SOLT PRESS RELEASE – July 5, 2011
HOW IT STARTED
Father Corapi made his first announcement in March 2011:
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. I have been placed on “administrative leave” as the result of this… All of the allegations in the complaint are false, and I ask you to pray for all concerned.
EWTN removed his programs from the cable network:
In EWTN’s thirty years of existence, the Network has never knowingly aired programming featuring any priest whose priestly faculties have been suspended. The Network has always responded consistently and immediately in such situations by removing such programs from the air. We are obliged to do so in obedience to the discipline of the Church. Father John has long been a friend of EWTN and many of us have worked closely with him throughout the years. He is a tremendously gifted preacher who has led many souls to Christ. We are doing exactly as he has asked and supporting him and everyone involved in the situation in the best way possible, through our prayers.
Many of us were unfamiliar with the nature of his SOLT religious community:
The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity is a community of disciples of Jesus and Mary composed of all vocations: priests, deacons, brothers, sisters and single and married laity. The Society was founded in 1958 and has been approved by Rome as a Society of Apostolic Life. Ecclesial Teams are the basis of our community life as well as the means by which our missions are staffed. A complete Ecclesial Team is composed of at least one priest, religious and lay person or married couple. At the present, the International Headquarters of Our Lady’s Society is located in the United States, in the city of Robstown, Texas under the Diocesan jurisdiction of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas. In looking forward to when The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity achieves Pontifical Status within the Church, the International Offices will be transferred at that time to Rome, Italy.
There was a clarification from the lucrative company, Santa Cruz Media, over which Fr. Corapi was identified as the CEO:
Santa Cruz Media, Inc. is the owner of all of Fr. John Corapi’s intellectual property and the DVDs, CDs, and books that flow from it. We are a secular corporation and not affiliated with the Catholic Church in any way. As such, we are not under the jurisdiction of any bishop or other official in the Catholic Church, although we have the utmost respect for Church authority.
Here is my FACEBOOK comment from March 2011:
FATHER JOE: Priests are men under authority. Fr. Corapi, himself, says that they cannot play games with their promise of obedience and others should respect this. If Father Corapi’s faculties have been removed and his ministry suspended, then EWTN was morally required to take the action they did. Hopefully the matter will be resolved and he will be restored to his place on television and radio. Having said this, the sale of media (audio, video, web and print) would also fall under “ministry.” Given the situation, Fr. Corapi could certainly require Santa Cruz Media, Inc. (an extension of his ministry) to suspend sales and distribution of his materials. I suspect that the good priest is innocent, but there is much to which we are not privy. Prayer is our proper posture at this time, not ridicule of episcopal jurisdiction in the Catholic Church.
WHERE IT STANDS NOW
ON JUNE 17, 2011 AN ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE BY FATHER CORAPI THAT HE WOULD CONTINUE MINISTRY BUT NOT AS A PRIEST IN GOOD STANDING. IT IS A VERY SAD DAY.
FATHER JOE:
(June 2011) I have not blogged about this matter until now and I am not comfortable about posting on it. This issue has gone beyond Father Corapi and could harm the very souls for whom he has confessed concern. Already on the social network sites, his fans are taking sides with him and attacking the Church. This has quickly become a very dangerous situation, another reason why cult worship of religious media personalities should be discouraged. Our faith is in Jesus and the Church, not in preachers with impressive rhetoric and militant attitudes.
This business has gone sour and Father Corapi, as much as I hate to say it, is duplicitous in saying (on one hand) that the bishops have a right to do what they are doing and then (on the other) to malign them for violating his rights and daring to impose discipline upon him. He is a priest and cannot pretend to be anything else, as with this pathetic “black sheep dog” foolishness. His failure to shut down his multimillion dollar business was an early sign that he would not obey the demand of the bishops to suspend public ministry. Now he is taking it to the next level. Faithful Catholics have no choice; in tears and anguish, we must leave Father Corapi. Pray for him but do not participate in his pretense of obedience while he is actually disobedient. True humility would have him submit and accept the Cross. His obstinacy insists that no one will tell him what to do– that was the trouble with his independence all along. More grievous than any genuine or false indiscretion with a woman, the skirting or outright violation of obedience is the greatest possible failing for any priest. Everything from his assignments to the moral life is covered in his fidelity to the Church and Christ. He is to discern God’s will in his obedience to the bishop and his superiors. Evidently, he has become a dissenter on the nature of priesthood and its obligations, as well as upon Catholic ecclesiology. While on “administrative leave,” a suspended priest can neither preach nor teach religion; his intention to do so anyway would be a movement toward the Protestant camp, no matter what the message.
REMARKS ON HIS STATEMENT
FATHER CORAPI: 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.
FATHER JOE: The problem is that priesthood is not merely a job we can change or a hat we can trade for another. Even if the priest is laicized, he is configured to Christ as a priest, forever. If he cannot engage in public ministry, then he cannot do so in any fashion, even if he drops his priestly title or goes under a pseudonym as in a superhero’s secret identity. [It is rarely permitted, but sometimes a laicized priest can give religious instructions with permission of the bishop if it is generally not known that he was a priest and no scandal would result. Fr. Corapi is too well known for this exception ever to apply.] The label “Black Sheep Dog” is a literary fiction without meaning. It says nothing that would grant him an escape from Church censure. He is a suspended priest who has no faculties for preaching or publicly teaching the faith. That means he cannot do it— even on the Internet or with books or with audio/visual media. If the Church authorities want him gone, and it is uncertain who he really means, then he should pursue his canonical rights in private. He has opted not to do this. Suspensions can take a year or more to resolve. He did not last three months! That is hardly the image of a tough former Special Forces military man. (But wait, we found that this part of his biography was a fabrication. We will let that fact check go given his more serious troubles.) Of course, he may acknowledge one important grain of truth; he may indeed be “unfit to engage in public ministry as a priest.” It should be said that all priests are unworthy. The best of priests fall short. If he were sincere then he should fight for his priesthood, no matter how much time it might take to be restored to ministry or good standing. However, such must be done within the system and among the fraternity of his brother priests. He should hold his tongue about how he feels about the process and treat the bishop, his superiors and the Church with trusting respect. A priest who caricaturizes the Church as the enemy is burning his bridges. These latest remarks have ignited a fiery inferno. Fame and fortune should mean nothing to a good and humble priest. He might argue that the Church has forced his hand, but every faithful priest knows this not true. The laity may not clearly understand this situation. Our lives and obligations are very different. He may want to step away from his priesthood, but a priest he is, and that means that any public ministry without ecclesial approbation will be PROTESTANT ministry, not Catholic.
FATHER CORAPI: 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.
FATHER JOE: Notice how quickly Fr. Corapi uses the word libelous. Would he resort to the civil courts to punish any in the hierarchy who would dare challenge him, his importance and his resources? He says that he loves the Church and so I am hoping that he will not. Nevertheless, are the assets of his “for profit” company fully his or do they belong to the Church? I suspect they are in his name. We might see a fight about this yet. In his own mind, he is the Church’s great defender. He is Superman, Batman and the Green Lantern all rolled up into one. His fans echo his own conviction— “Oh how will the Church survive without him?” In truth, the Church will fare perfectly well without him. But, if he decides to pursue this BLACK SHEEP DOG nonsense, it is possible that he could inflict great harm upon the Church and cost good people their salvation. As for the bishop’s actions, it confirms what I suspected, that SOLT was impotent in reigning in this isolated Lone Ranger priest who had made religion into his own personal big business. Let me be fair, he may not have started out expecting this happen. But the media can make celebrities of anyone, even religious leaders. When fans tell you that you are wonderful, their praise can be seductive and the person can become addicted to adulation. This is deadly for the minister of God. Everything we have is gift. Every priest should be the poor man– the sinner who seeks to bring God’s mercy to other sinners. Fr. Corapi did some incredible work. My fear is that everything might now be undone.
FATHER CORAPI: 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.
FATHER JOE: And who are these canon and civil lawyers? Was there an appeal to the Congregation for the Clergy in Rome? No, I doubt it. My suspicion is that Fr. Corapi refused to cooperate with the process. Maybe he never understood what the Catholic priesthood was really about? His promise of obedience was not selective and he had indeed surrendered certain rights. He promised celibacy and gave up an important natural right to marry. His overall promise of obedience meant that he would speak for the Church and not for himself on matters of faith and morals. In a negative way, it also meant that he would not speak if the Church so deemed. His faculties to say Mass, to hear Confessions, to preach and to publicly teach, all fell under lawful authority. He was to function as an extension of the Church and his bishop. Now he is claiming that such a promise of obedience conflicts with his “civil and human rights.” He should reflect more intensely upon the biblical scene where Jesus washed the feet of his apostles. The first must be last. He was called to be a servant, not the Master. Demanding large audiences and tens of thousands of dollars for talks is not the way of humble priests. The Pope could give him a lesson. We call the Holy Father the “Servant of the Servants of God.” This word “servant” can be translated as SLAVE. In any case, I guess Fr. Corapi wants his own version of freedom, but he will pay a terrible price for his alienation from the true Church.
FATHER CORAPI: 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.
FATHER JOE: The sheep dog has no occupation separated from the chief shepherd or bishop. A dog that runs after the sheep on its own is not a true sheep dog, but rather we use another name for that canine… we call him a wolf. If people leave the Church or attack our bishops over this scandal then I would suggest that Fr. Corapi change the name of his blog and new label to BLACK WOLF.
FATHER CORAPI: 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.
FATHER JOE: Those who collaborate, defend and buy his products will be offering material support to a suspended priest. In other words, he will be making his sin, their own.
Dear Fr. Corapi, reconsider what you are planning to do. Speaking as a brother priest, (if I were in your shoes), before bringing spiritual harm to others and scandal to the Church, I would have preferred to “quietly lie down and die.” But in actuality, the Church is not asking you to do this. We want you to live and to offer oblations for God’s people. You are a priest and your prayers to heaven have power even if they are said from a lonely monastic cell. You do not have to shout from the housetops to be a good priest. I know my words are critical and I might sound harsh, but I am thinking both of you and of your followers. We all make mistakes. We are all sinners. Sometimes we speak out of turn. We become frustrated and afraid. Old demons try to reclaim us under new guises. Be strong! Be a man! Be a priest! Be a faithful son of the Church, no matter what the personal cost.
The complete statement by Father Corapi is available on THE BLACK SHEEP DOG site.
CALLING BLACK SHEEP DOG BACK HOME
UPDATE
Joan Frawley Desmond writes a masterful and eye-opening article for the National Catholic Register (June 19) on the Fr. John Corapi scandal. Not only his fans, but his dear friend retired Bishop Rene Gracida were apparently duped by the famous media priest. Incardinated into the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), Fr. Gerard Sheehan, his religious superior, revealed that the process and investigation into possible misconduct was complicated by Fr. Corapi, himself. The priest had gone ahead and filed a civil suit against the former employee who 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. Fr. Corapi paid her for this. Father was suing her for a breach of contract. 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. 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. We tried to continue the investigation without speaking to the principal witnesses.”
If innocent of wrongdoing, why did Fr. Corapi pay employees to sign a non-disclosure agreement? About what were they not supposed to speak? Evidently he did not like where things were going and so he sent SOLT in writing his resignation from “active ministry and religious life.” This brought the investigation to an end. This insures that no report will be published. Fr. Sheehan noted that he sent him a letter in return asking for confirmation.
As I suspected, the society was offering him ways to save his priesthood and he decided not to do so. He refused to leave Montana and live within a SOLT community. He refused to meet or talk with his superior. He refused to live according to their rule of life and the changes approved by the Holy Father. It seems that his failure at obedience went far deeper than anyone could have imagined. He maligned a Church that was very patient and fair with him. He cast himself as the victim while orchestrating something entirely different behind the scenes. It makes me want to weep and weep and weep.
His superior stated:
“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. We will continue to move pastorally and charitably, taking steps to protect his good name.”
His autobiography, BLACK SHEEP DOG, was in the works for some time which indicates that this break from ministry as a priest was planned all along.
I mentioned earlier that this business brings into question the oversight or lack therefore over members by such societies. Why was Fr. Corapi not living in conformity with SOLT’s 1994 constitution? There is no good answer, except that the society looked the other way. Fr. Sheehan assures us that the rules will be enforced in the future:
“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. 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.”
I also mentioned months ago on FACEBOOK that while his home and operations were in the Helena diocese, he had no faculties from the bishop to engage in ministry there. This shows the depth of his free reign and lack of ecclesial supervision. All the Church is insisting upon now is what should have been in place initially. Despite what Fr. Corapi says against the bishop of Corpus Christi, the official diocesan news release stated “that SOLT authorities had initiated the action to temporarily remove him from active ministry.”
I suspect that Father (Mister?) Corapi will have a spin on these new revelations, with an appropriate marketing pitch for his media products and books. This tragedy may make a cynic of me yet. But I hope not, such is also not befitting a priest.
A PRAYER FOR FR. CORAPI
I have offered Mass and prayed for Father. There is a frenzy about this subject that I did not really anticipate and which makes me uncomfortable. We really need to love him. If he has disappointed us, we need to forgive him, too. Below is a prayer I will share with you. I sometimes compose my prayers and will be saying this regularly on his behalf. God bless you all!
Dear Heavenly Father,
We want to bring to you in prayer our beloved priest, Father John Corapi. It is hard to know what is going on and our trust has been sorely tried.
He has inspired us with his example of reform and instructed us with his sound Catholic teaching. He has proclaimed the Gospel without equivocation or apology. He quickly became a rock of truth in a world filled with compromise and deception. He defended the rights of the unborn when so many were silent. While the Church was rocked with scandals involving the clergy, here was a towering figure that seemed to epitomize both real manhood and priestly courage. We listened to him on the radio and watched him on television. While a few saw him in person, most of us came to know and to love him through the modern communications media. Millions had the opportunity to encounter him, and through him, the Christ whose kingdom is breaking into the world.
We desperately wanted him to be a saint and yet he himself reminded us again and again that like all the rest of us, he was a sinner. We all fall short of the glory of God. Today, however, he faces a serious personal trial and perilous choices. Many of his friends have abandoned him. Others deride him with no regard for his priestly dignity and all the good work he accomplished in your name. Still others seek to defend him by defaming the Church he has always loved.
The facts are becoming clearer, but we do not know what is going though his heart and mind. If he is angry, please Lord— grant him the gift of a tranquil heart and the patience to endure all things for Christ Crucified. If he is fearful, please Lord— let him know that you are with him and that he need not be afraid. Many temptations face us all, but priests in particular face the worse assaults of the devil. If he has fallen, pick him up. If he remains standing, then give him the courage to embrace humility and truth in the coming storm. Even brave men sometimes need a greater share of courage. Do not allow him to run away from his high calling. He participates in the high priesthood of Christ; there is no more crucial vocation. Let him know that even if he should be reduced to poverty and have to minister alone in prayer or to the smallest congregation, that the oblations of such a priest still have infinite meaning and power.
Promises are made to be kept. Father often spoke about this in regard to the sanctity and dignity of the marriage covenant. He made promises as well— to be a servant of all by embracing a life of celibate love and of obedience to the voice of Jesus in the bishops and his superiors. Preserve him in your grace and defend him against the sins that afflict him, particularly that of pride and of despair. As long as there is the breath of life, there is hope. Let him embrace this hope and put on the mind and the heart of Christ in the Church.
When it seems that a great defender of the Church is suddenly in an adversarial relationship with her, it is easy to see that something has gone terribly wrong. It is our prayer that this beloved priest will surrender his life and his work, all that he is and all that he has done, into the loving arms of the Church over which the Blessed Mother gives the protection of her mantel of mercy. Dear Lord, we know you are not finished with him yet; but we also know that no service to you can be authentic and fruitful if there is a denial of his priestly office. Help him to see this and to know the graces that will testify to your truth and glory.
Amen.
Filed under: Bishops, Catholic, Church, Corapi, Evangelization, Faith, Priests |
Blogger Priest 
I rarely if ever post comments to any site, but some of the postings here are quite disturbing and I felt i should contribute my lowly 2 cents. One post in particular by “phineas” exhibits exactly what satan does best: Deceive and confuse. Phineas’ post is so wrong and misguided on so many levels, I don’t even know where to begin. The hate seething from it is bad enough, the claim that most priests are “gays and pedophiles” is patently false and ignorant of facts, and the rejection of the church to follow one man who has separated himself from it is misguided to say the least. I also love Fr Corapi, and still pray for him, but his recent actions are disappointing to say the least. My faith is in Christ… not any one man. And to have such venom as displayed by people like “phineas” only adds to exactly what satan wants: the fall of someone who saved so many souls, the destruction of the church, and the splintering of the faithful. St. Micheal… pray for us!
IAgree with most of the points Fr. Joe has made concerning the Fr. Corapi Saga. However, how many more priest must be falsely accused (not counting Fr. John) and reputations and lives destroyed before the Church changes its process concerning accused priest. Remember Fr. Joe we could be the accused tomorrow!
God Bless Father John Corapi for his stance against the very flawed process the Catholic Church uses for priest who are accused of any form of impropriety. I am sure that his decision to leave the priesthood has devastated him emotionally. Fr. John has my support and is in my prayers. Perhaps Fr. John will be the very instrument that God will use to wake up the Church and change this very unjust process!
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:27-29
God Bless,
Fr. Chuck
Dear Fr. Joe,
Thank you for your post regarding Fr. Corapi. I commented on his new blog yesterday that he wasn’t leaving the priesthood and seemed to have found a loophole to continue preaching while still being obedient to Holy Mother church. It wasn’t unti I read these comments of yours (above) earlier this a.m. that I realized how wrong my understanding was so I thank you for the clarification. However, after reading your comments here on your blog, I then checked back at Fr. Corapi’s new blog again and saw a comment from a priest and now I’m more confused than ever. Here are the comments from the priest who refers to himself as “Fr. Mike” if I may re-post them here for your reference and that of your other readers:
The faithful have a voice and a right to have it heard particularly when a bishop acts out of order. And there is a proper channel for doing this that is to send a letter to the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington DC, but first a word about the handling of Fr. John’s case by the local ordinary.
Because Fr. John’s community is a Society of Apostolic Life of diocesan right and not pontifical, the local bishop (the Bishop of Corpus Christi) has final authority over this matter of discipline not his religious superiors. The bishop in disciplining Fr. John seems to have acted unjustly. I say this because I am not sure if any formal decree was given to Fr. John to suspend his faculties, likely only an oral obedience of what has become known as “administrative leave”, which is within the bishop’s power but in cases like this can very well result in the abuse of this power.
The Church law is clear that when a cleric is penalized, as Fr. John has been, it must always be by means of a formal process that has an official beginning and ends with a final judgment. A priest cannot simply be left in legal limbo without a resolution of charges that resulted in a penal action. Technically what has happened to Fr. John is a penal action and the Church is clear about when such action can take place. Canon 1341 states that a penalty can only be imposed as last resort (after lesser means have been attempted to “repair the scandal, restore justice, reform the offender”) and can only be applied as the formal outcome of an administrative or judicial process. And this outcome always gives the defendant opportunity for appeal to higher authority. I do not believe that either a true administrative process or a judicial process was begun here, which is implied by Fr. John’s level of frustration. Hence, if there was no issuance of a formal decree that began and requires an end to the legal process, then there is no means of appeal.
So was there a decree issued that began this process and which formally suspended Fr. John? I sincerely doubt it. And here is where voices need to be raised because this is not the first nor last time that such an injustice has occurred within the “internal” matters of Church discipline. In point of fact the Holy See is very sensitive about defending the procedural rights of the Christian faithful especially when rights have been violated by an unjust act of governance on the part of a member of the hierarchy. In almost all cases, appeals against such acts of governance that deal with the right of due process are successful and result in those unjust acts being overturned.
I note that there is another grave question surrounding this whole affair, which we are all very aware of. This is the scandal against the reputation of Fr. John himself. Canon 1390 §2 states that “A person who offers an ecclesiastical superior any other calumnious denunciation of a delict or who otherwise injures the good reputation of another can be punished with a just penalty, not excluding a censure and canon 1390 §3 states that a calumniator can also be forced to make suitable reparation. In short, a calumny as grave as this would likely result in the greatest censure or penalty if the calumniator (in this case a lay person) refused to make suitable reparation… that is publicly recant. This is another reason that a formal process ought to have been initiated and concluded: so that Fr. John’s good reputation could be saved and justice restored if indeed he is innocent as we all presume.
All of the above leads me to understand why Fr. John has capitulated as he stated, “I can tell you that the most likely outcome is that they leave me suspended indefinitely and just let me fade away.” In summary I question the procedure followed in handling this accusation against Fr. John. I believe the problem for Fr. John is that there was no official decree, no formal order on the part of the local ordinary to suspend him from his priestly ministry, just an obedience channeled orally through his community’s superior. In such case there is likely nothing for him to “to have in hand” as a means to appeal with, which explains Fr. John’s apparent frustration with the handling of this accusation against him.
In the case of bishops who have acted questionably the course for the faithful to take is to write to the Apostolic Nuncio. Even if a letter or phone call does not produce any change in Fr. John’s situation it will at least be a means for stemming future injustices from occurring for some other innocent priest falsely accused. As the promoter of justice for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (which handles the most serious delicts against clerics) Monsignor Scicluna recently stated in a press conference:
“Moreover, each faithful has the right to express his concern about the diocese directly to the Holy See, through the nuncio. My work has made me appreciate very much the activity of the nuncios, who represent to the local community, not only to the governments, the closeness of the Holy Father. People must know that they can turn to the nuncio when there are issues that have repercussions in the pastoral ministry of bishops, but not to denounce them, but to say: ‘We have confidence in the ministry of Peter, which the nuncio represents; we have a concern, and we have the duty, not just the right, to present it to Peter.’ This possibility also forms part of the education of the ecclesial community.”
The Apostolic Nuncio represents the Holy Father to both the bishops and the faithful. His name and pertinent contact information is:
************
Fr. Joe, I left out the Papal Nuncio’s contact info because I don’t know if it is proper to contact him or not. I’ll leave that to your discretion. I’m now more confused than ever. What is really happening in all of this? Has Fr. Corapi been thus far denied his due process (as Fr. Mike points out)? Is Fr. Corapi being disobedient by launching his new blog and moniker as I understand your comments to indicate? Is it both? Are both the church investigative process and Fr. Corapi handling this poorly so far?
This situation is not good for anyone. I love and cherish Fr. Corapi and want him to remain a faithful servant obedient to Christ and His church. I love and cherish Holy Mother Church even though I know she is not perfect at all times and in all things – especially those matters relying on human weakness. Nothing will make me question Her Magisterium and I don’t want to be led astray. I don’t want Fr. Corapi or any of my fellow faithful to be led astray either. This situation is also not good for EWTN, a network I also love and cherish. They are down in their donations right now and need us to rally in our support for them and I fear this whole mess with Fr. Corapi could hinder donations in some way. We need them to broadcast the voice of the Eternal Word into the airwaves over the entire globe at every minute of every day. Jesus’ voice must not be silenced.
We the faithful, Fr. Corapi, and Holy Mother Church need to come together and heal but right now, I don’t yet see how that’s possible and I’m deeply saddened by this whole nightmare.
Phineas’ response is indicative of a HUGE problem – one that has been noted by a few others, here: The ardent fans of Corapi’s are truly condemning us – our characters and our very souls! – because we dare to question his *actions” and to express loving concern about the ramifications of said actions for both the man himself and for all those unthinking, gullible, sycophantic followers
I’m a Lit Major. We play a little game called Character Analysis, in which we look at characters in a story and analyze them based on their actions and, to a lesser extent, their words (mostly – do their words conform with their actions? What do the words reveal in light of action?) It’s a useful tool for Real Life, I’ve found.
I would urge every man and woman capable of rational thought to try this. This is not a well-scripted movie where Sherlock Holmes comes out of disguise to reveal something wonderful – this is reality, the Church! and the rank disobedience, defiance and downright contempt of a famous priest are creating horrible divisions among the brethren.
Fr Joe is right – on the one hand we have a celebrity priest who cannot just lay down his priesthood and become a common citizen. But on the other hand we have a man who is adding layer and layer upon layers of disobedience to the Church he claims he loves. This ought to alarm us all.
you may not be very high up, but you are definitely in league with those big cat church leaders that fr. corapi mentioned yesterday!
he is right, you are the true enemies of the church!
you want to silence fr. corapi because he is telling on you all!
the catholic church is a house filled with vermin and you want to chase the cat out before he gets any of the church mice!
you will all suffer perdition for your hypocrisy, especially priests like you who turned on one of their own!
i look forward to the new church that fr. corapi will start and i for one will vote him as pope!
the church is greedy and wants his money, well you will never get it!
i am so sick of these bishops who think they can tell people what to do and then they themselves do what they want!
fr. corapi is my priest, my guru, my spiritual master, indeed, he is my hero in every way!
if the catholic church is too good for him than it is not for me either!
unless the catholic church apologizes to fr. corapi and the bishop who did this is punished, i will not step back into a catholic church!
my family may even move out to where fr. corapi is so that he can care for our spiritual needs!
he is a real man, not like so many gays and pedophiles who hide out behind their cassock skirts!
you hate fr. corapi because he is a real priest and a real man, and you are not!
judy who comments here is dead on right, you all sicken me and you most of all!
betraying a brother priest, you are no priest to me!
you are the wolf, you are the liar, you are the mean-spirited hate monger, you are the enemy of the church!
if you read this, we love you fr. corapi and will always be true!
those who hate you can go to hell!
I do not understand where everyone got the idea he was leaving the priesthood. He never said that. He said he was not going to be dong his public ministry as a priest (whch one cannot do anyhow because the Bishops have removed him from them). They do that with every priest that is accused of even a hangnail…..how does one get that confused on translation I ask you?
Father Joseph, I share your concerns.
I feel that Father Corapi thought he’d found a way to ‘fix’ things,
instead he has created a far worse mess, polarizing and confusing many.
Lord have mercy on him, upon all those who say they will faithfully follow him regardless, and those who are disillusioned by his choices and by the storm that includes harsh judgments. As you said, Father, May God “Give us strength, Lord. Forgive our sins. Change hearts and minds. Make us one.”
So many amazing condemnations coming from this blog……….just amazing………..what is that line about the plank in your eye????????????
Thanks, Father Joe: Your comments, explanations, charitable attitude make me proud of priests like you — the best and smartest (Now, don’t let that go to your head.)
Mac – Houston
Dear Father:
I beg to differ on certain points you made regarding this matter. If there is a time when Father Corapi is no longer Father Corapi through legitimate dispensation he then is free to make a living as he sees fit. If he continues with this media whatevers or whatever line of work he chooses, then that’s his business, no one else’s, and the customer base he creates is what it is. None thence incurs sin by supporting him or being his customer. Were he to be destitute on the street, then throwing him a scrap is equitable?
Are we to suppose then giving aide, benefits and work to illegal immigrants thus allows one to share in their sin of disobedience to lawful authority?
Thank you for your time, Father. God bless.
Well said Fr Joe – let us pray for all priest who are under spiritual attack. Fr John Corapi especially needs our prayers now, that he may take his eyes off himself, his ego and his wealth and follow Jesus as he initially set out to do…Let us pray too for his “fans” who are so bedazzled by their ‘hero’ that they cannot see how badly Fr John Corapi has strayed from the true path and how unwilling he has been to follow Christ in taking up his cross…how he is in disobedience to his superiors whom he has vowed to obey. I know it is not easy to obey when you feel
those in authortiy are not doing the right thing according to you. I know the process for dealing with accusations is very flawed and the priest accused seem to be hung out to dry. BUT striking out into the wilderness alone is very dangerous, especially when you have a lot of blind sheep following you and no authority above you to reign you in…. I call on all who read this blog to join in the prayer Father has composed. Let us pray that Fr John Corapi listens to the Holy Spirit…let us pray for his healing, that the truth be revealed, the Truth, whether it reveals Fr John Corapi is innocent or guilty, will set all free. “All have fallen short of the glory of God’, we all “poor children of Eve, so feeble and frail”, we all mess up at times. But there is forgiveness, God is a God of mercy and compassion.
What really worries me are all the fawning messages of support and encouragement I have seen on the blacksheepdog website – there are only a few begging Fr John Corapi to come to his senses and reconsider his chosen course of action. Let us pray as that is all we can do at present. I watched his conversion story, I was very moved. He has had a tremendous influence on many lives. Let us pray that all who have followed him remember the message as separate from the messenger who is, after all, a mere human being like the rest of us. Let us invoke the power of the Holy Spirit to fall upon him with the gift of wisdom and discernment. Let us pray for all priests, those relatively unknown who quietly go about doing the work of God and especially those in public ministry, the ‘stars’ who are a threat to the prince of darkness and perhaps need more prayer! Let us pray for priests who have been unjustly accused and sit in jail, unable to function as priests. Let us pray for those priests who have really abused and failed and who need our prayers too. We as a flock need good shepherds, shepherds who are prepared to lay down their lives for their sheep as Christ did.
Let us pray for our bishops who have to deal with these dreadful situations, that they actions always follow after much prayer and discernment. Let us pray for a fair process to be developed in dealing with accused priests.
A brother who followed the life of stillness in the monastery of the cave of Abba Sabba came to Abba Elias and said to him, “Abba, give me a way of life.” The old man said to the brother, “In the days of our predecessors they took great care about these three virtues: poverty, obedience, and fasting. But among monks nowadays, avarice, self-confidence, and great greed have taken charge. Brother, choose whichever you want most.”
Maggiesmom,
Technically, not all priests take a vow of poverty: diocesan priests are permitted to own property, though there is to be a general sense of propriety and simplicity in it.
SOLT is not yet technically an order. Apparently, part of Fr. Jim Flanagan’s vision for the society was to give priests a little bit of leeway as missionaries. According to Fr. Sheehan’s interview with the Natiorinal Catholic Register from March, the SOLT, in its attempt for recognition as an Order, changed its Constitutions in 1994. Part of this change was requiring a vow of poverty and requiring priests to live more in community. The “arrangements” for Fr. Corapi and other members were kind of “grandfathered” in. It wasn’t all that big a deal till Fr. C became really famous and won his lawsuit. Then he was started to live a lifestyle that really wasn’t representative of the Order’s ideals, and Fr. Sheehan has been trying to reign him in for some time. Of course, his fans insist on a different narrative, that the SOLT envies Corapi’s fortune.
Father Joseph,
Thank you so much for helping me to see the light. I must admit I was confused and saddened as to how to react to this situation. You have brought clarity to me. Thank you Father. I am deeply sorry I recently bought some of his dvds (a few weeks ago). I will never buy anything more from him or his company until and unless he once again becomes a priest in good standing with the Church. I hope and pray, as I know you do, that he will return to the Church and submit to her.
It has been a very difficult journey being a Catholic (I am 44 years). I saw so many abuses in my childhood and teenage years I cannot count them. I saw Father Roberts removed from active ministry and now Father Corapi. Both of them seemed to speak the truth, and I am sure they did. But truth mixed with major amounts of hypocrisy leaves one empty instead of full. Thank God there have been a few local priests I still respect and Archbishop Chaput is great. However, please God no more scandals.
God Bless,
Rich
VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE TO REVIEW::
http://abyssum.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/a-few-thoughts-on-father-corapis-announcement-yesterday/
I continue to pray for all our priests and those in religious life.
I am extremely sad with the actions that Fr. Corapi has taken. I get a chill down my spine every time I think of his pride and the many bad fruits it is causing. We need to pray for this man, pray that God will give him the grace of true humility and for Fr. Corapi to make an about-face and apologize to the world, go live in a SOLT hermitage, and seek peace with the Lord.
The problem is that we are all flawed human beings, including those in authority within the Church.
First the Church makes HUGE mistakes coddling gays and trying to hide the inevitable sex scandals that resulted. Then they totally cave to the political pressures of the secular world, and over compensate to curry favor and apease the beast at the door. So to say that Corapi’s duty is to accept the cross placed upon him by superiors who are acting in this way, totally without courage, is ludicrous. It’s like an abusing husband asking his wife to accept the cross of his abuse.
There is clearly a plethera of factors influencing this case, however. Corapi is not acting like an innocent man. Nor is he acting like a priest with the courage of his priestly convictions. He seems to place an innordinant importance on his own pursuits. He is acting more like the young real estate entrepenaur of his youth than a Catholic priest ordained in Rome.
On the other hand, everything I have read recently has raised more questions in my mind than answers. It may be that Corapi is acting perfectly within his rights as any reasonable innocent person might. The presumption of guilt is evil no matter who exercises it. And the fact that certain members of the Catholic Church are applying it to cover their exposed [vulgar word deleted] and assuage their critics, does NOT make it right.
The need for caution regarding celebrity religious not withstanding, we need sharp, Faith filled, passionate, orthodox, and zealous people in ministry. We need John the Baptists and St Pauls. To throw someone of this ilk under the bus at the first whiff of unsubstantiated impropriety is to act with a immoral lack of courage on a criminal level.
I was blessed by Father Corapi’s ministry. I am deeply dismayed that he has left the priesthood. His decision to do so does not speak well of him. But if he is innocent, then the actions of his gutless superiors are culpable for allowing this to reach this level of fevered pitch. It is all a [harsh word deleted] shame.
John “Black Dog” Corapi may be ascerting his rights and moving forward with his life in accordance to his own selfish business and personal interest. The Hierarchy has circled the wagons and covered its [vulgar word deleted]. Looks like Father Corapi is the only casualty of this battle. Father Corapi is the victim of this fiasco.
We MUST pray for ALL involved, because only Christ can sort out the snowballing affect of the evil that has been unloosed on the world today.
Tom
[phone number deleted]
Father Joe, I grieve for Father Corapi and for all of you priests. I grieve for our Church during this time of ugliness. And I pray for you. But for whatever it’s worth, Facebook is much quieter tonight (Monday, June 20) than it was last night. I’m not sure, but I think many of the people who initially supported Father Corapi are coming to their senses. A page has been set up to support Bishop Mulvey, and that seems like a good thing. Perhaps we are seeing a small amount of light at the end of the tunnel.
Certainly it would have been salutary for Corapi to have been obedient, far more than for him to be a celebrity. A sad note is that the article in last night’s NC Register indicates the Superior for SOLT asked Corapi to come to live in the community, and he refused.
Sheep dogs are supposed to work only under the direct supervision of a shepherd. When they start working the sheep alone, they endanger the sheep – they’re recognized as rogues, and they’re shot.
St. Michael the Archangel, Defend us in Battle.
LAURA’S EARLIER COMMENT
DON’T YOU BOTHER ME, YOU WOLF. KEEP YOUR ‘SO CALLED PRAYERS’. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS A MESS STARTING WITH YOU LOOKING IN THE MIRROR. I HAVE SEEN ENOUGH HYPOCRISY IN MY OWN PARISH.
Fr. Corapi has, by his own words, told us he was raised poor, that he found great wealth in LA and then found himself destitute and living on the street. Thereafter, once becoming a priest, he found great wealth through a civil fraud complaint against a physician and hospital and a modicum of success with his media company. He now owns a ranch and, no doubt, has a heavy capital investment in his media company due to all the recording equipment it must own. I think the threat posed by having to give that all up, immediately, and live in a frugal manner as a member of a religious community may have been too much for him to handle right now. I am not surprised that he has non-disclosure agreements with his employees – they are quite common in entrepreneurial companies – and wouldn’t read too much into its existence with this complainant. The fact that no early resolution of the canonical claims seemed likely left him unable to work to continue to support his lifestyle and his financial investments. I’m not excusing what he’s done – I don’t understand all of it – but I cannot condemn him for making the choices he has made. He is obviously under a lot of stress right now and I will pray for him.
Thanks, Father.
It grieves me that so many people are following Fr. Corapi blindly. In the past I always thought his preaching was right on when I listened to him. Recently I saw he was on FB. When I started to review his posts, I was surprised at his fan base and how in awe they were of him. Almost to the point of idol worship. Then I saw his newest look. The bald head and black beard – he reminded me of Satanist, Antone Levey. I mentioned this and people defended him and his new look. Now it is making sense to me. The Black Sheep Dog was formed over a year ago. Another person said they heard him state at a conference that he won a big lawsuit, bought a home in Montana (I wondered at the time how could an order priest do this when they take the vow of poverty?) And that he was driving a fast car and motorcycle, going to the gym with a woman trainer. It just raised red flags for me. I thought he might be in jeopardy. Then the accusation on Ash Wed. Now his resignation as a priest. And the pathetic audio today where he accuses everyone, especially defaming the woman accuser as an alcoholic. It is sad to see people who will follow him over the cliff. Reminds me of the Jim Jones and the kool aid incident. The bible clearly warns of wolves in sheep clothing Matthew 15 9 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. And Matthew 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ 23 Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. 11 Depart from me, you evildoers.’
We all sin and fall short. Priests are as vulnerable as the laity. Follow no man, follow Jesus and His Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against you. We must pray for all priests and the people who blindly follow them. Especially priests who are preaching and teaching. My last thought today before I read you post was that he is leading a cult. Then I read your posts saying basically the same thing. It another sad day for our church and especially Fr. Corapi.
Father Joseph,
Thank you for succinctly saying what I have been trying to say. I admit that I have been uncharitable in the things that I have said about Father Corapi because I believe that at this point he is a schismatic and his new role will be to try to mold the Church into what he thinks it should be… And, to bring as many souls with him in the process.
The Black Sheeple Dog is probably a more appropriate moniker because there will be many sheeple who follow him.
How sad.
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