from Gibeon.
« Yes, do. »
« Everything You say is true. And if I have understood correctly, You mean that Solomon passed the test successfully. But later he sinned. Now tell me: why did God benefit him so much if later he was to sin? The Lord certainly knew the future sin of the king. So why did He say to him: "Ask what you want Me to give you"? Was it a good or a bad thing? »
« Always a good thing, because God does not do wicked things. »
« But You said that a responsibility corresponds to each gift. Now, since Solomon asked for and received wisdom… »
« He had the responsibility of being wise and he was not, that is what you want to say. It is true. And I tell you that his failure in wisdom was punished and with justice. But the action of God granting him the requested wisdom was a good one. And Solomon's request for wisdom and not for material things was a good one. And as God is a Father and He is Justice, He forgave a large part of the error at the time it was made, considering that the sinner had once loved Wisdom more than any other thing and creature. One action must have diminished the other. The good action performed prior to the sin remains, and counts for forgiveness, when the sinner repents after his sin.
That is why I tell you not to miss any opportunity to do good actions, that they may be like money discounting your sins when, through the grace of God, you repent of them. Good actions, even if they seem to have gone by and consequently one may erroneously think that they no longer affect us by creating in us new incentives and strength for good things, are always active, at least with the remembrance which rises again from the depth of a downcast soul and provokes regret for the time when one was good. Regret is often the first step on the way back to Justice. I have said that even a chalice of water given with love to a thirsty person will not remain without reward. A drop of water is nothing, with regard to its material value, but charity makes it great. And it will not remain without reward. At times the reward may be a return to Goodness which is roused by the remembrance of that act, of the words of the thirsty brother, of the feelings of one's heart at that time, of the heart that offered a drink in the name of God and out of love. And so God, through a sequence of recollections, comes back, like the sun that rises after a dark night, and shines on the horizon of a poor heart that had lost Him and that, fascinated by His ineffable presence, humbles itself and cries: "Father, I have sinned! Forgive me. I love You once again".
Love for God is wisdom. It is the Wisdom of wisdoms because he
who loves knows everything and possesses everything. Here, while night is falling and the evening breeze makes your bodies shiver with cold and causes the lamps you have lit to flicker, I am not going to tell you what you already know: the passages of the Wisdom Book describing how Solomon obtained Wisdom and the prayer he said to obtain it. But I exhort you to read those pages with your synagogue leader, so that you may remember Me and proceed on a safe path and have a light to guide you. The Wisdom Book ought to be a code of spiritual life. Like a motherly hand it should guide you and lead you to a perfect knowledge of virtue and of My doctrine. Because Wisdom prepares My ways and makes of men "with little time to live, with little understanding of justice and the laws, servants and sons of God's serving maids" the gods of God's Paradise.
Seek Wisdom in the first place to honour the Lord and hear Him say to you, on the eternal day: "Since you have this at heart above all and you asked not for riches, goods, glory, a long life or victory over your enemies, Wisdom is granted you, that is, God Himself, because the Spirit of Wisdom is the Spirit of God. Seek holy Wisdom first of all and, I tell you, everything else will be given to you and in such a way that none of the mighty ones of the world can achieve so much. Love God. Be only anxious to love Him. Love your neighbour to honour God. Devote yourselves to the service of God, to His triumph in men's hearts. Convert to the Lord those who are not God's friends. Be holy. Store up holy works as a defence against possible failings of the creature. Be faithful to the Lord. Do not criticise either the living or the dead. But strive to imitate good people, and not for your own earthly joy, but to give joy to God ask graces of the Lord and they will be given to you.
The Church is above any priest even our beloved Pope, why? because Christ is the Church. God alone will be Father Corapi's Judge so our need to know whether or not he has had a fall from Grace is irrelevant, however this "Black Sheepdog" thing is totally wrong "period". It sends out a message of distrust against the Church. After all those years of preaching Church Truth and the need for Trust in the Church this suggests the opposite of those teachings. I love you Father Corapi and all the great work you've done for the Church, but it's time for practice not for preaching.
It seems that some of you so-called Catholics need to be reminded:
"Never judge another until you've walked a mile in their shoes." Father John Corapi is a MAN - he's human, as as such, like the rest of us, will react to situations with human emotion.
As for church law, Father's suspension WAS flawed, as such action is only warranted amid allegations of abuse of A MINOR by a priest. The ADULT woman who lodged deliberate and baseless allegations against Corapi, imbalanced as she is, is an ADULT. As such, Father should not have been suspended amid an investigation that should have merely established this woman as one with a history of mental instability, and dismissed her accusations as the lies that they are.
Instead, the church decided to make an example of Father Corapi in a misguided attempt to right their past image resulting from inaction in the face of factual allegations of the abuse of minors.
Dedicate YOUR whole heart and soul to your vocation, devote years of your life to helping others see the way as you did, then have ONE imbalanced, revenge motivated person destroy everything you worked so hard to establish. Anyone who thinks they would NOT react with injured pride, is being less than truthful.
When Father says he doesn't "know" who made those accustions, he doesn't mean that literally, as in not knowing her identity, he means it in the context that her instability and lies rendered her to be someone "he does not know."
Father has PLENTY OF FAITH in God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and Mother Mary. It's PEOPLE he's lost faith in.
Any wonder, given what has happened to him? NO.
Fr. Corpi said that when he became a priest with Pope John Paul he walked out of the church walking on air and for many months he would wake up and say,"I am really a priest and I love the Blessed Mother so much.
What would the Blessed Mother say to him if she came down on earth today? The Blessed Mother brought Fr. Corpi back to the Catholic Church when he was homeless and brought him to the priesthood to preach the gospel, I think the Blessed Mother is so sad now.
What scary times are we living. Father Corapi, spoke so strongly about how the devil is always on the attack, trying to deceive you, but sadly he had being deceived. Please let us all pray for HUMILITY, that we may accept God's most Holy Will in our lives, even if it mean to crawl under a rock and die. Please all you catholics out there pray for our priests.
May God bless you, and protect you from evil.
Your sister in Christ,
father cropi u have decided on ur own to listen TO worldly things instead of listening to MARY THE MOTHER AND HER SON . U ARE ON THE WRONG TRACK . WHEN THINGS GET TUFF U RUN INSTEAD OF HAVING FAITH .SAD WE WILL PRAY FOR U
for the most part i believe everything under the sun has been discussed. on that not i shall only add a very personal note. Approximately 10 years ago i discovered an incredible voice. Upon closer examination i learned to appreciate his unique brand of teaching our faith. With the passage of time i came to love the man for his wisdom. What is the truth? I certainly do not profess to know. Perhaps we will never know. What i do know is that i am a better human being because of him, and for that i will go to my grave giving thanks. My only regret, and it's a lively one, is that certain individuals in dire need will be deprived of his rationale, his compassion and his love of God. Father Corapi, you are missed.
Padre Pio went through worse that this and he never gave up. He prayed for those who slandered him and obediently and patiently waited for Jesus
to relieve him. Every priest should turn to Padre Pio for help in all
their needs. He is the greatest saint of our time, given to us in these
"Latter Days". He can obtain everything for you, and he's great to take to court, "to make the truth come out". I have seen this time and time
again. We must pray much for Fr.Corapi, to bring him back to us even
better than before. We can get wrapped up in pride and never even know
it. The devil can trick us so easily.
Father Corapi's preaching often troubled me. I heard him say once if you missed mass on Sunday and then died you would go to Hell. Everything was black or white not a shade of gray anywhere. It made me wonder why he continued to believe in a very small God. Strange. God is so large and wonderful that he cannot be contained with simplistic beliefs.
Many aspects of this situation are similar, in my mind, to Fr Pfleger in Chicago. You have a priest who has gained great admiration and devotion from his followers. In both cases, their initial intentions were humble and honorable, but their garnered devotion has now led them to believe that they are special compared to other priests, that they deserves different treatment and that they should not have to follow the vows they took. As these priests are asked, by their superiors, to return to their faith, they are rebelling and their followers are transferring their allegiance from God, to man. The harm these priests have done is vast and their followers continue to argue for their man, not for their God. I will pray for a conversion back to the Catholic faith for the priests, and their followers.
All I want to say is that it is Fr Corapi's perogative to continue in the priesthood. I've known a few men and a woman who left the priests and nuns and they went on to have very nice lives and productive careers. The state of a person's soul is between themselves and God. No one else can judge what is inside a man or woman. I wish him well. Thank you
I will quote something Fr. Corapi said in an EWTN show I watched some time ago, not sure if it was a "re-run" or new at that time.. this was regarding the sex scandal.. and I paraphrase a bit: "many people know someone that was hurt by or is suing a doctor, but that doesn't make you never go to a dr. when you need one, everyone knows a bad lawyer, but that doesn't mean you don't seek legal counsel when you need it. Just because a percentage of priest did something bad and SHOULD be punished, and some did nothing and are falsely accused, does NOT mean all that they've done (regarding the Eucharist, preaching, baptisms, marriages, confessions etc) is not good, just and beautiful" I just thought about him the other day and googled him, thought he may've passed away, and found this article. I don't know what he did or didn't do.. but I do trust in the words he used in his preaching, I trust in the word he preached about, and God is the only one that knows ALL.. so I will pray for him, for those that found Christ through his preachings and teachings, and even those that from behind their computers/usernames/keyboards etc want to crucify him or want him to suffer. Being a priest it seems is a job you can NEVER truly leave and it never leaves you.. I sincerely hope , and pray, that whatever God's will is for him, he follows it and lives by it, no matter what.
I'm reminded of King David and his antics, yet he was "a man after God's own heart" who authored the Psalms. I only wish a few bishops would have been as vicious toward all the phony social justice schemes that have led the Church down a socialist liberation theology path and a huge percentage of the population dependent on government.
PRIDE - Lucifer - PRIDE…...
The most beautiful angel thought he was above GOD, and look where that landed him. In his own hell hole.
There is time for JC to admit, be humble and pick himself up and start all over again. Forgive and forget. Follow the example of the Lord himself, and his Mother Mary who followed her Son to the crucifix. Find your way home John! We will be waiting for you.
I dare not judge neither attempt to understand the situation the good father found himself nor make generalized observations to his decisions. His decision may be due to many things and he may have been weighed heavily by his circumstances and the whirlwind of his ministry. What has happened here is that a good teacher and defender of the faith has stepped down from his role in the church. He taught the truth and ministered to me in many ways. What the "truth" is, is not for me to know or understand or to give into fleeting whims of fantastical imaginings. I am sad to see he has chosen the life outside of the religious, of which he was an inspiration, but I rejoice in that he has still chosen to defend and teach the faith. In the very least what we should all understand and abide by is that he doesn't need nor deserve our ridicule, in contrary, what we should know is that he needs and deserve our prayerful intercession for him, his life, and his new mission. God bless the good father, God bless our religious, and God bless the Holy Catholic Church.
Paul Tasin: I have been a avid follower of Fr. Corapi. It is HE who preached OBEDIENCE, period. He said there was no room for compromise
He is being a hypocrit on this. How can you say he
is not? I realize there are priests who are being falsely accused. BUT ALSO THERE ARE OTHERS WHO ARE GUILTY. We have one here in the Kansas City area who I admired that was found with child pornography pictures on his computer. The parents at the catholic school were complaining about him. There are pictures of little girls that he himself took. Do you
think this hurt only him? I feel compassion for all involved.
Tell me this Paul (who likes to call names, shame on you we are all hurt by this, not just you!) How can YOU justify this abrupt behavior change in Fr. Corapi. I make not judgement of him. But I will obey the church because that is what was drilled into me by Fr. Corapi.
My worry is for him that he is back on drugs. I have never had that problem but I know from working as a RN for many years how it can OWN
its victims. That is why there are so many deaths from them.
I had a wonderful little nun tell me, to pray for our priests and do NOT
make the hole in peoples hearts bigger. A wonderful piece of advice. Only someone very evil would want to see Fr. Corpai fall. I am praying
for him and all of our priests and Church leaders. Jesus told Peter that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church. So He was telling us, it was going to get bad, very bad and all the lousy catholics out there who pick and choose what they want to believe and do are a big part of the problem. God help us all. St. Michael the Archangel!!
just pray for him
Paul Tasin…how do you know that the Bishops have not spoken to this woman? "If you actually have some FACTS other than one crazy woman's ranting…" where are your FACTS??? You seem to be ranting…you accuse those on this blog of being pathetic…and you are not pathetic??? If you have facts Paul, state them…if not, go somewhere else with your pathetic rantings…
In Defense of Father John Corapi
I have a real problem with the Bishop of Corpus Christi. When the last Bishop retired and
then made some public statements in regard to some Pro-life issues, Bishop William Mulvey of Corpus Christi, Texas made some derogatory remarks to the effect that Bishop Gracidas was retired and we should not listen to him.
In addition, when Bishop Mulvey received the strange four page ranting letter (which was also sent to three other Bishops) he should have sent someone over to talk to her . Never did that! Nor have you. What kind of investigation do you call that? The fact is that even
up until today, no one from the Chancery has ever even talked to this women. What are you Stupid?
Then you question the fact that Caropi has a house. He was given permission to have a house to live in as do many priests by his previous superior.
You say that your NEW constitution requires .priests to live in community. How easy it is to change the Constitution after the fact.
If you actually have some FACTS other than one crazy woman's ranting you should produce them. But the fact is you do not have a thing.
You find the priests guilty until proven innocent. You and your bunch are pathetic. I'll bet on Father John and let the Holy Spirit reveal the eventual truth.
Sincerely, Wm. Paul Tasin, Victoria, Texas
Lee - "Who cares if he is a priest or not?" It matters a great deal!
For starters I do think that God cares since Fr. Corapi made his vows to God. I think it also matters to the many, many Catholics who have heard him speak all these years care.
Catholic priests cannot "work" independently and open up their own church unlike Protestant ministers who can. They are bound to a vow of chastity and obedience and in Fr. Corapi's case a promise of poverty. Fr. Corapi's faculties are currently suspended. Catholics should not be "following him" in his new ministry in his current state of suspended faculties or even if he decides to become a lay person.
Being a man of God is shown in ones actions.
Who cares if he is a priest or not. He certainly seems to be a christian and I suspect will continue to bring people to Christ. As a prodestant, I was always uplifted and re-commited to living a better life and with Christ as it's focal point ,after listening to him. I certainly believe he is truly a Godly man.
S Meade - I don't understand how you can say the National Catholic Register is a mouthpiece for the establishment and that they slant their articles. Did you not read SOLT's statement or are you saying that they are not telling the truth? I think we have reached a point where actions speak louder than any words anyone can say. Fr. Corapi has been asked to return to his community. Much of the outcome is in his hands. He needs our prayers to do God's will.
Sounds like the "establishment" in the church much like the establishment in power in DC doesn't like to have their hold on power and influence challenged by the likes of Fr Corapi. The NCR is just a mouth piece for the establishment and will slant their article accordingly. No man is guilty until proven to be guilty. This should have been allowed to play out without Fr Corapi being immediately suspended. I'm not saying he's innocent but using kangaroo court like proceedings to try him in is wrong.
Please, pray for father. I am a professed member in the church, and from day one i learned about the seriousness of my vows. I belive that a wrong attitude can hurt a lot of the sheep he says "he concerns about."
I too am so disappointed. But as I was reading one email, this person did mention Fr. Corapi and his history of drug use. I remember listening to
him speak once he asked us to pray for him that he did not go back in the
gutter with his drugs. I have to wonder. We all need to pray for him.
The damage is tremendous. I have this mans cds traveled a great way to see him in St. Louis. We need to pray for all of our priests. The devil is
on overdrive attacking them. No priests, no Mass, no Body of Christ. This is what he wants. The world cannot survive without the Mass.
I was driving on a long road searching through the radio when I came to this wonderful sermon, which I found truly inspiring. I then learned that the preacher was Fr. John Corapi.
Since I know a number of Montana priests, I asked them about him, and learned they had reservations. First, he had no real contact with them and did not seem to function as a priest. Second, he lived in a posh community kind of like Sun Valley. Third, he owned his own house and bought a house nearby for the woman he called his secretary. Fourth, he owned a lot of toys like an RV and several boats. Fifth, he had just won at least a million dollars in a lawsuit.
So, I would say the Montana priests would not be surprised when all this blew up. There were warning signs, years ago. I wonder why it took so long for his religious order to call him home.
fr. corapi is a very effective speaker who could actually change people's minds about the tools that the world satanic system would never want to lose—like abortion for one. i think it's possible he's getting framed.
I would like to know how SOLT didn't know what Fr. Corapi was doing. Why didn't they know he had one million dollars in real estate, or luxury vehicles or used a secular publishing company? And how do we know the witnesses aren't lying to get back at Fr. Corapi for revenge? Can their statements be corroborated?
I have listened to him on several trips. What is the teaching of Christ. I listen to the radio. I go to church. I here today is this day and tomorrow was that day. I here Father Corapi speak of this and that he was this and that and the church says to do this and that. What about the teaching of Christ and God. He has one thing right-were all sheep.
We just don't get it and neither does Father Corapi. MAy we all find at the least and a path of compassion to live our lives around the children and not ourselves.
To Maria,
Th e Will of God will always triumph. However, to say he isn't doing the Will of God because he chose to not listen to his superiors and go thru door number three does not mean he is in error. His superiors if not doing the Will of God themselves and acting on human means are commanding him and could be In error themselves. Fr. Corapi is obiedient to church teachings, however, if guilty, then he faltered as many of us have done. The devil has infiltrated the church. To follow your superiors blindly is what leads to situations such as the LC and Fr. Maciel who was able to get away with much…..something to do with utmost obedience and silence.
When we talk so often regarding the WILL OF GOD we sometimes overlook that suffering, misunderstanding, false accusations and even death in the hands of others is the permissible WILL OF GOD. Stop and read the lives of the saints. For example Padre Pio's witness in our time.
The Gospels brings the word OBEDIENCE in the life of Jesus. He was obedient to Mary and Joseph and He was obedient to his Father in Getsemani
Pope Benedict XV1 began his catequesis on PRAYER. A key word for our responses. St Paul is aware that by preaching to others he has to be careful and not loose the race. At the end we need to be humbel and obedient to the Church and our superior, pastor or spiritual director.
Thank you for the very well reasoned and fair article. Unfortunately, many of the articles and writings that come up in reference to this scandal are very biased—either coming from companies that Father Corapi may have a financial interest in, or from sources that don't seem to bother to get the whole picture. I appreciate that you seemed to try to cover all the angles in this story without coming down on one side or the other. You let the facts speak for themselves. I wish more journalism was like this.
Al Kresta had a terrific interview with a canon lawyer. I invite everyone to listen to it. I believe it really does put things in its proper perspective. The link is attached. Scroll down to the archived program for June 27 - Canon Law and the Process for Priests Accused of Abuse and listen. http://www.avemariaradio.net/showArchive.php?id=kpm
He did NOT leave the priesthood! He acknowledged on his website that he is and ALWAYS WILL BE a priest. He was suspended by his superiors which is part of the process of investigation. Read Fr. Corapi's own words at black sheep dog site. His letter is very clear. This article is leading many folks astray. What a shame coming from NCR.
No matter how wonderful and inspiring and successful a Priest's 'ministry' may be, that is not his prime vocation…actually, it flows from the prime vocation which is the Priesthood. Once a man separates himself from the Priesthood, from humble obedience, or refuses to return to his community when asked, then the source from which is 'ministry' flows will dry up ... God can and does use the weakest and most flawed of instruments to get His Word out…it's never about the messenger - it's about the message. Let us pray for Fr. Corapi,his community and for all Priests.
A lot could be said about Father Corapi being a quitter, etc., and I am not completely sold on the Black Sheepdog moniker, but the more I think about it, the more I believe that the diocese officials who put him on admin leave, or asked him to "return to the community" (which is it, or both?) are as much to blame, if not more in the painful public scenario that is playing out now. Think about it: they ask Father Corapi to just walk away from the massive, transformational ministry that he created, which I might guess has positively impacted the spirituality of millions of Catholics over the years. Just dump the ministry, the people, the business of it all, just come back while the investigation toils forward in miniscule steps over likely years with an uncertain outcome, for a likely specious claim. Meanwhile the ministry, this powerful, beautiful, effective ministry (meaning we the people, by the way) that Father Corapi created is just dumped. Really, now—someone obviously did not think this through! Like my grandmother used to say, someone did not have the sense they were born with! It is not like you can hire a baby sitter to take care of the ministry while Corapi goes to Texas. It is finished. He must be devastated. And, despite that I hate people sounding like the "victim," it is hard not to believe that old fashioned envy and spite was playing out in backroom when someone unwisely decided to hit the extreme button.
I think once a priest always a priest and if Father did do something wrong he should go to confession and get the mental help he needs. Ayear from now he could help one on one people who need guidance who are living a hell with sex and alcohol addictions. He might change from public ministry to just a prayer ministry. But Father is now worried more about his business of employees breach of contract than his soul and what does God want him to do. He might be a lost sheep not a black sheep. he needs our prayers.
A lesson for all. No matter how devout and religious one thinks she/she is, vigilance 24/7 against temptation is necessary to protect one's soul. The ones who intend to move closer to God are the ones who are most under attack. How many Saints through the ages have addressed that problem?
This is very sad. A reading of the lives of the saints shows us that the road to heaven is through obedience and humility, not pride.
I believe in you Father Corapi…...I believe you will do The Father's will…......May God Bless You!!
I'm troubled by the whole incident. John Corapi's statement said one thing, but the statement from SOLT said something completely different. I think John was wrong in scandalizing the bishop. According to "The Teachings of Jesus Christ" series John Corapi committed Calumy if the charges of his are false, and Detraction if the charges of Bishop Mulvey pressuring SOLT are true.
Either way, what is he going to preach about without sounding hypocritical? Redemptive Suffering? Faith, Hope and Charity? Imitating Jesus Christ?
From what I remember, Jesus knew exactly at the Garden of Getheseme that he was heading into a kangaroo court. So how can a priest, Christ-Impersona say "Nos Servitus"? Isn't that what the devil told God?
Would it be possible that Fr(?) Corapi could join Priests For Life? I've never heard anyone speak so well in defense of the unborn. He spoke with courage and conviction about protecting life. Whether you like him or not, Fr Corapi could sure liven up the troops for spiritual battle. I'm not saying it would ever happen, but if there's ever a civil war over abortion, I think he would be right there in the front of the fight. The Catholic vote could have literally ended abortion already by electing pro-life politicians beginning in 1973. We would have had a pro-life Supreme Court by now and locked in a Personhood Amendment. Since Catholics won't vote pro-life, we are mourning over 50 million deaths, and if the Obama bumper stickers in the Church parking lot are any indication, things haven't changed. This is one of the saddest results of losing Fr Corapi's voice in the Church.
A few posts back I noticed someone mentioned Fr Pavone's ministry, and I feel I have to say something about that. I used to follow Priests For Life closely, and wanted to support them financially, then began getting mail from them with messages on the envelope and inside, stating that if I don't send money "right now" then all will be lost and millions more babies will die because of my lack of giving. I have since found that they are not supported by the Church. I don't understand. How can a pro-life group called Priests For Life not be supported by the Church? We send money, people, and aid to other countries, but we can't support our own countries pro-life effort? Is there NO specific pro-life effort that the Church gives money to? It is baffling to me that when we are asked to give to the USCCB, nothing appears to be going to help save the unborn. I may be incredibly naive, but WHY is Priests For Life begging for money and not given money through the USCCB?
A priest is lighting rod for the Holy Spirit . The Spirit enters him and converts bread and wine into the real body and blood of Christ.
Why would anybody in faith give that up ? We had remain unmarried in the church for 27 years, we did, and were then married in the Church. For Mr. Corapi 3 months was too long ? Give me a break !
Mr.Corapi let the demon in!
His words were good, he just liked the demon better.
His "fans" and flock are the Church's , not his. I will not follow his cult.
The former Fr. Corapi provided us with a lot of good spiritual material when he was publicly functioning as a priest for the past 20 years. Thank you Fr. John! It appears that he simply has had enough of all the crap going on within the Church, and wants to start a new phase in his life. Be willing to set yourselves free, by accepting the fact that he has set himself free.
Hopefully in his new role as an inspirational speaker, writer, and entertainer, we can still enjoy John Corapi. John reminds me of G. Gordon Liddy, once an FBI agent, prosecutor, and Watergate criminal, later a radio talk show host, whom I found rather fun to listen to. John has died to the priesthood (on to other things), and a lot of people are still in denial, understandably so. Work through it; we can do it together, and then we can start enjoying John in his new role.
To continue to enjoy John, you have to LET HIM GO in terms of expecting him to still function as a priest. Find yourself another priest, and start enjoying the years of entertainment I expect John will provide those of us who are open to it. All thing chance; God alone remains the same.
Start enjoying your new life, and share it with us. Good luck and God-speed John!
"Old soldiers never die; they just fade away." (Gen. Douglas MacArthur)
As a non catholic and indeed an agnostic minded man, I have found, listening to father Corapi illuminating and moreover intresting. My wife, a Catholic, who in ill health, has recieved comfort and solace, from the words and sermons of the Catholic father.
I, personally, have found his words neither prideful, nor arrogant. Merely the words of a man, committed to his belief and faith.
If God exists, may he watch over and give succour to a man who has helped and given comfort, to the most precious thing in my life, my wife.
I the words of your religion Father Corapi, God bless you and keep you.
I do not know anything about (Mr.?) Fr.?) Corapi nor his problems, but the quotation given by someone above is surely most germane "Beware of a priest who is also a businessman…" (or similar words of the same meaning.)
There is enormous danger associated with attempting to "follow the world" (as a money-making enterprise) and to "follow God" (as a dedicated priest) at the same time. In fact, these may be mutually exclusive. Recall other "famous" clerics and see if any managed to operate as a successful business while also attaining notable sanctity. I can't think of any.
Tempting as it may be to draw conclusions or pontificate on morality, is it not better to avoid finger pointing until facts are completely known? And, more to the point, how can anyone justify judgments made while ignorant of those facts?
what ever happen to liable laws? Its the same thing with politics, its seems people say things, most of the time its made up to make the person look good, and they have no backing, then it spreads, then the hurt is done. We can only pray.
Yes Julie, we do need to pray for Father Frank Pavone and all Priests who have become 'famous' because of a 'cause' they have championed…it could so easily turn from being a just cause to being all about the person leading the movement "Look at me with Mother Teresa" or "Look at me with Pope John Paul" - or look at what I am doing (when in fact, many are involved)...so yes, let's pray for Priests - they have a heavy burden to carry and are men who get lonely and discouraged at times…
The evil one is certainly busy wreaking havoc. We need to pray for priests who are in the forefront of the prolife movement especially Father Frank Pavone and the Priest for life. Let us pray more fervently and fast for all priests and religious. I am sure they are on the evil one's target list. Today is the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Our Lord, Jesus Christ promised and said "And so I say to you, you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church , and the gates of the Netherworld shall not prevail against it."
The evil one is certainly busy wreaking havoc. We need to pray for priests in the forefront of the prolife movement especially Father Frank Pavone and the priests for life. They are likely on the evil one's target list.
Let us pray more fervently and fast for priests and all religious. Let us not lose hope. Today is the feast of Saints Peter and Paul.
Our Lord promised us "And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it."
Very disappointing. Why would an employee have to sign a disclosure statement not to disclose anything that happened during their employ paid for by Fr. Corapi? And why would Fr. Corapi file a suit for breach of contract knowing that Canon law states that no witness can be pressured? Even more upsetting is that he would give up his priesthood after just three months. Father Corapi, I forgive you and will keep you in my prayers.
Fr. Corapi is yet another reminder to us to, "Trust not in princes"
The Church is divine but also human and it depends on us what we do with it. Let us pray for him and for the whole church so that one day he may repent and see Heaven again…
The Church is very wise and always proceeds with a lot of precaution and repect towards all people involved in cases like this one. Corapi's desicion may not be good (and i think it wasn't) but before a priest and before a "star", he is a human being and deserves our respect. I hope one day he sees life better and learns that God's ways are not aour ways…I'll pray for you Corapi…and may God forgive you!
It is a great tragidy to loss Father John Corapi. It makes me sad. I read all the responses and the only thing that keeps coming into my heart is the fcct that Jesus was inocent and yet died for us all. Please father come back to us. Pray and saty close to Jesus. Dont let the man in you win. Let the man that Jesus called to Priesthood over come the diversity that is at hand. Please dont let the Mr. John Corapi win stay fast in the Father John Corapi. It is human nature to want to defend oneself. You are a great man that is needed so badly in our Church and this could be the test, this is obviously the devil at work. He is winning by taking you away from so many that need you. Don't let it happen. Stay with us stay where Jesus has called you. It is not time to run, it is time for you to hold on tighter. There are Bishops I am sure out there that use their positions for their own beneifit however don't fall to their misgivings stay true to your post. Defend from within. My love is with you. Please do not leave your faith because of man made issue. You where and are called to Priesthood. We are all one body and when one part (You Father Corpai) walk away the whole body will eventually die. We need your harsh words and matter of fact way of bringing Jesus to us. In todays society we need more of you not less. All my love and prays will be with you tonight and many nights to come. God Bless
As I stated elsewhere, the decision of ex-Fr. Corapi to walk out of Priesthood and the Catholic Church, reminds us of the sad case of Archbishop Milingo of Zimbamwe. He had a very special Gift from the Holy Spirit of Healing. His fame spread rapidly and he even founded a Religious Order for Sisters. So, Archbishop Milingo began to believe his Charism of Healing was his own and the popularity got into his head. This was the beginning of his fall. The next we heard he had joined a Korean Cult of Pastor Moon and got married. Blessed Pope John Paul II, prayed hard for him and counselled him with so much compassion to re-think his disobedient action to Mother Church. For a time he submitted, renounced his marriage to the Korean woman, and was welcomed back into the loving hands of Mother Church, posted in Rome and was given a Parish to continue his Priestly duties.
But his fame and pride overpowered him and, once again, he rebelled and walked out from the Church. He secretly found his way to bolt from Rome,landed in US and resumed his defiance to the Church Authority. He now has established his church called The Married Priests Roman Catholic Church. Vatican has, therefore, been forced to reluctantly to strip him of his Priestly Ministry and excommunicated him.
Though we understand the warped logic of ex-Fr. Corapi's admirers, they are wrong to continue to insist he is the one who either brought them back
to the Catholic Church or converted them. ONLY GOD, AND GOD ALONE -through His Merciful Graces returns the lost sheep to His fold or calls "those other sheep who are not of my Flock" to join His Sheepfold - and that Shepherd Jesus Christ Himself. He only uses "earthen vessels" to accomplish His will. Woe to any "earthen vessel" who believes they have brought anyone to the Catholic Church or offered one Salvation to anyone. God's earthen vessels" have, throughout the long life of the Christ's Church, distinguished themselves by their highest degree of Humility and total submission and obedience to the Church Authority.
We need to pray for those who believe that John Corapi brought them back to the Church or converted them. That is the height of Heresy. Let us pray John Corapi does not scatter the "sheep" Jesus Christ has brought back from the wilderness into His Sheepfold or those He has reclaimed from the "world" and with His Love and Compassion welcomed them back in His Sheepfold as His prodigal sons and daughters.
Sadly reading the comments of his devotees in most Websites, it appears Corapi has already damaged the Church unity irrevocably and very many Catholics who have confused worship to the Creator and instead are worshiping the creature will follow him out of the Catholic Church. Truly Blessed John Paul II was so prophetic when he stated that the greatest danger to the Catholic Church in these, most troubled times, was coming from within.
Bishop Emeritus Rene Gracida Comments on Injustice Suffered by Accused Priests
The public controversy over the announcement of the accusations against Father John Corapi, SOLT, and his suspension from exercising his priestly ministry offers an opportunity to reflect on the flawed procedure apparently being followed in too many dioceses of the United States these days in the case of a priest accused of sexual misconduct not involving minors. The procedure is flawed because it inflicts grave injustice on the priest and serves as a deterrent to young men thinking of offering themselves as candidates for the priesthood.
The procedure operates something like this. A person accuses a priest of sexual misconduct (again, not involving a minor). The priest is immediately suspended from active exercise of his priestly ministry while an investigation is launched into the truth or falsity of the accusations.
There is no need for a public announcement to be made that gives the name of the priest and the fact of the accusation and the suspension, and yet, all to often such a public announcement is made. Such public announcement by a diocese almost always results in media exploitation of the news in a sensational manner to the detriment of the Catholic Church and its priesthood. It seems that rarely, if ever, is mention is made in the announcement of the name of the accuser.
The investigation may take days or months or years to complete. In the meantime the priest's reputation is effectively destroyed and perhaps he is 'thrown out on the street' with no means of support. The accuser, on the other hand, enjoys anonymity and suffers no loss of reputation or negative material consequences and in the case of an accusation later proven to have been false the injustice to priest is great.
In cases where the priest is accused of having used force (rape or some other form of involuntary abuse) there is some justification for not publishing the name of the accuser. But, where there is reason to believe that the alleged sexual misconduct was effected through mutual consent there is no justification for not publishing the name of the accuser.
Under the present procedure it is too easy for a person to allege sexual misconduct (again not involving minors) for a variety of possible unworthy motives: revenge, hope for monetary gain, hostility to the Catholic Faith, etc. Such is reported to have been the case of the accusation against Father Corapi. The only safe way to guard against damaging the reputation of individual priests and the Catholic priesthood in general is to not publish the name of an accused priest until an investigation has proved beyond doubt the guilt of the priest.
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"I THINK I AGREE WITH Bishop Emeritus Rene Gracida" IT IS A MATTER OF JUSTICE: "This is for those of you who may have missed the above article". Thank you, a.foley
So everyone here knows what's going on with him? I don't think so. I think we need to heed the advice of St. Bernard of Clairvaux and stop being so curious about Corapi's faults and spend time on our own. We are all broken beings. Curiosity is the first step in the descent into Hell occasioned by pride. Remember the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector and meditate on it rather than spend valuable self-examination time examining Corapi's self.
How sad! How sad!!
After reading all the news, I remembered St.Pio, who was unjustly accused too. How long did he remain silent and said private Mass every day, and didn't speak up to defend himself?
It took church 2 years ( if I am not mistaken) to finish the investigation process.
St. Pio knew that he was not guilty. But he obeyed the Holy Church.
And we have a great saint now.
I feel very said for Fr. Corapi and for all his followers, who might be tempted to follow him in his new ministry.
Come back to your Church, Father Corapi.
Tonight my rosary will be for my parish priest and for all the priests of the world.
I would like an honest answer to this question - why wouldn't he take a lie detector test to give people more confidence in his honesty.
Here are the answers I've considered:
1) they aren't 100% accurate
but neither is someone's word, and the lie detector test is more accurate than someone's word
2) he doesn't have to legally
true but he can volunteer to, and if he passes, it won't hurt his case
3) he might not pass it even though he is innocent
a possibility, bu this should be a slight possibility
4) he's guilty
By the power of the Holy Spirit channeling through Father Corapi, many Catholics, including myself, have grown in their Catholic faith. Father has taught us well and I can't thank God enough for sending him to us. However, now it is time to surrender Father Corapi to our all powerful and all knowing God and pray, pray, pray. Pray too that other priests may realize why Father Corapi became so popular….because he taught the Truth, no matter who he may offend in its delivery. He knew what he had to say and he said it. He saved many souls, no doubt in my mind. Now it is time for all of us to save his soul by surrendering this entire mess to our all powerful and all knowing and loving God. We need to go before the Blessed Sacrament and pray, pray, pray for Father Corapi and ALL the clergy. We need to pray and thank God for the Catholic Church. We need to say the rosary, as Father Corapi always told us, "whether we want to or not" and just keep praying that God's Will be done.
This is a sad situation for all involved; I pray for the Truth and for the Church and EWTN; the Church is our mother, let us not forget that and our Faith, protected in its integrity throughout the ages. Our Faith should not flow like the wind dependent on the actions of any one man no matter who he is; mine will not! I think a primary responsibility of the Church is to protect the Faith and to do no harm; a priest gives up his life in service to God, to the Church, to the people. he must be willing to endure all for Mother Church and his servants. He life is never his own just like it is the same for a mother, which a good one embraces joyfully. I can not help of think of Saint Padre Pio; he was once thought of badly and not allowed to say Mass and even put into succlusion i believe…yet he endured it patiently WITH THE CHURCH, in time the Truth shined through…but never did he contemplate leavin the priesthood or cause others to go astray. I know i am an outsider looking in…perhaps through a very small whole…not being allowed to see all, but it seems Father Corapi may be not walking with the Church…not thinking with the Church, perhaps following his own lead, which is a tragedy and if so, a danger to his soul. His new "group" concerns me when i see people saying they will follow him no matter where he leads…seemingly ignoring Holy Mother Church…that is scary…and hopefully it is a matter of un-true Catholic, most likely i would say. However, not knowig fully of Corapi's new proposal, it is concernign that the whole issue seems to dislodge some Catholics…..i have no doubt these catholics though are not strong ...devout Catholics to begin with. The Church does care about it's priests, but it must put God first. I see only as far as i can that the Chruch has done nothing other to put God first in its actions. I stand with her, my mother. I stand with ewtn. I am sorry to see less of this in the posted comments. I pray for Father Corapi. It is hard to suffer and to take the vow of poverty. It is hard to be falsely accused, but Jesus was too. When he was accused, he walked with the Chruch essentially, staying true always to the will of God even as he prayed to have God, the Father take His crucificaiton away.
On this Feast day of Corpus Christi, I am inclined to prayerfully say that as members of the Body Of Christ we ought to bear each other up in prayer and supplication. It is not our job to judge, Jesus Christ is the Just Judge and we should let him see this through.
We need to come to a point in which we can all move on without anymore of Caropi's theatrics. Cowards jump ship before the call to do so rings out.
Because it seems like no one here has any of the facts in their entirety or full understanding of either side, I think the following quote is applicable: "None of us has the right to condemn anyone. Even when we see people doing bad [or in this case, what some of us perceive to be bad—whether it is bad or not I pass no judgment] and we don't know why they do it. Jesus invites us not to pass judgment. Maybe we are the ones who have helped make them what they are. We need to realize that they are our brothers and sisters." —Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
I think Corapi is too hurt and too angry to make such a life changing decision as to leave the priesthood. I know the violation he feels by the betrayal of someone he dearly loved (so does our Lord – every sinner that walks the face of this earth for whom He hung on the cross). I know the injustice he feels by those in authority to whom he has done nothing but give and serve with complete love (so does our Lord – Pilate said, "This man has done nothing wrong"). Sometimes the violation is overwhelming. I find consolation in knowing that Chirst, fell three times on his way to Calvary – and He was God. Regarding administrative leave - sometimes people do the right things for the wrong reasons. This opens the door for Perfect Divine Love to shower you with Divine Grace. Three months is not long enough to heal from such profound grief. He may still decide to leave the priesthood. That is between Corapi and God. He will be ready to make that choice when he knows in his heart the Church is not calling him a Black Sheep (why does innocence assume such assume such an untrue persona). And when he understands he is a child of God, created in His image for His purpose – certainly not a dog. Trust Father Corapi, please trust – "Into Thy hands I commit my spirit" When Corapi can call himself Father or simply a brother in Christ – then he is ready to leave the sanctuary of the Church.
I lost interest in his talks when he said we are in sin (serious sin)
if we smoke. Well HELLO Fr.Corapi I think u need to examine your conscious. It is these priests that have caused so many to leave the
Catholic Church. I just will treat Fr. Corapi as I do othes in the
Church (as humans) but not to be admired or followed. However I love
Catholicism regardless of the humans that are running the church, and
will get spiritual help from the priests that do not tell us we are
going to hell for every sin committed but instead encourage our good
habits and pray for our bad ones. I know he captures an audience and I
listened to lots and lots of his talks, but he is wrong to leave and not
accept the consequences for his actions after being such a strong figure
and if not guilty - still stay and take the heat.
Once in a while, I happened to listen to his talk in Relevant radio. I have never had the desire to search for his program in the radio. For any reason, I am always able to discern nice person from not nice person. I always felt something not sincere about Father Corapi.
I followed Father Corapi through Catholic Radio and was inspired by his works. However, having an employee sign a formal agreement, and being paid not to disclose information regardless of the content is not acceptable.
Father Corapi must submit to the Church authority period.. Father Corapi in his public ministry has moved beyond the Church. Remember, poverty, chastity and obedience. Padre Pio was investigated by the church and as a result suffered greatly, but in the end was vindicated.
I hope Father Corapi has a change of heart and I will pray for him.
I was born catholic, but wasn't very strong in the faith for many years. Four sources led me to take my Catholic faith seriously: Catholic Answers, EWTN, Scott Hann, and Father (?)Corapi. They influence me because they all respect the Church and its hierarchy. Any Catholic or "Catholic" Institution, acting outside this structure, will not get my attention. I will not its fan. We live in Age of dangerous relativism, the Catholic Church is providing shelter from such confusion.
I have listened to Father Corapi for many years on EWTN, and even attended an event where he was speaking. I was very sad to hear of the accusations and have prayed for him and a speedy and positive resolution to these charges. I was very disappointed and shocked to hear of Father's decision to leave the priesthood and I don't understand it. Why he wouldn't see this through, if for no other reason, to clear his name, is troubling to me. From what I've read, his community was asking that he give up his home and material possessions and return into community life and he has refused and decided to quit. That too is troubling. I have learned much from Father's preaching, however, I too will not be able to follow him outside of the Church. I know people have commented that we shouldn't judge Father, and I will not judge what's in his heart or the state of his soul, that is for God alone to do. But Father himself has told us many times that we have a moral obligation to judge actions. Father's actions do not feel right to me, but I will continue to pray for him, that Mary will bring him back to the priesthood. I've also read many negative comments about EWTN's handling of this issue and I would remind everyone, if it wasn't for EWTN, many of us who benefited from Father's teaching would have never had the opportunity to hear him. And, I'm sure Father is grateful to EWTN for supporting his ministry all these years, and in large part, helping to make him known throughout the world. I would hope that he is very sympathetic to EWTN's position and would understand why they would have to remove his segments from their line-up since he is no longer a priest, and would be shown in that role if they kept replaying his segments. I will continue to support EWTN and would encourage everyone to do the same, especially those who are upset with EWTN for cancelling his shows. Please pray on it and remember, Satan would love for EWTN to be out of business. In this very secular world, it's one of the last places where you will hear traditional Catholic Values and see the beautiful devotions and practices that many of our churches do not hold any more.
Well he has that right to choose and Gods Love & Mercy endures forever. Maybe a good Protestant Evangelical church will open doors to him to continue Gods Work like so many other ex catholics who have left. Lets face it, Evangelicals continue to spread Gods words throught the world at a Global Rate. Peoples lives are changing and the Catholic Church cannot stop that which God spreads in His people. Pray for John corapi rather than put him down. From listening to some of the negative comments on john, sounds like many of you dont need confession cus your perfect.
The "zero tolerance" policy is a blunt instrument. By applying the bludgeon to the priest, the Church authorities unwittingly cooperate with adult accuser by meeting out a preemptive punishment—a public removal from ministry. His reputation, his good works, his vocation are given no credence and it taints him for life. In the case of Fr. Corapi, this instrument has destroyed his ministry. EWTN cooperated and confirmed this fact with its hasty banishment from its programming. And the pompous contributors to this list are part of the process, insisting that he sit quietly while "the investigation" grinds along indefinitely, without presenting him with any formal charges and withholding the name of his accuser.
The US Bishops are acting on the advice of lawyers and insurance advisors, not serving as shepherds of their flock. And they are inflicting severe damage on the priesthood. They are treating the lay ministry with similar suspicion, requiring annual criminal offense investigation reports (CORI) from everyone involved in any voluntary ministry. In this environment, their preaching the Gospel rings hollow.
As great an admirer as I am of Father John Corapi and his preaching, and as much as I deplore the poisonous atmosphere created in the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandal —which, it should be recalled, was only possible in the first instance because of the malfeasance of many American hierarchs, far too many of which have gotten away unscathed—I am a Roman Catholic; not a "Corapi Catholic.' There is only one way to forthrightly resolve this mess, and Father Corapi's strange choice does not enhance his credibility. I will continue to pray for him.
I'm very saddened by this situation and Fr. Corapi's decision, but I don't think I'm too surprised. I became quite uneasy when he dyed his hair and bought a Harley. Not that these actions are wrong or deserve condemnation, they simply raise a red flag by anyone's observation of human behavior and what follows. It didn't seem in keeping with the values that I thought (or at least hoped) he espoused. I still relish Fr. Corapi's message. He never preached anything contrary to the truths of our Catholic faith. However, actions always speak much louder than words.
We need more priests like Fr Corapi
I wish he was in my parish.
I'm sorry for his situation. I beleive he is innocent and my prayers are with him. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"
Fr. Corapi:
Fame and fortune have been your formators for years; they have turned you into a whining prima dona. You do more harm to the church by quitting than the cumulative good done the previous twenty years. Forget your canon lawyer and reread the book of Job. Forget your Civil Lawyer and reread the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. Notice you made no mention of the advice of your Spiritual Director.
Are bishops and other clergymen jealous of your fame like Saul was of David. Of course they are. It is part of politics and has been around forever. Quit posing like you're the only victim. Your public humiliation and possible destruction of your media company will not destroy God. Quit posturing like it will.
Padre Pio was unfairly treated by a bishop. Cardinals and bishops participated in the trial of St. Joan of Arc which led to her being burned to death. Christ was innocent and did not even argue in his own behalf before crucifixion.
Remember DeSales's teaching to remain calm when receiving good news or bad news. Stay calm, stick to the plan. It is never a good time to be a whining drama queen. Do you think Oprah is coming out of retirement to hand you a tissue box?
You claim you are limited by what you can and can't do. All you have to do is nothing – say nothing and do nothing. Even children can do that. Return to your hermitage and stay silent. No contact with your accusers, no contact with your sycophants. You may write, but you are not to compose a single sentence in the first person; no me, not myself, nor I. Don't even think in the first person. Thank and praise God continually, your suffering is divine providence at work. Do not pray for yourself, pray for the poor throughout the third world. Die to yourself. Do not allow yourself to complain to others, God, or yourself. Count each breath, it is a gift from God you did not earn. Count each heartbeat, it is a gift from God you did not earn. Your vocation is being a priest, not world famous celebrity. Drop your suit against your accuser, make it as easy as possible for her to recant her claims. Find an apostolate in a retirement home for religious, do menial tasks like changing diapers if you can muster up the courage.
Your fancy education amounts to nothing if you quit. What value is that wisdom compared to the wisdom born of suffering? It is time to practice what you preach.
Cancel your new self-indulgent book and website.
This crisis may be the narrow gate allowing you to pass from celebrity-hood to sainthood – the transition from the last sorrowful mystery to the first glorious. Quitting is not an option. Even if you were guilty of the allegations, quitting would be the worst possible reaction.
We need God, he does not need us, he does not need you. Do you really think derailing your gravy train will be the end of the Catholicism? The love of money is the root of all evil. "...sell what you have and give to (the) poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
How many times have you related the story of the rebellious youth who rejected the faith until he was injured in an accident? Now it's your turn.
Remember the phrase "redemptive suffering." Fame and fortune have turned you into a pansy. Maybe it's a good thing you leave them in the past.
Suffering and temptation are constant companions, endure them. Some of your followers will get bad news this summer, perhaps of a child that drowns in a pool. How does your suffering compare to that? What if they are tempted to quit via suicide or loss of faith? Do you think the bad example of your quitting will help or hurt them?
For twenty years you talked the talk, now it's time to walk the walk.
...He learned obedience from what he suffered;...
Kieran McShane Devane
@Carrie - "As far as non-disclosure agreements and Fr. Gerry Sheehan - he is apparently IGNORANT of the fact that non-disclosure agreements are quite common" Did you miss the part that said Fr. Corpai paid the accusser for the non discolsure agreement? I don't know much about non disclosure agreements but it doesn't seem quite right that someone is paid to sign one.
Today's Gospel - Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Instead of getting involved in he said/she said speculation let's all lift up Fr. Corapi in prayer that many graces may be poured out upon him and that his only desire will be to do the will of the heavenly Father.
Its sad that the National Catholic Register is as BAD as most of the rest of press - they can't get it right!!! According to Fr. Corapi's announcements he has filed a Defamation of Character of lawsuit against his accuser.
As far as non-disclosure agreements and Fr. Gerry Sheehan - he is apparently IGNORANT of the fact that non-disclosure agreements are quite common - work for Apple or Microsoft and you will probably have to sign one - work for someone who has high public profile and you will have to sign one (this is so ex-employees cannot cash-in on writing books about their former employers) This is all sensible.
A non-disclosure agreement does NOT include criminal actions so in other words if you work for a company and the VP is doing drugs then you can call police and testify in court and not be in violation of the non-disclosure agreement. SHAMEFUL that this person who wrote this article calls herself a reporter - what a JOKE!!!!
Then she mentions Fr. Corapi's "ire" is saved for the Bishop of Corpus Christi - he didn't sound angry to me. More sad and hurt esp. for Jesus was my opinion on it - IRE is her opinion on his feelings not a FACT as she cannot read his heart.
From the article, it appears to me that Fr. Corapi and Fr. Sheehan don't agree on what has transpired over the last 3 months and the reasons for the delay of justice. Who should we believe? Are there partial truths or lies in the statements from either one?
The investigation should have finished a long time ago and I seriously doubt that any non-disclosure agreement would have prevented an interview with the accuser. Did Ms. Desmond ask Fr. Sheehan if a request was made to Fr. Corapi to waive the NDA (assuming there was one) to allow the accuser to make a statement concerning her accusations? Didn't the accuser break the NDA by sending a letter to the Bishops in the first place? Why would she have any trouble breaking the NDA again?
Is Fr. Sheehan the prideful one, trying to use this incident to force Fr. Corapi into community? (This is my contribution to useless speculation. Seems like there is a lot of that going on in blogs and comments. Maybe some of us need to confess for breaking the 8th commandment; 2477 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, if you need a reference).
This is poor reporting and it leaves too many open questions to be useful. It would have been much better for all if Ms. Desmond had researched the case more deeply and uncovered the truth rather than write a superficial article that only leads to more questions.
I made a donation to the National Catholic Register just before I read this article. Before I make another, I'll have to see a more professional effort.
I support Fr. Corapi for standing up for himself and the Church. For too long, good Catholics have resigned themselves to silence based on a false understanding of humility. "The World" has abused our "humility".
If you really want to know more, read all sides of the story from the sources.
You can see Fr. Corapi's statments at: http://www.theblacksheepdog.us/ .
The comments by a Bishop at the following link helped me understand Fr. Corapi's position more clearly: http://abyssum.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/a-few-thoughts-on-father-corapis-announcement-yesterday/ I thi.nk they might help you as well.
I would like to see Fr. Sheehan make a direct statement on the SOLT web page rather than read his comments cut-up and pasted into a 3rd party article.
I, for one, will wait for the truth to come out and I trust in Jesus that it will. Until then, let's avoid gossip and pray for the Church and Its priests. Keep your minds open to the truth. Discard Speculation. Use reason, the brother of faith, to understand.
This is all so troubling. It's so sad that this had to happen and that Fr. Corapi felt the need to leave the priesthood. I just do not understand all of this; it seems some entity wanted to silence him, one way or the other. Truly the devil and his henchmen are hard at work.Given all that has been said or written regarding his reasons for going in a different direction, it brings to mind a scripture verse; "Do not judge lest ye be judged."
Father John Corapi's ministry has blessed many with hope, and he has been a popular church spokesperson. However, I am concerned for his welfare. Why choose a banner that looks like a sinister wolf, with a pack of wolves in one eye and sheep in the other? I realize it is supposed to be a "black sheep dog," but the image sure appears to be meant to frighten. Does it signify a black sheep dog, or a wolf in sheep's clothing? Would Christ have ever used such an image in His ministry? Fr Corapi, my prayers for healing are with you.
Judge not and you shall not be judged. PRAY! We don't have to know everything nor should we speculate. Trust that God knows and that's what's important. Let go and LET GOD. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive.
First Father Tom Eutenauer,now (Fr.) John Corapi. Whose next?
Riddle? What is the difference between Michael Pfleger and John Corapi?
Answer: NOTHING…as they both want the "lime light" and are disobedient to Church Authority which they both VOWED to recognize as God Himself. John Corapi seems to completely LACK HUMILITY…I will pray for him and Michael Pfleger that God's Will be done.
It is unclear to me if Fr. Corapi has actually left the priesthood. He has been suspended by the Bishop. Because of that, he cannot function as a priest. He could just sit quietly and do nothing until the process works itself out. Or he can continue with his life. Is there the possibility that what Fr. Corapi is saying is that he will continue speaking as a suspended priest on other issues? Or maybe even this issue? The process is flawed. There was an article in the Boston Globe recently about a priest in Boston was was falsely accused twice, and recently died (of essentially a broken heart). Are priest just supposed to nothing about false accusations?
If you go back to John's testimony of his life, you get a insight into his main issue. John always wanted to be Somebody. Football, Greenbret,
Las Vegas, Hollywood millionaire. Sounds to me like he is still fighting the same battle, he wants to be "a somebody". I will pray for John that he awakes from his delusion.
This fact from Elleblue's comment, clearly reveals there is something Fr. Copari is not being very honest about.
"When a religious belongs to a community and they are living alone in a house they own, well I can tell you that's not only NOT the norm I believe it's a huge red flag."
He has certainly been planning to walk out of the Catholic Church all along, hence his hasty pre-emptive move to block the normal process the Catholic Church has always followed to absolve those who have been falsely accused. It is clear he has chosen to divorce himself from the Catholic Church and is embarking on establishing his own Cultic Church with the Title "Black SheepDog." I pray those who admire him do not make the mistake of leaving the Church with him. That would be tragic, though it has happened before to this One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. As I have said elsewhere, somebody should give him the Book on the life of Saint John of the Cross. Humility and Obedience are the greatest Virtues of all but clearly these are strangers to Fr. Copari. Very sad, indeed.
Fr. Corapi forgot something: OBEDIENCE and HUMILITY. That's what genuine preachers have. St. Bernadette was told by the Blessed Mother to eat up grass and drink muddy water. She was even subjected to strict ecclesiastical discipline but no words of complaint came out from her mouth. He was put to the test but she remained OBEDIENT and HUMBLE. That made her one of the greatest seers.
Can Fr. Corapi follow those simple spiritual exercises to test his humility and obedience so we can weed out the true preachers from the hypocrites?
I hope I'm not so rude to Fr. Corapi but I was expecting him to have those virtues as obedient servant of God.
Well, now….I read this….so Mr. Corapi is a litigious person, and that has a hint of the vindicative.
Fr Corapi became part of SOLT when members could be self-sufficient. But I was concerned from the beginning when hearing his media was independent. That will usually lead to interpersonal relationships without clear boundaries. And when a person has a public draw like Fr Corapi, it is better they draw closer to living within community.
Yes, it all makes me want to just listen to the message but ignore the minister.
"Avoid, like the plague, a clergyman who is also a businessman" - St. Jerome.
I have always admired Fr. Corapi & the strength of his preaching. I believe I understand his frustration with the current circumstances & I sympathize with his desire to continue in ministry rather than wait the process out. But I'm troubled by many aspects of this new "direction" he has chosen for his life. Many have already been mentioned by others in this forum, but there are a few other things that I find disturbing. For example, nowhere in his "Black SheepDog" written statement does he refer to any kind of prayerful consideration given to his decision. I suppose we can assume he prayed about this, but it's strange to me that he didn't mention it. Everything seems to be based on his own opinion & rationale rather than divine guidance. Also, I don't understand why Fr. Corapi didn't accept what happened to him as God's providence, despite the apparent injustice of the situation. Now we'll never know what graces or blessings God might have been planning for the Church & the world through Fr. Corapi's predicament. And with his comments about his future "topics" & "audience" being "broader," I'm wondering if he's even planning to remain in the Catholic Church. I'm saddened, confused & most of all disappointed. I want to support him, but I'm struggling with how he can give up the Catholic priesthood after just a few months of difficulty. It seems prideful, impatient & untrusting, as though remaining in the public eye is what's most important to him. He always preached about the strength of the prayers of those who are suffering. He could be offering those types of prayers himself, right now, but instead he's chosen another direction. I pray for him & all involved.
Isn't the following statement, repeated from the beginning of the article, condemning of the legal process in past sexual abuse cases where witnesses were hushed as a part of the financial settlement? Isn't it rather hypocritical that it should be a greater concern in Fr. Corapi's case?
"In canon law, there can't be any pressure on witnesses; they have to be completely free to speak. The investigation was compromised because of the pressure on the witnesses. There were other witnesses that also had signed non-disclosure agreements," said Father Sheehan."
I don't understand why Corapi would have his employees sign statements that they wouldn't reveal anything that happened to them while in his employ? If he hadn't been a Catholic Priest on a Catholic tv station, I don't think he would ever have been known - if he goes on not as a Catholic Priest, I think he will die out and then hopefully return to his community for help and healing.
Celebrity does a lot, it seems, to bring down once solid priests, nuns, etc. I went through a similar disillusionment less than a year ago when Mother Nadine of the Intercessors of the Lamb went off the reservation, so to speak. Her local bishop closed down her local operation in Omaha after she refused to cooperate with an investigation, so Mother Nadine started an independent website a la Mr. Corapi to sell her books and tapes.
In the last year or so we've also seen scandals of other high-profile priests, such as Fr. Tom Eutenhauer.
When will we learn that the icky one targets these folks like no one else, not only to stop the good that they were doing, but to scandalize and destroy. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. It isn't enough to pray for priests and nuns; they must be accountable to their communities, which none of the above truly were. There is a good reason for religious and priests to live in community. Something is seriously wrong when they are allowed to start their own companies and media empires, believing their own publicity.
I learned a great deal from Mother Nadine, Fr. Corapi etc., so I am deeply saddened that they have been compromised as they have. I will not only continue to pray for them, but for all priests and religious who are particularly under attack.
There is a reason Our Lady in Medjugorje said we should spend at least half of our prayer time praying for priests! Consecrated persons dedicated to God are particular challenges to the one who hates God.
"Makes one want to turn off Fr Corapi, EWTN, the "Catholic" blogs, and all the rest, and spend that time instead in prayer."
That would probably be much better for all of us.
This article at least offers some real information, although still no "official" statement from any Church authorities. When they make their official statement, it will not be spun through the media. The article IS fair - by and large - t…hough not completely without bias. Why is everyone so concerned about whether or not John Corapi (or the former Father) makes money? Your article states that his original arrangement with SOLT required each ministry to support itself. My parish is constantly raising money and I personally receive a TON of junk mail from Catholic ministries of all kinds. In order to seek catechesis for my children I have to pay for CCD, pay for retreats to Steubenvile (and others), pay potentially for Catholic schools (@ 4,000 per child elementary and 10,000 per child high school). We homeschool at a significantly reduced cost and (I think) with a much more loving outcome, but yet some people think it is immoral to choose homeschooling in lieu of spending dollars at the Catholic school. I have a list of Catholic ministries which I regularly support (not Father Corapi, however) with donatiions AND purchases of goods. If you want members of the clergy and hierarchy of the Church to get out of "business" then you are going to need to target a lot of people. There's a whole new scandal for you. Who is next? Emmanuel Books or Ignatious Press? This whole thing stinks somehow. Up until 3 months ago (or so) no one questioned the integrity of Father Corapi. Now he is "spun" as a greedy womanizer drug-user without being given his day in court. As Catholics, we can do so much better than this. It is a great tragedy that he will no longer be a priest, and I pray that somehow God's will is accomplished in all of this.
And - a question that should be asked that hasn't been (in regard to "the money") is what is he doing with the money? Has he served the Church with his ministry and it's funding? Is this really a circumstance where someone else in the Church sees his success and simply wants that money? I haven't (yet) heard any mention of Father Corapi inappropriately using funds.
I think the report didn't cover Fr. Corapi's counter-allegations because in the end, they were irrelevant.
He knew precisely who his accusers were, since they had signed NDA's. He was aware of what was being raised against him. While other priests might face injustice, Fr. Corapi didn't here. He knew what was going on.
The fact that a priest would require someone to sign a non-disclosure agreement seems outside Church guidelines and a valid reason for suspension.
It is sad to see what is going on. I'm afraid that pride has won in his case. There were strong indications of this pride in his talks when he mentioned his own experiences so often. He does not mention in his "explanation" what role prayer played in his decision. Did he consider at all what effect his decision would have on all those who have followed him over the years? Of course, the case is complicated, and the process addressing the accusations may be flawed, but where is his consideration of his vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, especially obedience? He needs our prayers, but I don't plan to follow him in his new status in any way, shape or form.
Dear Father Corapi,
I do believe you are innocent of the charges, but I have to wonder if you did not suffer a temptation similar to that of St. John Vianney. It is not temptation to open and obvious sin, but as an "angel of light" that the devil has the most success with the good. St. John Vianney was tempted to leave his Parish and go off to a Monastery, where he could live a life of penance and contemplation - the "greater part". Great Saint that he was, nevertheless, he fell for this temptation – not once, but three times!
With all the struggles that come with being a Priest today, and the seemingly unjust persecution by those in authority, the devil would likely tempt you by saying: "God has given you a talent for preaching, and the world needs to hear the truth today! If the Church does not want your services, take that as the will of God. With no hard feelings or bitterness of heart, simply leave the Priesthood and serve God in the capacity of a layman. Think of this as a positive, rather than a negative. Consider all the good you could do to save souls using your gift of preaching and teaching without the shackles that come with being a Priest. In fact, you could broaden your audience to those outside the Church and do even more good than before. The will of God is being manifested to you by this unjust action. Take it for what it is. All things have their season; only God remains the same. Take this as God's Will that you leave the Priesthood, and you will reap a greater harvest."
That would be an enticing temptation for someone with the preaching talent that you possess, and who is fed up with being unjustly persecuted.
But let us not forget that our first duty is to save our own soul, not that of others. What if it was God's will for you to leave the spot light for a time, in order to attend to contemplation? After all contemplation is "the greater part"; while the active life carries with it many dangers, especially those of pride, which we all suffer from to a degree. St. Thomas teaches that the Preacher should be in the Unative state before he preaches to others, since "we can't give what we don't have". Maybe God, who often writes straight with crooked lines, and who can draw good out of evil (such as unjust persecution and suspension) was planning to use this act of unjustice as the means by which He would draw you up higher – closer to Himself - so that your natural talents, divinized by the fire of divine charity, would shine brighter still, and produce fruits that would not be possible - even for someone of your talent - without the perfection of the Unative state?
Is this what the devil feared? With his angelic intellect, did he foresee what would become of you after being raised to the heights of perfect charity? I suspect this is precisely what happened. Seeing you distraught by a false accusation, and being persecuted by those in the hierarchy, he saw his opportunity. He struck and, at least momentarily, he succeeded, just as he did with the great Cure of Ars. Let this victory be short lived, and see the unjust persecution as your chance to draw closer to God, Who will make the truth of your innocence known at the right time. The Age of Mary, which will bring the current Age of Apostasy (the 5th Age of the Church) to an end, and usher in the restoration of the Church, "when the moon will shine as the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven-fold", is likely right around the corner. Is it for the coming Age of Mary that God willed to prepare you, by drawing you close to Himself through the contemplative life, so that your natural talents, once divinized with perfect charity, would be able to reap for him a harvest of souls that makes your former fruits seem as naught?
Father, I think this unjust trail was the consequent will of God for you, Who was planning to use it for His greater glory and your further sanctification. He was planning to lead you, through "the greater part", to a higher degree of sanctity. The devil realized this and he struck. He's had his short victory, but let him not have the last laugh.
Please, please remember that Love and Prayers of Discernment through the Holy Spirit is the key. There is only one enemy here—his name is satan.
I totally believe our Lord walks with him and the Holy Spirit guides him. Fr. Corapi is right—he will never regain his good name completely, as so many, many priests who have been abused so terribly by false accusations. We all know there are those in the hierarchy that work against the Church—allowing heretical priests to remain, funneling money in support of abortion, allowing Catholic University professors to undermine Church teaching. etc., etc. I, for one, am grateful that Fr. Corapi has outlined exactly how our priests are treated when anyone, anyone can make any kind of accusation and they then are immediately suspended. This creates a fear among all our holy priests of being accused unjustly should anyone who just may not like hearing the "truth" of the Catholic faith, and they cannot resolve it with their consciences, so they get angry. I never looked at Jesus as this "soft" Man-God, but one that was a true rebel—He could get angry and very angry—coin changers in the Temple, e.g. I totally believe that our Lord is working with Fr. Corapi for He knows that our beautiful Roman Catholic Church is under attack—-so very, very much of it from within. God works in mysterious ways. I will continue to support Fr. Corapi and all our holy priests, for we desperately need their courage, strength, and our Lord—-and they are the only reason we have the true Body and Blood of our Lord. I view Fr. Corapi as a sacrificial lamb who loved being a priest and was so horribly saddened to have to leave the priesthood in order to be a great voice for God in this very, very troubled world. I know this sounds unimaginable, but in this new capacity, Fr. Corapi may very well bring back a greater multitude of our separated brethen to the Roman Catholic Church than he otherwise would have. Peace and love to Fr. Corapi, his accuser, and all involved.
What struck me about Corapi on EWTN was the clarity of his thinking, but this latest announcement was strikingly illogical and incoherent. Yes, the current process for dealing with accusations against priests is an overreaction IMHO. But Corapi's refusal to obey those he pledged obedience to because in his personal judgment they are wrong reminds me of Martin Luther. And I hear an echo of Protestantism's "denomination of one" mentality (I say this as a former Protestant) in this "black sheep dog" schtick. May God grant him repentance and humility!
"We cannot have our own way when Our Lord points to a solution which goes contrary to our own best advisers, as we are not our own good doctors."
-Francis Fernandez
Following other fallible human beings can lead to tragedy. We must follow Christ.
All teachers and Christians must be kept accountable in the community of believers and by Scripture.
Jonas Applebaum is right, the time spent listening to all the clamor may be better spent listening to the voice of the Christ, the Good Shepherd.
When we have the true Shepherd's promise and His Word, we don't need black sheepdogs.
A LOT OF PEOPLE OWE Father Gerard Sheehan, regional priest-servant of SOLT, Wm. Michael Mulvey, Bishop of Corpus Christi, and EWTN, an APOLOGY.
It seems to me that he "got out" before a lot of other "stuff" gets out.
Just a few days ago, the gospel reminded, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be, also." I guess there is no wonder at this point, and the hypocrisy/confusion of the whole thing is what makes it sad.
What a sad decision Father Corapi has made, to give up celebrating the Eucharist and the sacraments over being proven right in this situation. How much better it would have been for him to have been accused falsely and to have eventually been proven innocent in the eyes of God.
Obedience is the highest form of praise we can give to God in these situations.
Father Corapi has become an evangelical christian. Praise the lord.
The first mistake was SOLT permitting a priest to live on his own to carry out his mission. Secondly, the accuser being required to sign a non disclosure agreement upon leaving SOLT Media is very disturbing and then being sued for breach of contract which means the entire investigation process was jeopardized.
This man has done incalculable damage to the rest of the entire Catholic media universe in which he has orbited, which operates on a shoestring.
He set up dozens upon dozens of locally operated radio stations, which function solely on listener donations and operate on shoestring budgets, to lose money when he implied that EWTN's patience and obedience to the Church was tantamount to treason to him personally. He happened to make his initial announcement two days before the pledge drive at our local station; suffice to say, I received more than a few calls that week from listeners who were pulling their financial support from us for good.
Some follow Paul, others follow Apollos, still others Cephas, I'll follow Christ.
Sadly telling: @JohnCorapi is only following one Twitter feed right now, and it's @FoxNews.
Then Jesus said, "I see the enemy's hand in this. Bur do not pull up the weeds, or else you might uproot the wheat along with them." (Mt. 13:29)
He knows his accuser and I'm sure he could confront her anytime he wanted. They keep them sepeate when questioning (outside a courtroom) so that they don't feel intimidated, which is a good thing..you don't have someone who attacked you for example in the room giving the police report.
He knew this was coming when he talked about it last year. He's angry because he thought, the business man thought, the agreement would be binding and the money to keep quiet (it said he paid her) would suffice. She was wrong I suppose to leak info, but he is a priest, I would have run the other way if a PRIEST asked me not to tell about anything wrong, personal things, yes, but unbecoming behavior, is something else.
Father never really said mass, said he couldn't do confessions, didn't do weddings or funerals, so what is he missing, just talking the way other preachers do, it's sad, but the graces that go with being a priest he never really felt called too.
"I believe that he is justified in not seeking to clear his name through a canonical process; at the present time such processes are very flawed in most dioceses. Rather I would like to believe that he intends to try to clear his name through the civil courts… I believe that it is possible for him to do so and I wish him every success in such an endeavor." - Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi http://abyssum.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/a-few-thoughts-on-father-corapis-announcement-yesterday/
Shame he didn't speak up as loudly about the church's sexual abuse of children as he did about himself.
1. According to Fr. Corapi, when his accuser went public, she apparently violated the NDA, thus forcing his hand. Fr. Corapi's subsequent actions could be read as simply trying to protect his reputation in the proper forum in which an NDA related conflict should be reconciled.
2. Fr. Corapi, who claims his abdication is due to his perception that he would not receive fair treatment in ecclesiastical circles, has put himself in the same position as his accuser who by sending her email to multiple bishops expressed concerns (fears?) that her case would otherwise be glossed over if just one bishop was involved.
3. Given the SOLT statement, the burden now rests with Fr. Corapi to clarify his reasons for refusing to live in community. It is very tempting to conclude that he is merely trying to preserve his personal wealth more than his personal worth, i.e., his reputation and inestimable value as a priest of God. I seem to recall something about trying to serve two masters and inevitably hating one and loving the other. If Fr. Corapi's own words mean anything, it's highly probable that his decision to abandon the process as well as his priesthood is more an indication that he has chosen the "badder" or "bitter" part. How is his abdication showing love for the Church?
Summary. If we step back a bit, we see two troubled individuals whose lives have become bizarrely intertwined and seriously complicated. Both Fr. Corapi and his accuser are claiming to be victims. Both are blaming the Church for unfair treatment in a process that has not really started. Both have sabotaged justice and unfairly characterized not only each other but the Church they claimed to once serve. Both appear to be compensating for some serious individual flaws. Both have chosen to communicate in ways that make each of them appear guilty of something. I may be a Monday morning quarterback, but wouldn't it have been less complicated and more efficient for both Fr. Corapi and his accuser to have kept their mouths shut, go through the ecclesiastical process and then, if one or the other felt hard done by a decision, appeal in some other forum?
Many here are forgetting that Father Corapi has been falsely accused before and told by feminist nuns that they will "get him." If they can't find anything on him, they told him, they'll make something up.
A bedrock principle of our faith is natural law, which means in part, that right is right no matter who or how few are right, and wrong is wrong no matter who or how many are wrong. Bishops went way overboard to accomodate the Catholic hating world in creating inherently unjust canon procedures. No less a great and humble mind in the church, the late Father Neuhaus, suggested this very thing in the wake of the scandals. Thankfully we now have a no nonsense priest who will bring this ecclesial nightmare to a head. Now no one will be able to stop him from saying what needs to be said.
Fr Corapi's actions are extremely disturbing. The accusations are not about child abuse, but I want to comment on that matter. This may or may not have anything to do with Fr Corapi's reactions. So many personality profiles and actions of child-molesting priests fit in perfectly with those of a sociopath. M Scott Peck said in "The people of the lie" that the ideal place for evil to hide itself is within a religion, because nobody suspects it, and nobody easily believes it. The only way such evil can be seen is when it is blatantly exposed and proven, and very often it can be suspected based on the way the person reacts after exposure. The innocent will claim innocence; the sociopath will do so in a subtly different manner. Many - not all - child-molesting priests are sociopaths hiding in the Church, and they therefore have no conscience, and treatment can only control them, not provide them with the conscience they lack. We should not pity them for being the monsters they are; we can only pray for them and hope that their evil is a forgiveable manifestation of illness and not a manifestation of a choice their soul has made to serve only self at the expense of everyone else. That said, I cannot judge Fr Corapi's state of mind, and I am not saying he's a sociopath. I just find his behaviour very, very unusual at this point.
elleblue it was the intention of the founder of SOLT that each individual provide for themselves! That meant a lot of the members of SOLT were to live as hermits like the the desert Fathers of old. Fr. John never sign up to live in community! They change the rules on him by not following what the founder of the order intended.
Just a word of caution to every one. By all means share your concerns about his actions but DO NOT JUDGE THE MAN. It is for Jesus alone to judge him.
Anyone who has followed Fr. John long enough should have learned how to discern Truth. I am pretty sure that he realizes that if he now strays from the truth that we his FANS will call him on it & like he said after telling the story of the old woman who said that he doesn't teach anything new, that it is all old stuff, that if he ever does start teaching something new then run away from him as fast as you can. Trust me we will if he does.
So be wary & careful but also be open to Truth. To Jesus.
I invite you to read his Excellency Rene Henry Gracida's statement about Father Corapi: http://abyssum.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/a-few-thoughts-on-father-corapis-announcement-yesterday/
That was the most bias article I have ever read! Having an employee sign a non-disclosure statement is a normal business practice. And yes, compensating them with money is a normal business practice also. There is no mention of this in the article which leads me to believe that the statement is meant to be misleading. It states "Father Corapi paid her for this." This is implying that he was trying to bribe her! I am sorry to say this, but this article and Father Sheehan cannot be trusted. Why would they withhold these facts about normal business practices from these statements? They totally change the significance of what is being said. I smell something fishy and it is not coming from Father Corapi. Long live Black Sheep Dog!
This is a most unfortunate situation.
Unfortunatly Fr. Corapi while understanding clearly his position has choosen to see his circumstance as worthy of special consideration . It is not.
Furthermore he is a priest and will always be; it is within his God given free will to live out his priesthood as he chooses . Like us all he will answer for his actions to God.
May all concerned pray for one another.
Fr. Corapi has done outstanding work in building the faith of Catholics, not only in the United States, but also worldwide. His temporary suspension from his duties, pending investigation, shows possible mala fides on the part of the church's hierarchy. Whether he is guilty or not and to what extent of his guilt is a mere speculation. The indisputable fact is that we are now losing a very good Catholic priest because if this matter. Fr. Corapi is not a "normal" priest and his case should not be handled similar to that of a normal priest. Lots of discretion and wisdom need to be taken into consideration in light of his very public presence. The Church knew, and I would be very surprised if it didn't, that investigation into a high profile priest in the "normal way", is inappropriate, as it would injure his public reputation whatever the outcome. Although all the facts have not been revealed, it appears to me that his alleged relationship with that woman was a private matter as it didn't involve rape or sexual harassment which would attract criminal or civil prosecution. This case should be handled with much care and discretion. The questions that has to be asked at this juncture is What does the Catholic Church gain from all this ? The answer is obviously nothing. What did the Church have to lose ? A damn good priest of International standing and bad publicity. Really, was this what Christ wanted ?
This is my first visit to the National Catholic Register. I usually haunt the Catholic Answers Forum, but the Catholic News moderator there has instituted a black out on this story.
I would like to thank Ms. Desmond for a terrific recap of all that has happened along with the breaking news of the statement from Fr. Sheehan. I've been surfing so many blogs and reading all the comments - this one article has it ALL… with charity.
I imagine there is nothing further to add as it is all becoming so very clear. The Black Sheep Dog is going to continue to build his cult following within the Church and now, sadly beyond.
I feel terrible for the good people, religious and lay, of SOLT, the bishops being named and involved, and EWTN who gave Fr. John a big boost in building his ministry. I know Mother Angelica, the sisters and the staff faced some trouble dealing with bishops and church authority, but they did not go rogue as a result. They hunkered down and prayed and bit their tongues and look how it all turned out? What a disappointment this must be for all of them.
I pray for us all - this is so incredibly sad. And more than just a little frightening (and that scary logo of the wolf-like dog doesn't help).
With all due respect ladies and gentlemen, you are missing the forest for the trees.
This man has admitted over and over that he "was" addicted to immensely powerful street drugs. There is no such thing as an ex addict or ex alcoholic. There is only an addict or alcholholic in recovery. It is a problem that never leaves one. You have it forever. All you can hope and pray for is that with the help of your Higher Power, you can keep it in check on a daily basis.
To be quite frank his erratic behavior and crazy verbal meanderings are obvious to ANY alcoholic or drug addict in recovery as a "slip", that is to say, he has "gone out again". He is using drugs. His behavior shows that. If I had to guess I would say that he is using a combination of uppers and downers with perhaps some hallucinagenics. His crazy statements and his personality wanderings that seemed to have gone from stable to nutty to extremely off-the-wall scream of heavy drug abuse.
The guy is a self admitted addict and he has gone back out again. It is pretty obvious. He needs to be found and sent to rehab. He is going to hurt himself or someone else.
A priest at my childhood parish went through something similar a few years ago. He went through hell, being sent to a "rehab" facility, submitted to humiliating interrogations, and being removed from the parish where he had been for 20 years with only two week's notice given to him. It was hell for all of us. But you know what? He cooperated, and less than a year later, he was found innocent, and made a pastor of three rural parishes. Yes, the system is flawed, but if Corapi would have waited and practiced silence like Our Lord, things *would* have gotten better, he wouldn't have lost any dignity, and people wouldn't have to choose sides between him and the Bishops. It takes an amazing amount of patience and self-reliance that I guess he just didn't have. How disillusioning for those who felt like he was living saint.
The troublesome part is a civil suit which interferes with the church's ability to investigate & why would he need a confidentiality agreement with his employees? Maybe regarding business information but for other stuff? Not looking very good here.
Jeanette, you put your finger on the problem; pride.
He so eloquently preached obedience yet he is not practicing it either to his SOLT superior of the bishop.His empire in Santa Cruz Media and his independent lifestyle were more important than saving his priestly vocation.
Whether or not he was unjustly accused, the issue is his reaction to being investigated. Saints and Our Lord suffered injustice silently and allowed God to work out justice, often not until the next life, offering their sacrifice for the good of souls. We must pray for his soul, he is in the grip of the enemy.
Lots of things don't add up ... Seem like SOLT is unconcerned about losing him. "we will help him with this process of leaving religious life"
Sad for all involved ...
NCR you portray Corapi as a materialistic money grubber. Shame on you. You are managed by the Church structure. So much for an unbiased piece of press.
Terrible. Makes one want to turn off Fr Corapi, EWTN, the "Catholic" blogs, and all the rest, and spend that time instead in prayer.
Honestly, I've supported him since March when the news came out. But leaving the church is too much for me. Regardless of what his superiors want or not, the true thing to do is to sacrifice with humbleness. I can't imagine turning my back on the priesthood! Certainly not after 3 months! Something just doesn't sit right with me on this. I feel for him and can understand his sorrow and his feelings of betrayal, but there is an arrogance and pride he can not let go of and that is the greatest of sins. I do not pretend to understand how he must be feeling. But leaving the priesthood (for all intents and purposes. I do realize it's a lifetime thing like baptism)? It's too much. I can not turn my back on Rome to back any one man. I feel compelled to stop following his work if this really does transpire. It's a great loss for all of us, and a sad day for the church regardless of opinion about who's at fault.
I don't know if these allegations are true or not. However when a religious belongs to a community and they are living alone in a house they own, well I can tell you that's not only NOT the norm I believe it's a huge red flag.
What was it about father's ministry that forced him to live outside
community life? If he is so orthodox then why didn't that translate to his vows to his community?
Just a few thoughts.
I believe Father Corapi is a victim here. I hope and believe that God will use him to help change how allegations are handled in the future. Father Corapi has been a tremendous influence in my life. He has helped me learn to trust God and Mary. He has helped me have the courage to face and heal from the many emotionally painful things in my life. I am thankful he continues to have the courage to help others. Some say he should just be submissive to his superiors and wait but I believe Father Corapi is a realist and feels he wants to do the most he can with each day God gives him. I pray and entrust Father Corapi to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, amen.
I never knew or cared about the supposed allegations against Corapi. No one needed to know about them. By this "black sheep dog" announcement, however, pre-emptively announcing counter-accusations with his own spin, Corapi has drawn seriously into question his commitment to the Church. Certainly it manifests horrifyingly bad judgment on his part.
Right now whatever he did before pales in comparison with how much this statement does to create discord and division within the Church.
This is a sad state of affairs. I always wondered why Father Corapi was not more obviously involved in community life with SOLT. However, we cannot judge the man's motivations. That having been said, the "Black Sheepdog" theme is creepy and confusing. My observation is that Corapi's "announcement" is exceptionally divisive among his followers at least in the short term. I emailed to his website asking rather directly what the heck is he thinking. My post was declined. This NCR post is enlightening with regard to many details of the situation. All I can say is "Orate, Fratres".
How can he forgive her, yet sue her? Hey liar, your pants are on fire.
Dear Joan:
Curiously,your article did not address Fr.(?) Corapi's allegations concerning the process accused priests must face. If an accused is not allowed to know the exact and specific charges against him, or who made those charges or what witnesses are to testify against him, that is a gross injustice. If any lay person were to be stripped of his rights and punished the Church would scream, and rightly so.
I find your article disturbing in other ways. The tone and the implications (marketing pitch-is that bad? Well,you should see the marketing pitches I receive from EWTN and The National Catholic Register)of you article expose your bias. You don't seem to want to find the all of the answers.
For example:SOLT is outside of the Bishop's jurisdiction—so does that mean that the Bishop did not apply pressure to the religious order as Fr. Corapi stated? Did you ask? If so why was that not mentioned in your article.
Priests who have abused children and the Bishops who hid them did great harm to our Church, but only the priests have lost their rights. Not a single Bishop has been sent to jail for harboring a known criminal.
I suppose Fr. Corapi should just suffer the injustice,humiliation, and indignation at being attacked and disciplined. Yet,for their support of the Bishop, EWTN, and The National Catholic Register were attacked, but they get to actively defended themselves.
If I have attacked you unfairly, I am sorry; it is unjust of me, but you should just take it.
I have more questions now than I had a month ago.
Fr. Corapi has 100% of my support. The investigative process is highly flawed because of the reactionary way the Church responded to the priest sex abuse scandal. The Church went from one extreme to the other. Two wrongs don't make a right. He is in my thoughts and prayers.
All "faithful" Roman Catholics do is JUDGE PRIESTS when they speak out. You should be ashamed of yourselves for cooperating with all the corruption and not speaking out yourselves against a hierarchy that simply does not care about its priests.
I am very sorry that Fr. Corapi seems to be motivated by pride, rather than exhibiting humility and obedience, which would set a much better example to the faithful Catholics he says he wants to serve. I hope and pray that he will spend some time meditating on our Lord's earthly ministry, and the humility with which He submitted to the legitimate, even if badly misused, authority of religious and civic leaders. Can you imagine how greatly impoverished the world would be today if Jesus had complained about the Sanhedrin and said, "For years I've been called 'rabbi' and 'prophet, but since there are powers that want me gone, I'll be gone, on my own terms. Just call me 'renegade' and come see me down at the amphitheatre, where I'll continue preaching"? Instead, "he opened not his mouth" and gave us an example that we all should imitate.
Fr. Corapi doesn't seem to understand that, once he has given up the mantle of the priesthood, he has also given up the authority, and a lot of credibility, that made people trust him. If he won't obey, or even cooperate with, his legitimate superiors in the Church in the matter of his personal discipline, what reason do we have to believe that he will obey the Church's authority in the content of his preaching?
I fear that John Corapi's soul has been endangered by his celebrity, and I pray, for his own sake as well as the sake of his followers, that he will not travel any further down this dangerous road.
Thanks for the update! Well written and complete NCR!
This is a very nice summation, thank you. What a sad situation.
This is just so very strange on so many fronts. I can't help but think that there is something missing. A priest who devotes his ministry to "truth" bails out on the truth and gives up his vocation?
May I cite 2 Kings 4:19…..." my head hurts". I think Fr. Corapi's reason has been overcome by a passion and I'm hoping it is temporary. It's father's day. What a perfect day to pray for him that he will accept community. Last time I looked, people with the vow of poverty did not own their own home….especially with so many non vowed families losing theirs. I will pray that he first returns to community within his order. If he does that, there is great hope.
Sounds like he has thought about the request to give up his assets and move into community for several years now as it was brought up in the book Coronary. Pray that he changes his mind and returns to the priesthood.
Yeah, I have trouble with the process and the "guilty until proven innocent" thing, but to be a quitter after only three months? I admit used to listen to Corapi sometimes on radio, but I didn't like to watch him on TV. I never liked the way he'd say something he thought was clever then look at the audience to make sure they caught his brilliance.
I think it is very prideful and disingenuous of Corpari to assert that he "doesn't know who his accuser is" if he is suing her in court?! And then to assert in his rant that he wasn't being treated fairly. He is crying out for pity. Not very Catholic. I think we should just move on and find better, more humble priests who don't need to be "rock stars."