Posted on 06/30/2011 2:23:34 PM PDT by NYer
A former Sacramento priest and nationally known speaker has filed a lawsuit against the woman who accused him of sexual misconduct.
The Rev. John Corapi, who served as the director of Catholic Faith Formation in Sacramento in the 1990s, filed a lawsuit in the 11th Judicial District Court of Montana, where he now lives. He alleges that his accuser committed libel and that a letter she wrote to his religious superiors contained "numerous false, malicious and unprivileged statements" about the priest. He is suing for punitive and unspecified compensatory damages.
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests on Wednesday publicized Corapi's lawsuit, which was filed in April.
"I think it is reprehensible that he would sue her," said David Clohessy, national director of the victims rights group. "Clearly, he is trying to intimidate her." He said a priest suing his accuser is unusual.
Corapi could not be reached for comment.
Corapi is a popular and well-known Catholic speaker who appeared regularly on TV, where he celebrated Mass and delivered powerful homilies.
He was placed on administrative leave from the Corpus Christi Diocese in Texas after the accusations in March. The allegations did not involve minors, according to officials in the Corpus Christ Diocese. On June 17, Corapi resigned from public ministry.
In the lawsuit, Corapi said the success of his ministry depends on his reputation and his position of a priest in good standing.
Corapi was a well-liked priest who drew standing-room only crowds when he spoke. Sacramento diocesan officials told The Bee in March that they no longer have any connection to the priest.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Good for him. My feeling regarding Fr. Corapi’s actions over the last couple of weeks was that he wasn’t going to take this laying down. And I think in this day and age, this is exactly how innocent priests are going to have to respond. I realize Padre Pio never sued anyone, but it’s a far cry from those days.
Fight the devil everywhere.
Clohessy’s professional career includes working as a community organizer in low income neighborhoods, and as a union organizer representing low wage workers. >>>
so, he’s a socialist, par for the course, socialists/marxists want to destroy the rcc, so we now know his motives.
Would he be able to rejoin the priesthood after his name is cleared?
Something to think about.
He is scary strange.
I am very surprised that a clerk would give you that information. They are not allowed to divulge any info relating to litigants.
Sounds like that clerk needs to be fired.
yes, Corapi couldn’t do this as a priest, but as an individual he’s suing the lady for libel. Next, sue her lawyers.
Exactly -- one can make a false accusation and even if this is proven false the stigma remains and can ruin that person's life.
Makes sense to me.
A very odd news article. It says that he filed a lawsuit, which is a public record. Why didn’t the author read it and give us some specifics from the petition and response?
Lawsuits are public, not confidential. The accuser is Tamra Sexton-Sprinkle, who was in November 2009 very close to Corapi:
http://www.fathercorapi.com/Webpage.aspx?WebpageId=31&CategoryId=25
“”...I have recently lost my closest ally and co-worker in the history of my ministry. My God-daughter Tamra traveled well over a million miles with me, worked very hard, and enabled more than 300 events, often the only person working in my office and assisting me. Her husband Matt is mostly responsible for all of the videography and technological growth we have enjoyed. They are moving on to other things, and although my heart is broken at the loss, I can only wish them every blessing for the future. Their hard work and talent blessed millions of souls through the years. Sometimes it is brutally hard to go on, for all of us. Yet, time will go on with us or without us.””
He also mentioned that he does not see how Rome could get involved in the matter as it stands.
Certain aspects are public, yes. But a CLERK can only give out name of litigants, docket number and next court date to anyone outside the litigants and their attorneys.
I deal with this on a daily basis.
So my comment stands, if a court clerk is telling strangers that the accuser is a ‘close relative’ and ‘virtually pemmiless’, she/he needs to be fired.
Sounds good to me, we are not supposed to sue one another but whats good for the goose should be good for the gander.
Adjudicated lawsuits are public. Ongoing lawsuits are not necessarily public.
I pray he does!
What if the woman’s claims prove to be true in a court of law?
What would that make Corapi?
Good post — I agree completely.
May Fr. Corapi’s decision be a signal to other unjustly accused priests: they can fight back, and by sacrificing their privilege of priesthood so that they can fight libel, they can help the Church too.
If the claims were true , I do not believe Father corapi would leave the Priesthood to make sure they stop.
My guess is that the guessing will soon be over, when the court is done with it.
Methinks SNAP doth protest too much...
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.