From the National Catholic Register tonight. Speaks volumes, with more to come:
However, Father Gerard Sheehan, regional priest-servant of SOLT and Father Corapi’s religious superior in the U.S., confirmed June 19 that the order’s investigation faced complications created by a civil suit filed by Father Corapi against the former employee who had 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. Father Corapi paid her for this. Father was suing her for a breach of contract,” said Father Sheehan, though he did not specify why Father Corapi had initiated the non-disclosure agreement.
The civil suit against the former employee created a problem for SOLT investigators.
“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,” said Father Sheehan.
“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,” he said. “We tried to continue the investigation without speaking to the principal witnesses.”
The investigation was halted after Father Corapi “sent us a letter resigning from active ministry and religious life. I have written him a letter asking him to confirm that decision. If so, we will help him with this process of leaving religious life,” said Father Sheehan.
He expressed disappointment that Father Corapi chose not to remain in SOLT and to refuse the order’s invitation for him to live in community, leaving his Montana home. Father Sheehan said he had tried to arrange a meeting with Father Corapi before any final decision was announced, but had not heard back from him. Father Sheehan said that SOLT would issue a statement shortly.
“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,” Father Sheehan said. “We will continue to move pastorally and charitably, taking steps to protect his good name.”
Read the rest of the story here.
[…] SECOND UPDATE: FATHER CORAPI’S SUPERIOR SPEAKS OUT: SHOCKING DETAILS […]
“From the National Catholic Register tonight. Speaks volumes”
Hows that Gerard?
“Speaks volumes” because an employer who has not done anything evil and unjust, unless he is protecting his industrial/manufacturing secrets or the agency belongs to top secret operations of the government, does not need to ask a leaving employee to sign “a contract that she would not reveal anything that happened to her” in the company. Fr. Corapi is hiding something. If he has not done anything evil why is he afraid to be transparent. Most likely he has his own dark side.
Gerard…why are you surprised?
Anyone with an ounce of observational skills could see that the guy was acting. Anyone with an ounce of brain power could see that a priest who lives on a ranch in Montana/charges people for every word that comes out of his mouth/and has no regular sacramental responsibilites…is a lone ranger and is operating on his own terms.
For a reason.
his poor mother…
I’m no PI or PHD, but, is it possible that the civil suit was filed prior to the allegations being made by the accuser? Perhaps the allegations were made as an attempt to have the civil suit dropped. My dad died last year, my mom lost a lot of weight, was very ill-had shingles, recently had to buy new clothes and dyed her hair. She looks a lot different than she did a year ago.
“Secondly, he has confounded his own canonical investigation by filing a civil suit.”
Yes Gerard, preists have rights too.
” Why the gag order on this woman and the other employee witnesses? That’s pretty damning stuff.”
No, it’s not. Being a popular preist as he is, there will be people out to get him. He has learned from sex abuse cases about the many preists who were wrongly accused (my own preist had to leave for 2 years because somebody made an accusation that he touched them inapropriately 30 years ago.) Again, preists have right too. Sounds to me he did all the right things here
[…] Update: Father Corapi’s Superior Speaks Out: Shocking Details. […]
[…] UPDATE: Father Corapi’s Superior Speaks Out: Shocking Details. […]