Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Accused: Father Corapi Placed on "Administrative Leave" - Updated
The Deacon's Bench ^ | March 19, 2011 | Deacon Kandra

Posted on 03/20/2011 5:39:53 AM PDT by johniegrad

The celebrated speaker and televangelist posted the following statement on his web site:On Ash Wednesday I learned that a former employee sent a three-page letter to several bishops accusing me of everything from drug addiction to multiple sexual exploits with her and several other adult women. There seems to no longer be the need for a complaint to be deemed “credible” in order for Church authorities to pull the trigger on the Church’s procedure, which was in recent years crafted to respond to cases of the sexual abuse of minors. I am not accused of that, but it seems, once again, that they now don’t have to deem the complaint to be credible or not, and it is being applied broadly to respond to all complaints. I have been placed on “administrative leave” as the result of this.

I’ll certainly cooperate with the process, but personally believe that it is seriously flawed, and is tantamount to treating the priest as guilty “just in case”, then through the process determining if he is innocent. The resultant damage to the accused is immediate, irreparable, and serious, especially for someone like myself, since I am so well known. I am not alone in this assessment, as multiple canon lawyers and civil and criminal attorneys have stated publicly that the procedure does grave damage to the accused from the outset, regardless of rhetoric denying this, and has little regard for any form of meaningful due process.

All of the allegations in the complaint are false, and I ask you to pray for all concerned.

(Excerpt) Read more at patheos.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: corapi; frcorapi
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-60 next last
I tried the FR search engine for "Corapi" but couldn't find anything. Perhaps it has been posted before, I don't know. Raises the interesting question about accusations, false accusations, etc.
1 posted on 03/20/2011 5:39:56 AM PDT by johniegrad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: johniegrad

BTW, this not my blog. I just stumbled across this.


2 posted on 03/20/2011 5:40:56 AM PDT by johniegrad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: johniegrad

He sure took long enough in his statement to deny the allegations.


3 posted on 03/20/2011 5:47:24 AM PDT by Mister Da (The mark of a wise man is not what he knows, but what he knows he doesn't know!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: johniegrad

God knows what the truth is. God rescues those who suffer for doing good.


4 posted on 03/20/2011 5:52:05 AM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: johniegrad
I coached grade school kids in basketball and baseball for more years than I care to remember. Some of it was fun. Some less than fun.

Towards the end I had a slug acuse me of abusing him. I think what saved my life was he changed the story of the abuse when we had our confrontation with his parents. In my case the authorities at the school knew me for many years and already suspected the lad to be of the slug persuasion. I was lucky.

My point in this is these days accusers are a dime a dozen. Not every accuser is pure in motive. If this is the only accusation against Corapi, perhaps there is some hidden agenda.

5 posted on 03/20/2011 6:06:51 AM PDT by stevem
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: johniegrad

Treating the priest as guilty “just in case”, then through the process determining if he is innocent is a pendulum-swing overcompensation for the church’s previous (unwritten?) policy of casually shuffling the known-sexually-offending priest to some other parish?


6 posted on 03/20/2011 6:26:03 AM PDT by flowerplough (Thomas Sowell: Those who look only at Obama's deeds tend to become Obama's critics.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mister Da

and had he moved faster you would have pointed out his defensiveness.


7 posted on 03/20/2011 6:30:15 AM PDT by rwilson99 (Please tell me how the words "shall not perish and have everlasting life" would NOT apply to Mary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: johniegrad

One thing is sure - if he is vindicated you won’t hear a word about it.


8 posted on 03/20/2011 6:48:50 AM PDT by mrs. a (It's a short life but a merry one...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rwilson99

Nope. I would expect the accused to emphasize their innocence, rather than criticize the process. One sentence denying the accusations & 2 prior paragraphs only a lawyer would admire.

He “doth protest too much, methinks”. Administrative leave, likely with pay, is not banishment.


9 posted on 03/20/2011 7:46:19 AM PDT by Mister Da (The mark of a wise man is not what he knows, but what he knows he doesn't know!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: flowerplough

***Treating the priest as guilty “just in case”, then through the process determining if he is innocent is a pendulum-swing overcompensation for the church’s previous (unwritten?) policy of casually shuffling the known-sexually-offending priest to some other parish?***

You are absolutely right! Let’s not forget though that it was the psychiatrists who originally said that child sexual abuse could be cured which led the Church to send any accused priest off for treatment. Years later, the psychiatrists said it could NOT be cured. That led the Catholic haters to make accusations of negligence on the part of the Church. The pendulum swing comes in by the Church, as you said, using “overcompensation.”


10 posted on 03/20/2011 7:54:45 AM PDT by kitkat ( I sure HOPE that it's time for a CHANGE from Obama.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: yldstrk
God rescues those who suffer for doing good.

sure, but often not in the ways we expect... or want...

11 posted on 03/20/2011 7:57:55 AM PDT by latina4dubya ( self-proclaimed tequila snob)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Mister Da

***He “doth protest too much, methinks”. Administrative leave, likely with pay, is not banishment.***

How would YOU say you are innocent if you are? And how do YOU prove a negative?


12 posted on 03/20/2011 8:00:30 AM PDT by kitkat ( I sure HOPE that it's time for a CHANGE from Obama.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Mister Da; TSgt; RnMomof7; Alex Murphy; HarleyD; wmfights; Forest Keeper; the_conscience; ...
He sure took long enough in his statement to deny the allegations.

From Corapi's statement...

"On Ash Wednesday I learned that a former employee sent a three-page letter to several bishops accusing me of everything from drug addiction to multiple sexual exploits with her and several other adult women..."

While all men are fallen and in need of God's regeneration, this guy was an admitted drug dealer, sexual deviant and alcoholic with gambling/drug/sex addictions.

One of two things will happen with this...

1) He will be proven guilty of the charges, or

2) This has all been staged to illustrate that the public is over-zealous in accusing these poor, innocent "alter Christus." If that's the case, the woman will undoubtedly recant and blame her momentary lapse of truth on all the bad publicity Rome has been receiving lately, obviously without merit.

From the New Advent page which offers us Corapi's defense, here is comment #8...

I have been a great supporter of Fr Corapi for years, reccommending his talks and catechesis to many people.

"I have been concerned recently by his change in appearance, with a dyed beard and eyebrows, closely shaved head and very tanned complexion. There may be medical reasons for such a significant change in appearance over 12 months, but one hopes and prays that the good father has not given into the temptations of vanity which accompany success on the scale that he has achieved and that he admits he was prone to prior to his reversion to the faith.

I hope and pray that the allegations are found to be false, but humility is never a bad thing, it quite often helps save souls."

Interestingly, there are four threads up about Corapi's troubles. This is the only one that hasn't been labeled a "Roman Catholic Caucus."

"Vanity, definitely my favorite sin." -- Satan, aka Al Pacino, "Devil's Advocate."

13 posted on 03/20/2011 11:56:37 AM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Mister Da
I would expect the accused to emphasize their innocence, rather than criticize the process.

Yep.

14 posted on 03/20/2011 11:58:58 AM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Eckleburg

He has a life history that suggests the possible truth of this accusation

Having worked with addicts for years there are few that can stay away from an altered consciousness. Falling back into that would cause poor decisions and risky behavior.. I think the suspension is interesting as it is a serious step.. one I would think would take more than a letter

We will have to see the final outcome is. He is a well know RC personality.


15 posted on 03/20/2011 12:01:54 PM PDT by RnMomof7
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: kitkat; Mister Da
How would YOU say you are innocent if you are?

"I+AM+INNOCENT."

That's how.

Here is Corapi's statement in full from New Advent. I don't find the words "I am innocent" in any of his statement...

"On Ash Wednesday I learned that a former employee sent a three-page letter to several bishops accusing me of everything from drug addiction to multiple sexual exploits with her and several other adult women. There seems to no longer be the need for a complaint to be deemed “credible” in order for Church authorities to pull the trigger on the Church’s procedure, which was in recent years crafted to respond to cases of the sexual abuse of minors. I am not accused of that, but it seems, once again, that they now don’t have to deem the complaint to be credible or not, and it is being applied broadly to respond to all complaints. I have been placed on “administrative leave” as the result of this.

I’ll certainly cooperate with the process, but personally believe that it is seriously flawed, and is tantamount to treating the priest as guilty “just in case”, then through the process determining if he is innocent. The resultant damage to the accused is immediate, irreparable, and serious, especially for someone like myself, since I am so well known. I am not alone in this assessment, as multiple canon lawyers and civil and criminal attorneys have stated publicly that the procedure does grave damage to the accused from the outset, regardless of rhetoric denying this, and has little regard for any form of meaningful due process.

All of the allegations in the complaint are false, and I ask you to pray for all concerned."

Nowhere here does Corapi say he is innocent of the charges.

He does, however, say he is "so well known."

16 posted on 03/20/2011 12:04:26 PM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: RnMomof7
Putting him on administrative leave is the proper thing to do. It does not condemn him and presumes his innocence while maintaining the integrity of the process for seeking out the truth of the complaint through evidence.

Too bad the RCC hasn't handled all complaints against pederast priests along these same lines. Thousands of children might have been spared.

17 posted on 03/20/2011 12:09:32 PM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Eckleburg
....dyed beard and eyebrows, closely shaved head and very tanned complexion. There may be medical reasons....

BWAAAHAAA!

A medical reason?

Is wanting to look good for the ladies a "medical reason?" Papist Polemicists will no doubt pop up claiming a mental disorder.....

18 posted on 03/20/2011 12:52:53 PM PDT by Gamecock (I didn't reach the top of the food chain just to become a vegetarian.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock
....dyed beard and eyebrows, closely shaved head and very tanned complexion. There may be medical reasons....

BWAAAHAAA!

A medical reason?

Is wanting to look good for the ladies a "medical reason?"


19 posted on 03/20/2011 1:24:51 PM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock
....dyed beard and eyebrows, closely shaved head and very tanned complexion. There may be medical reasons.... BWAAAHAAA!
A medical reason?
Is wanting to look good for the ladies a "medical reason?" Papist Polemicists will no doubt pop up claiming a mental disorder.....

Look at the transformation of the "good " priest

20 posted on 03/20/2011 1:26:30 PM PDT by RnMomof7
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-60 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson