Posted on 06/17/2011 6:11:52 PM PDT by Yossarian
God Love You, God Bless You, and Good-Bye.
Jun 17
Posted by The Black SheepDog
This Sunday, June 19, 2011, is both Trinity Sunday on the Catholic liturgical calendar and Fathers’ Day on the secular calendar. It is a day I’ll never forget, and sadly so. It is the twentieth anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood in the Catholic Church. For twenty years I was called “father.” I am very thankful for those twenty years. I could have easily died any number of times, any number of ways in my life before that, so I consider it all a bonus, an undeserved bonus. To all of you that have communicated support, ordination anniversary congratulations, and other kind sentiments, I am greatly thankful, and I do not take that for granted.
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. I have been guilty of many things in the course of my life, and could easily and justifiably be considered unfit to engage in public ministry as a priest. The present complaint that you have heard about is, as far as I know, from the one person that I can honestly say I did more to help and support than any human being in my entire life. I forgive her and hope only good things for her. I am not going to get into a back and forth or argument with the Church or anyone else about this matter.
Suffice it to say that I love the Catholic Church and accept what has transpired. Unfortunately, the process used is inherently and fatally flawed, but the bishops have the power, apparently, to operate anyway they see fit. I cannot give a lengthy explanation of what has transpired, but I can tell you that the most likely outcome is that they leave me suspended indefinitely and just let me fade away. They can’t prove I’m guilty of the things alleged because I’m not, and they can’t prove I’m innocent because that is simply illogical and impossible. All civilized societies know that. Certain leaders in the Catholic Church apparently do not.
I accept moving on, but I am not ready to be altogether extinguished just yet. In the final analysis I have only one of only two viable choices: 1. I can quietly lie down and die, or 2. I can go on in ways that I am able to go on.
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. I agree with that, and would defend to the death the Church’s right to proceed as they see fit. He is the bishop and he has the right to govern as he sees fit. It isn’t an easy task. Many forces besiege him, including pressure from other bishops.
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. The case may be on hold indefinitely, but my life cannot be. Some of the things that might surprise you about the way some of the bishops treat accused priests are as follows:
1. The identity of the accuser is not revealed. You can guess, but you don’t actually know. Nor are the exact allegations made known to you. Hence, you have an interesting situation of having to respond to an unknown accuser making unknown accusations (unknown to the accused and his counsel).
2. The persons chosen to investigate the allegations normally have no qualifications to do so. They certainly didn’t graduate from the FBI academy, nor do they have any other background to qualify them to interrogate or otherwise interview witnesses.
3. There are no set rules of evidence or norms of procedure.
4. You are for all practical purposes assumed guilty until you can prove you are innocent. This one is truly baffling. No civilized society operates that way. If you are accused of something you are considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
5. The accused and his counsel have no right to obtain and review any of the evidence against him.
6. The accused and his counsel are not provided the names of witnesses, nor are they permitted to cross-examine them.
7. There is a general unwillingness or outright refusal by certain of the bishops to abide by applicable statutes of limitations, both in canon and civil law. There are good reasons for these statutes. Time has a way of clouding memories and distorting perceptions.
By the way, Canon Law does not dictate this. They choose to selectively ignore or violate both Canon Law and Civil Law, as they deem appropriate and or expeditious. Once again, they apparently have the discretionary power to do this, and if that’s the way it is I have to accept that as reality.
The bottom line is that the only way a just outcome is likely, in my view and that of my counsel, both civil and canon lawyers, is by accident, rather than as a result of the process.
I will not try to fight this irrational and unjust situation for the simple reason that I don’t want to be placed in an adversarial posture against the Church. 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. I accept that. Perhaps I deserve that.
I can’t do what I can’t do. I can only do what I can do. 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. I am, indeed, not ready to be extinguished. Under the name “The Black Sheep Dog,” I shall be with you through radio broadcasts and writing. My autobiography, “The Black Sheep Dog,” is almost ready for publication. My topics will be broader than in the past, and my audience likewise is apt to be broader. I’ll do what I can under the circumstances.
Please don’t bother the bishop or complain because it will do no good and it wastes valuable time and energy, both his and yours.
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. For those of you who choose to part company and go away from us, we wish you well and thank you for your many kindnesses over the years. We’ll miss you in our usual meeting places, but assure you that there will be new places for us to meet, just like in “the good old days,” so for now,
God bless you, God love you, and goodbye.
John Corapi (once called “father,” now “The Black Sheep Dog”)
This is a very sad day for Catholicism. Still, though, as Father Corapi asked in the beginning, say prayers for everyone involved....
Catholic Ping! (And a sad, angry ping at that...)
I suspect he will not be allowed to do much from here. A lot of his former avenues are not closed.
Sad to see this. I respected the man.
Background? That he’s unhappy with the process by which the hierarchy handled accusations against him is apparent, though no mention was made of the accusations themselves.
Hi Mods-
I posted this article in the “News” section, as it deals with newsworthy accusations made against conservative and orthodox Catholic priest John Corapi.
My hunch was that, since it didn’t deal with theology, that the news section was the better place for it than religion section.
Please feel free to move it if that was not the right place.
Father Corapi owns "Santa Cruz Media", a company that produces and distributes Catholic media. (He was free to have his own private company as part of the avenue of service he chose.)
Here is what is on the website (FatherCorapi.com) about the original allegations:
Father Corapi's Statement Regarding Allegations
"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."
Interesting to see how this will work out. I think he is innocent, I think he is orthodox, and I think he has been mistreated. But how is he going to deal with this?
Yet another reason to be ashamed of my religious heritage. I promised a priest once that I would return to my church when the church excommunicated that fat, drunken, murdering, liberal POS Ted Kennedy. Instead the church gave him a 21 gun Catholic salute upon the POS’s demise. Screw them!! BTW. . . hope you’re lovin the afterlife Ted!
Palin/Corapi ‘12
Thanks for the information; I had only found what was written briefly in another page related to the link after commenting here. I have to say, not knowing anything prior, that in his story there, his statement here, and what you’ve just posted, there are several red flags immediately up. I wish him well with his new endeavor in any case.
‘You are for all practical purposes assumed guilty until you can prove you are innocent. This one is truly baffling. No civilized society operates that way.’
Bears repeating: No civilized society operates this way.
End of story.
Unfortunately, the further I progress in my process of formation, the more I tend to agree with you.
Unfortunately, the further I progress in my process of formation, the more I tend to agree with you.
A ping to update you on the (Father) John Corapi story.... 8^(
Fr. Corapi is correct in that the system put in place by the bishops is fatally flawed. More innocent, good men have been hurt and maligned to the point of broken hearts than have been proven guilty. The whole reaction to the Scandal and the measures put in place for "justice" have been anything but. This is one case where the wisdom of the Church in carefully and deliberately thinking through the issue and being sure it is done correctly to the point of being glacial was ignored much to everyone's detriment.
Please never be ashamed of your Catholic heritage: The history of corrupt priests in the Church goes all the way back to Judas - and he was picked by Christ!
Despite these bottom dwellers (that we still must pray for), the church moves forward, offering salvation to sinners, so long as we the faithful members of the church DRIVE it forward...
I'm bothered by the fact that Fr. Corapi has made this announcement on his own, without any word from his superiors. That makes me very uneasy.
Has he been done an injustice? Quite possibly. However, the saints were likewise persecuted and calumniated, often by the church hierarchy itself, yet they bore these trials with patience and humility. I'm thinking of Padre Pio's suspension, for instance, for a period of...was it three years, or so? He could have yelled...."I've got the dang stigmata, they can't do this to me!"....but he didn't. He simply prayed and waited.
As for Fr. Corapi, it's not at all clear to me what has happened here. It sounds like he's saying....."I could be suspended and in limbo for a very long time.....therefore, I'm quitting in order to continue my speaking ministry."
I hope I'm wrong in that analysis but if it's true, he's making a very, very big mistake.
Prayers for him and this very difficult situation.
Begging your pardon, Father, but once you leave the priesthood you'll discover that our tax system has always operated like this. In addition, you'll find that the rest of the government is rapidly following suit. It's called Administrative Law, and it's replaced the Common Law you may have heard about.
Once you leave the priesthood, get a copy of the US Code, the CFR, and your State, County and Municipal Codes and Regulations. Stack up the books, and look at all of them, and remind yourself this simple truth: you are guilty, 24 hours a day, of every violation in those books, the moment anyone in government, at any level, wants to accuse you of anything in them. Then you have to pay your own money to prove your innocence, while they use tax money an as many people as they need to come after you. And when you're done, if you win, they can start all over again - forever. And if they win, even once, they can take everything you have away from you and throw you in jail - if they don't kick in your door and shoot you first. And every one of them is completely indemnified and untouchable, even if they murder you.
You thought you understood the world your parishiners live in, but you didn't. Now you will.
Remember how often Saints are made after "silencing." The first one who comes to mind is St. Padre Pio. We are not without weapons or advocates in this battle.
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the battle. Be our refuge against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May GOD rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, by the Power of GOD, cast into Hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who wander about the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
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