Posted on 06/20/2011 2:52:39 PM PDT by Pyro7480
As the Regional Priest Servant of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), I issue the following statement on behalf of the Society.
On 16 March 2011, the Bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas, and the SOLT received a complaint against Fr. John Corapi, SOLT. As is normal procedure and due to the gravity of the accusation alleging conduct not in concert with the priestly state or his promises as a member of an society of apostolic of diocesan right, Fr. Corapi was suspended from active ministry (put on administrative leave) until such a time that the complaint could be fully investigated and due process given to Fr. Corapi. In the midst of the investigation, the SOLT received a letter from Fr. Corapi, dated June 3, 2011, indicating that, because of the physical, emotional and spiritual distress he has endured over the past few years, he could no longer continue to function as a priest or a member of the SOLT. Although the investigation was in progress, the SOLT had not arrived at any conclusion as to the credibility of the allegations under investigation.
At the onset, the Bishop of Corpus Christi advised the SOLT to not only proceed with the policies outlined in their own constitution, but also with the proper canonical procedures to determine the credibility of the allegations against Fr. Corapi. We reiterate that Fr. Corapi had not been determined guilty of any canonical or civil crimes. If the allegations had been found to be credible, the proper canonical due process would have been offered to Fr. Corapi, including his right to defense, to know his accuser and the complaint lodged, and a fair canonical trial with the right of recourse to the Holy See. On June 17, 2011, Fr. John Corapi issued a public statement indicating that he has chosen to cease functioning as a priest and a member of the SOLT.
The SOLT is deeply saddened that Fr. Corapi is suffering distress. The SOLT is further saddened by Fr. Corapi’s response to these allegations. The SOLT will do all within its power to assist Fr. Corapi if he desires to seek a dispensation from his rights and obligations as a priest and as a professed member of the SOLT. We request your prayers and the intercession of the Blessed Mother for the healing of Fr. Corapi and for any who have been negatively affected by Fr. Corapi’s decision to end his ministry as a priest and a member of the SOLT.
Fr Gerrard Sheehan, SOLT Regional Priest Servant
I beg to differ. Corapi's appeal is that he talks like a man. Thousands of educated people are weary of lispy, effeminate priests sharing their "Love is Good" feelings from the pulpit. But personality cultism is never healthy, and that applies not only to the Corapis and the Phlegers and the Dales, but also to the Bojaxhius and Wojtyłas. Our faith should always be in Jesus Christ and His Church, not in the individuals who serve Him.
Smoke... fire.
He has been dealing with this nutcase for “years” and it has tired him out. This woman has been trying to extort money from him since his case against the heart doctors was taking place. That was in 2002. How much of this crap can a human being take. He is just human and has reached his breaking point. Maybe that is why he hasn’t looked that well over the past years. This could have been taking a huge physical and psychological toll all along.
He has posted an update to his former statement on his new site. He states that this woman and her husband are terrible alcoholics and that the woman actually broke into Santa Cruz media’s offices, assaulted an employee and had to be hauled off by the police. He stated that there is a police report to back it up. She is a nut that he reached out to to help and did many things for. One of those things may have been giving her his Rosary beads. She sure returned the favor.
I think that he has given up because he is tired of being left out to dry by the Bishop’s and not getting any support from those within his order and the Church in general. He also stated that he was accused of rape by a woman and received no help than either. It was later found out that the woman said that she was raped by him after he came out of her TV set. Yet another fruit cake whose accusations were taken seriously.
You hit the nail on the head when you said that he expected some loyalty from his superiors. He has done so much to help the Church and has brought many people back to it. It must absolutely kill him that it is not appreciated by them. It is appreciated by Christ though. That should give him some comfort.
When you get a job in any corporation like Santa Cruz Media, you are usually asked to sign a non disclosure agreement. It is not outside the norm to do so.
He has stated on his website that he was advised by a prominent Bishop to sue her because that would be the only way to get justice in this situation. Otherwise his case was going to be left to go on in perpetuity. It was going to be a he said she said scenario and the Church would have just left him in permanent suspension.
He sued after being advised by another Bishop to do so after the accuser had already turned him in to his superiors. As soon as they suspended him, it was already a no win situation for him. That was due to the way his case was already being handled within the Church.
I don't particularly care what his motivation is for speaking, however I have always liked what he had to say. At least you are willing to admit that he speaks the truth.
He preached well, and it was definitely above a sixth grade level. He inspired many Catholics to become stronger in their faith. He has also brought many people into and back to the faith.
If you are a Catholic, why don't you try being a little bit more charitable. If you don't care for him that is your right and your choice. I also have a right to like him without being insulted for it.
How do you know what he does with all of that money? I don't know, and you cannot honestly say that you do. He may do a lot of charitable things with it that he does not advertise. He was also employing a lot of people with it as well. Now all of those people will most likely be out of a job.
If there was anything that he said and preached that you don't like I would like to hear what it was. Otherwise spare me the character assassination.
Kicking a person while they are down is not a particularly “Christian” and not a particularly charitable thing to do.
How to clear the impasse? Drop the lawsuit against the accuser and release all parties from the non-disclosure agreements. Shine light on all of the evidence and the truth will come out.
John 3:19-21 (Phi) "This is the judgment: that light has entered the world, and men have preferred darkness to light because their deeds were evil. Everybody who does wrong hates the light and keeps away from it, for fear his deeds may be exposed. But everybody who is living by the truth will come to the light to make it plain that all he has done has been done through God."
Prayers up.
If he drops the suit against her, than that opens the floodgates for anybody else that feels like accusing him of just about anything they please. It will never end. Despite the fact that he has access to a lot of cash, those funds are finite. He would be in litigation with all kinds of different people forever. People just love jumping on the bandwagon. Especially when they smell money.
And as I said, a Bishop advised him to engage in the lawsuit to attain even a fragment of justice as it would be next to impossible for him to attain any kind of justice within the system of the Church.
A very wise analysis of Vatican II. May God bless you on your journey to Truth. I will pray for you and our Church.
I appreciate it, I can really use some prayer support about now for a number of reasons. I’ll add you to my prayer list, too.
“Corapi never should have been ordained a priest, if his background is as depraved as he seems to delight in describing.”
There are other people with “depraved backgrounds” whom the Lord has chosen to use as beacons of hope for sinners (St. Mary Magdalene, for instance).
If what you say is true, then I’m going to be sick.
I'll put it this way: assuming that Mr. Corapi is entirely innocent and has been falsely accused, what examples were there for him to follow?
John of the Cross and Lorenzo Scupoli (author of The Spiritual Combat) were priests falsely accused and were subjected to slow canonical processes and years of suspicion and marginalization. To this day, questions linger about Scupoli and have been the main impediment to his canonization.
Mr. Corapi has declined to follow their example, and the faithful will naturally find his decision troubling. They have to ask themselves a question: is it spiritually safe to continue patronizing Mr. Corapi, or would avoiding him be better? At this point, they have to wish him well, but walk away.
What about St. Paul?
Smoke ... smokebomb.
“What about St. Paul?”
Good example. When it comes to depravity, it’s hard to top murder (St. Stephen’s).
I do still like Father Corapi, however I do feel that you do have a valid point. People keep referencing back to Padre Pio and rightly so. He was in a similar situation and received it with Grace. It took ten long years(for him it must have felt like forever) before he was cleared and could go back to his priestly duties.
Maybe this was God's test for him. Maybe it was Gods way of saying to him “Job well done my son, it's time for your ministry to end”. I mean why not go back to your order and dedicate the rest of your life to contemplation and devotion to Christ? He is in his 60’s(not that that is old) and it's time to retire.
I tell you the more that I contemplate this, the more disturbed that I become. I just don't know what to say anymore. My heart is broken.
I will not however, come away from this disliking the Church. The people that run the show may disappoint me from time to time, but I know that I'm in the right place and I will not abandon our Lord no matter what! I will not become a heretic over this whole situation. It's hard to stay the course sometimes, but I have no choice for I love the Lord too much!
“John of the Cross and Lorenzo Scupoli (author of The Spiritual Combat) were priests falsely accused and were subjected to slow canonical processes and years of suspicion and marginalization. To this day, questions linger about Scupoli and have been the main impediment to his canonization. Mr. Corapi has declined to follow their example, and the faithful will naturally find his decision troubling.”
John of the Cross and Lorenzo Scupoli weren’t faced with the same set of circumstances as Fr. Corapi. Different time, different places.
Unfortunately, until recently, clergy sex abusers were coddled and protected by the hierarchy (until external pressure was exerted via the media and the courts). Presently, the exact opposite is occurring; the hierarchy is throwing innocent priests to the wolves, but this time, the media and the justice system aren’t taking the side of the underdog. It’s not reasonable or just to expect any Catholic, priest or laity, to submit to kangaroo justice as some sort of a litmus test of virtue.
http://www.thesestonewalls.com/
The current “process” is flawed and it’s a grave injustice to submit accused priests to such a one-sided procedure. Regrettably, the truth in Fr. Corapi’s case is more likely to be revealed through a civil process rather than an ecclesiastical one (as he has apparently been advised by a bishop).
It’s hardly the behavior of a guilty person to bring the matter to court, where the details will become public record.
Trust is earned, and can be lost. The hierarchy’s involvement in the clergy abuse cover-up does not inspire confidence or trust. Nor does the current political climate within the Church.
Yes, John of the Cross, Lorenzo Scupoli, Padre Pio, et al, chose to quietly endure charges made against them. It doesn’t automatically follow that a different response is illegitimate. Padre Pio was also known for blunt speaking and even angry reactions at times. Ditto the Cure of Ars. And of course the Lord was also forceful and blunt when the situation required it. The necessities of each situation dictated the response.
Passivity in the face of injustice isn’t always a virtue - only when it’s the Father’s will. None of us (except perhaps a spiritual director) can presume to know the Father’s will for another person, and we have no way of knowing whether the choice Fr. Corapi has made is in fact the Lord’s will for him (and perhaps ultimately a more difficult choice for him than any other he might have made).
Mary Magdalene was not ordained in the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Mary Magdalene was not charged with offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in persona Christi.
My point was NOT that Corapi was a sinner before he entered the priesthood, obviously that applies to almost everyone. My point was that there are special, no that’s not specific enough, UNIQUE qualifications one must have to be ordained. That’s why there is a careful process of qualification, a process which Corapi apparently failed many times before getting to “S” on his list of prospective religious orders.
You just go right ahead believing that if it makes you feel better. After all if it’s on his website it must be true.
The importance of Corapi to “the Church” and “to the hierarchy” and “the bishops” and “the USCCB” and all these other lofty entities I have now read 100 times on this and other blogs is miniscule. This is a blip in their day. Get it: tiny. This is so nothing. I bet half the USCCB have NEVER HEARD HIS NAME!!! He is not what you think he is.
Corapi is an entertainer using his collar to push forward his wealth-building and “cult” status. This is a very low-level matter in episcopal circles. Of course it’s a crisis for SOLT. But Corapi has always been almost a laughingstock to those on the inside, he’s like a side puppet show, not one of the big boys at all.
The people who are making a huge fuss, and clearly Corapi wants to goad them on with agitation with his constant announcements, YouTubes, etc, are just ordinary people like you who watched him on TV. These were his followers, the rest of the Church barely noticed him. Naturally you would be devastated now because you believed in him. He’s a good con man. But Bishops don’t have time for nonsense like this, much less higher levels.
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