The pictures chronicle the sad story. As I move on, I’ll have the Divine Mercy Novena for Father Corapi in a new folder entitled “Priests” in the “Category” panel to the right. I’ll continue to pray for Father Corapi, but there is little left to do for a man who can’t see that he’s drowning, and who keeps batting away the life rings being thrown to him.
Again, for Father’s distraught followers, the Church has no shortage of excellent spiritual guides as priests, deacons and religious men and women. In the words of the black sheepdog, Onward!
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Anton LaVey?
Wow..that’s what I was thinking!I don’t know this Father Corapi(as I am not Catholic), but I was just thinking to myself how that last photo of him resembles Anton LaVey.
What is it with folks and their inclination to pile-on people who are down. This whole Corapi thing, just like the Casey Anthony situation, people just seem to pile-on and pile-on. Is it about lifting themselves up at the expense of the person whose being piled on? Let us keep this man in our prayers. I found the following of interest:
http://www.almostnotcatholic.com/2011/07/why-i-didnt-convert-for-father.html?m=1
Make a great day!
Donald,
I’ve been encouraging prayer all along, and just ran a Divine Mercy Novena foe him. That said, I posted this to show the urgency for continued prayer.
I will also pray for the brood of vipors in the ‘Catholic’ blogosphere. They’ve been exposed as much as Father Corapi has.
Is it just me or does it look like his eyes look more open, kinda like a brow lift?
I will also pray for the brood of vipors in the ‘Catholic’ blogosphere.
I count myself as part of the Catholic blogosphere (minus the scare quotes) and while I have not said word one about the Fr. C affair on my blog, I’ve read commentary on others and most of it has been fair and factual with only an occasional touch of snark (like this which is directed more at Fr. C’s defenders than him), so this is too vague with a “I’ll pray for you [and the horse you rode in on]” quality to it to be helpful.
If the allegations are true, I think it would be helpful to us all to learn, if possible (without encroaching upon his privacy), what steps were involved in his soul becoming vulnerable to obvious serious opression or even posession by evil spirits. In his ministry he started out as such a strong faithful promoter, defender & lover of our Catholic faith….now it seems he has returned to the vices of his pre-Christian days (in his bio, all these things are what he was into before his conversion). Something re-opened his soul to the evil spirits of his past taking hold of him again, particularly addictions to drugs, alcohol, sex, money and material posessions. We are living in times of tremendous spiritual battle & we should not give up on him, each other or ourselves, but pray ardently for each other (“but for the grace of God, go I”). I have seen other very holy people fall tragically & unexpectedly, but with the support of fellow believers & God’s grace, they are able to be delivered, healed & restored to a Holy Spirit-filled life in Christ. Jesus never gives up on us, and He works all things together for good for those who hope in Him.
“I’ve read commentary on others and most of it has been fair and factual with only an occasional touch of snark”
Yea, right, dream on. See your friend Mark Shea or Frank Weathers or Elizabeth Scalia, Archobolds, and many more. Not only have these scoundrels attacked Fr Corapi, they also attack people who like him.
This post has cured me of any budding interest I may have had in trying “Just for Men Brush-In Color Gel, Mustache and Beard, Jet Black.”
I just checked out Fr. Corapi’s website, http://theblacksheepdog.us/ for the first time, and although the Harley Davidson jacket is a surprise at first, 🙂 I have to say that I hope everyone takes the time to read his articles posted there. He gives disturbing insight into how unjust the current process is for investigating accusations against priests. From all he writes in those articles, my strong inclination is to believe that he has been falsely accused — not only that but the possibility that there is a huge conspiracy against him even from w/in the Church. Please understand I love the Church w/ all my heart & that is why I’m ok with admitting to anyone that there is tremendous corruption in it now. This isn’t new – it started with Judas. St. Francis of Assisi fought it, St. Catherine of Siena fought it. It does not take away from the promises Our Lord made about the Church, it just means that leaders and members within the Church will sometimes become corrupt. If we love the Church, we will do as St. Francis & St. Catherine – we will work for holy reform from within, passionately. Our Lady has warned in Her messages to Fr. Gobbi of this time and this corruption, and in all Her messages has asked us to pray & do penance for the Chuch & world. But the gates of hell will NOT prevail against the Church, which is the Body of Christ Himself. So we have hope, joy & peace as we pray for guidance on how to be St. Francis & St. Catherine now – to lovingly work & pray for reform in our Church. The Church is holy, but many of her leaders are choosing today not to be holy & they are persecuting holy priests like Fr. Corapi. Check out this great article by Fr. Gordon J. MacRae, a falsely accused priest in jail, http://www.thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/good-bye-good-priest-father-john-corapis-kafkaesque-catch-22/#comments and also check out Michael Vorris & RealCatholicTV at http://youtu.be/PYGim9-7FEI. Fr. Corapi points out he has been under attack w/o Church support for 10 years, so if he has wandered at all from the straight & narrow a little bit maybe with some vanity or whatever, we should be very compassionate because spiritually he’s probably exhausted, and tempted probably by depression, etc. (betrayal hurts & that’s what he’s been dealing with). We gotta give him and all priests our love, support & prayers.
Yea, right, dream on. See your friend Mark Shea or Frank Weathers or Elizabeth Scalia, Archobolds, and many more. Not only have these scoundrels attacked Fr Corapi, they also attack people who like him.
Well at least you named names, so we are getting somewhere. Now all we need is a concrete example of where they said anything unjust that couldn’t be backed up with facts.
Margarita,
I’ve bent over backwards in fairness to Father Corapi, but I believe that he is dead wrong here. He cannot claim that the Church’s process is unfair when he refuses to engage that process. Why not let it play out and THEN become the black sheepdog, or whatever. SOLT’s version of events has the ring of credibility compared to how Father has conducted himself in all of this. False allegation or no, a good priest does not take his following with him, away from the bishops. There is no life for Catholics apart from the Magisterium, and Father knows this.
He is playing a deadly game of duplicity. On the one hand, he encourages the faithful to stick with the Church, while on the other he excoriates the bishops for injustices not yet committed. ‘The process is unfair, so I won’t go through it.’ For those followers such as yourself, he has convinced you that there is a huge conspiracy against him from within, meaning the bishops. No priest of good moral character impugns the bishops as a body in such a manner. SOLT has said they have evidence of past drug abuse, and if this is so, it would explain such paranoid ideation.
We follow Jesus, Margarita, not a black sheepdog rebelling against those invested with Apostolic Authority. If John Corapi admitted guilt to every allegation against him, he would not be laicized. He would be sent to rehab, and then brought home to SOLT to live a life of quiet penance and wholeness among his brothers. He would still say mass, hear confessions, and anoint the sick. In short, he would be restored to his priestly ministry within the community. But Corapi’s love is evidently NOT a love of the priesthood, but of being in the limelight, of his property, of the lifestyle he had as a layman, and which he has recreated as a priest.
He has chosen, and it isn’t the priesthood.
As to Father claiming to have been under attack for 10 years, his entire 20 years as a preacher are one big lie if he can’t carry his own cross while encouraging us to carry ours, all while charging admission and living rather well. The truth is that priests serve at the pleasure of the bishops, and can have any or all of their faculties, such as preaching, removed for just cause.
But we’ll never know the truth, because Father Corapi simply walked away. I’m sticking with the bishops, imperfect as they are.
“Well at least you named names, so we are getting somewhere. Now all we need is a concrete example of where they said anything unjust that couldn’t be backed up with facts.”
Screw, go read their posts on Corapi yourself.
I haven’t read anywhere that he was laicized – rather that he chose to step down from active ministry as a priest. Fr. Gordon J. MacRae gives an excellent explanation of the reason Fr. Corapi chose to do so: http://www.thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/good-bye-good-priest-father-john-corapis-kafkaesque-catch-22/#comments and also check out Michael Vorris & RealCatholicTV at http://youtu.be/PYGim9-7FEI
I love the Church and would die defending Her. That is why I’m also willing to take an honest look at the extent of the crisis the Church is in. It’s painful and hard at first to admit to it, but when we recall that Our Lord Himself and St. Paul warned of wolves in sheep’s clothing emerging from our very midst, when we recall that one of the first Bishops at the Church’s very beginnings betrayed Our Lord, and when we look at various saints down through history who have been instruments of reform in the Church in other timeperiods where great corruption had entered in, we realize that we need not be afraid to see it. Jesus promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church. So our hope, peace & joy need not be shaken as we see the crisis. If we do not allow ourselves to see the full extent of it, we may hinder how the Holy Spirit wants to use each of us in our own way to work for the renewal of the Church, like St. Francis of Assisi & St. Catherine, etc. Neither Fr. Corapi nor Michael Vorris are suggesting ALL Bishops have gone astray, but they are stating facts about various ways that many Bishops in America & elsewhere are disregarding Canon Law, Our Holy Father, etc. in various ways, one of which being the “Zero Tolerance” policy here in America against accused priests. If you read Fr. Corapi’s article about it on the front page of his website and Fr. Gordan MacRae’s article above, you’ll see that in fact it goes against Canon Law, Civil Law and the Natural Law. True love for the Church does not turn a blind eye to corruption but prayerfully, bravely, humbly & lovingly seeks ways to be a part of the Holy Spirit’s work of renewal. This “Zero Tolerance” policy is actually having the effect of silencing & stripping priests of active ministry for indefinitely long periods of time at the mere, unsubstantiated accusation of inpropriety (& in Fr. C’s case, the accusation is about an adult, not a minor): the accused are presumed guilty until proven innocent. That is tyrranny pure & simple & should make us shudder. Michael Vorris does an excellent job of showing how corrupt elements in the Church here in the U.S. have been collaberating with Socialists for decades – I know that sounds like wacko conspiracy theory at first, but keep in mind Lenin’s “40 year plan” to defeat America via infiltration of our media, schools, seminaries, churches, govt., etc. Ex-KGB officials have publicly admitted to orchestrating the infiltration of Catholic & Protestant seminaries. We mustn’t be afraid or think that we are being disrespectful to the Church by pointing out the fruits of this infiltration, but rather trust that JPII, Pope Benedict and most especially Our Lord Himself would have us cry “Wolf!” when we see those wolves dressed in sheep’s or shepherd’s clothing in our midst which He warned would come.
Dr. Nadal,
As a Catholic Convert, and as a person who used to love to listen to Fr. Corapi on EWTN on Saturday nights and on the radio, I really think I have a unique perspective on this.
Even the Holiest of Statues have feet of clay. Whatever has happened and whatever has transpired, does not detract from the truth that Fr. Corapi spoke. We must be “Gentle as Doves and Wise as Serpents.”
It is incumbent upon every Catholic to read their Catechism, attend Mass, go regularly to confession, and do works of Charity. Fr. Corapi preached and encouraged that. Despite whatever failings he might have, had, or was engaging in in his personal life can never discolor or diminish the truths he spoke and they were no less valid because of his failings. The Truth is Absolute and Eternal and is always vastly superior to its conduit.
Further, I was a serious Corapi fan but I must say, that his online statement never actually DENIED anything. The statement basically said that there was bad evidence against him and condemns a flawed process.. This is typically the tactic of a person who is guilty of an act and chooses a “systematic” defense rather than an “evidentiary” one, e.g.., “I might be charged with pre-meditated murder, but since the prosecution cannot make its case and can only prove that I was present when the murder happened, you must release me.” Re-read his statement very carefully and you can see how truly ambiguous his denial is.
Any Catholic who regularly reads and studies his or her Bible and Catechism, and follows the Church teachings, traditions and Magisterium should have no difficulty identifying the presence of wrong headed thinking no matter the level where it lies. That is the real Heritage of Fr. Corapi. Sadly, our teacher has forgotten his own lessons and we are remiss if we do the same. All we can do is pray that he seeks forgiveness as we all should, follow his promised vocation as he vowed and as we vowed during our marriage ceremonies, and submit to the authority of the Church as we all promised.
May we continue to pray for him, not make ad hominem attacks, and leave the cheap shots to the protestants liberals reveling in his troubles. What always amuses me is the atheists, libertarians, and social liberals are the ones who defend everything as morally equivocal but are the most vociferous when condemning someone who at worst has done nothing more than act just like them. May we take the high road, pray for his soul, and continue defending the Faith and act as models of Charity worthy of emulation.
Blessings,
Charles M. Saunders, J.D.
Jasper,
Perhaps it’s the late hour, but I’m not following your comments.
Some thoughts here. Corapi took a vow of poverty, from what I’ve read, and one of the things his superiors mentioned in the letter posted on the SOLT web site last week was that he broke that vow, having luxurious homes, cars, etc. How could all of that have escaped SOLT? Wouldn’t his superiors have assumed he was making a fortune from his books, speaking and so on? Couldn’t/shouldn’t they have clamped down on at least that aspect of the things about which he is under suspicion? (Forgive me if this has been covered. I’ve read most, but not all, of the Corapi posts.)
Also, I am always suspicious of anyone who makes money and becomes a “name” while selling faith. I think most people like Corapi get into evangelization because they really believe in whatever they’re selling (figuratively), but once the selling becomes literal and lucrative, and limelight beckons, a line is crossed and what is sold is themselves; they become the product. It’s one thing to make money to cover costs. It’s another thing once a profit is made.
Anyway, sad times.
” all while charging admission and living rather well.”
so what, how else do expect him to travel and teach? He’s donated alot of his money too.
..and by the way, many, many Bishops are a bunch of spinless wimps who have led so many souls astray.
Go BlackSheepDog!! expose them for who they are. Name names! Let em have it!!
Screw, go read their posts on Corapi yourself.
Screw? Behold the fruits.
Jasper,
First, I just found your email from several weeks ago as I was cleaning out my spam filter. I’ll be replying later today.
I have no problem with a priest being paid, and being paid well to preach the Gospels. Paul tells us to pay a good preacher twice what we would have. That isn’t the point. If you read all of my articles on Corapi, beginning with the first several months ago, I have been one of his greatest defenders in the Catholic blogosphere, and I STILL maintain that unless a child is involved, or the rape of a woman, the Dallas Charter is misapplied when applied to priests having consensual relations with adult women.
I have also skewered the bishops on their handling of proabort “Catholic” politicians. I don’t shy from being the prophet either. The great difference is that I make specific assertions based upon specific behaviors. To hear Corapi, he speaks of some nebulous conspiracy on the part of bishops unnamed. I’ll wager you this, Jasper. Corapi will not sue SOLT for libel, slander, or defamation over its recent press release. That would mean his having to release the nondisclosure agreements he has former employees and witnesses under, and a full airing of past events. Those nondisclosure agreements (plural!) are damning stuff.
In the final analysis, this is what we have:
A priest who has grotesquely violated his sacred vow of obedience.
A priest who has slimed the bishops (as a body) with unsubstantiated, unspecified allegations of corruption.
A priest who wouldn’t even give the Church investigation a fair chance before denouncing it as unfair and corrupt.
A priest who has paid six figures in hush money to a woman, and forced others into similar gag orders.
A priest who asks the people to trust him over their bishops.
A priest who eschews the opportunity to live in community and function as a priest there, in favor of retaining his amassed wealth and lifestyle.
I have read his site. I’ve read it all, and he turns my stomach with his rank hypocrisy. I have defended him to the hilt, and now count myself among those whose trust and benefit of the doubt was betrayed.
He has traded his priesthood for a million dollar ranch, luxury vehicles, boats, a dock, and a Harley Davidson Jacket, all the while sliming the bishops. Classic cult leader behavior, and if Corapi is justifying his hypocrisy by suggesting that there are bishops who are hypocrites too, then a pox on both their houses. However, the answer to spineless bishops is reform. The same for a priest who used his priestly office to reclaim his prior lifestyle.
To me, he looks like he is traveling back in time in his mind, as if he is reliving something from long ago. Remember that Father Corapi ravaged his mind, body and soul with drugs, alcohol, sex, and associations with people probably involved in the occult for some years of his life prior to his conversion. These things can leave deep scars that Jesus can permit to remain in a man to remind us of our weakness. Pray for his psychological healing. St. Dymphna is a powerful intercessor in heaven in these cases.
Honestly, I don’t think I know who is right or wrong in this whole sorry thing.
But I gasped when I saw that last picture. What a change from 10 years ago when I heard Corapi speak. 😦
Dr. Nadal,
Your “final analysis” is the best summary I have seen thus far…thank you.
[…] Korzeniewski and Gerard Nadal post what they hope will be final comments on the Corapi case, offering some interesting […]
Dr. Nidal
You wrote
“A priest who has grotesquely violated his sacred vow of obedience.”
Corapi did not take a vow of obedience.
“A priest who has slimed the bishops (as a body) with unsubstantiated, unspecified allegations of corruption.”
You may be right. I did not read that statement. And lest we forget for the past 50-years of the Scandal the Bishops as a body (with a few heroic exceptions) enabled and protected predatory priests while failing to protect innocents.
“A priest who wouldn’t even give the Church investigation a fair chance before denouncing it as unfair and corrupt.”
The “Church” or rather SOLT suspended Corapi without Canonical due process. After Corapi complied with the suspension SOLT publicized another wave of accusations against Corpai. Hardly an investigation.
“A priest who has paid six figures in hush money to a woman, and forced others into similar gag orders.”
It is called a non-disclosure.They are voluntary, lawful and common. A non-disclosure cannot prevent a person from testifying about criminal matters.
“A priest who asks the people to trust him over their bishops.”
If true that is serious. I did not run across that one.
“A priest who eschews the opportunity to live in community and function as a priest there, in favor of retaining his amassed wealth and lifestyle.”
You have evidence of his amassed wealth?
There are as I right several hundred priests unlawfully celebrating the sacraments on a regular basis in the USA. There are also several thousand priests who publicly disagree with the Church’s teachings on points of faith and morals. Corapi has accepted his suspension. He has not challenged Church doctrine. For that we should be grateful.
God bless
Richard W Comerford
Richard,
At every ordination to the priesthood, there is a vow of respect and obedience to the bishop and all of his successors. SOLT has indicated that Corapi has taken vows of poverty and obedience, and they are holding him to both. Are they lying?
Dr. N:
“At every ordination to the priesthood, there is a vow of respect and obedience to the bishop and all of his successors. ”
“SOLT has indicated that Corapi has taken vows of poverty and obedience”
No. They have not. SOLT is not a Religious Order. It cannot demand vows from its members,\.
SOLT, as a society of apostolic life, may ask for a promise of obedience. However said promise must be in writing, signed and witnessed.
Much of the problem in the Corapi case surrounds his irregular relationship with SOLT.
God bless
Richard W Comerford
Richard, You’re spinning here. SOLT has ordered Corapi home under obedience. He took a vow at ordination, and they have a right to demand, and expect obedience from him, regardless of whether it’s a vow or promise. The man is a renegade at this point. I’m inclined to believe SOLT.
And Richard, I’m giving you the last word on the topic before I close comments and move on.
God Bless
Dr, N;
“You’re spinning here.”
Words matter. There meaning matters also. There is a significant difference in both Canon and Civil law between a promise and a vow. Both are reduced to writing, witnessed and the obligations of both parties clearly stated.
“SOLT has ordered Corapi home under obedience.”
That is my understanding.
“He took a vow at ordination”
No. He did not. This is significant.
“and they have a right to demand, and expect obedience from him, regardless of whether it’s a vow or promise. ”
SOLT is not the Waffen SS. There is a limit to the lawful obedience that SOLT or any organization can demand of its members.
“The man is a renegade at this point.”
I suspect that he may have been a renegade for years.
“I’m inclined to believe SOLT.”
It is not a matter of belief. It is a matter of Canonical judicial process. And there has been none.
I have gum shoed around several of these cases. I have had a chance to talk to other gum shoes, lawyers, victims (to include innocent priests) and advocates. I personally do not know of a single case wherein the Chancery or the Organizational leadership has acted honorably, followed Canon Law or complied with the demands of simple justice. The relationship between Bishop, Superior and Corapi is that of father to son. What father publicly accuse his son of consorting with a prostitute? The example for Corapi’s Bishop and Superior should be the parable of the prodigal son not Donald Trump.
God bless
Richard W Comerford
Richard,
Thanks for your thoughtful comments. With them, I am closing the comments on this thread and moving on. I wish Father Corapi all the best, but our work here is the pro-life movement, and out of respect for Father’s staunch pro-life preaching, I have given him the benefit of every doubt in my posts. I’ve come to some firm conclusions in the process, and entrust Father and the entire mess to God’s omniscience and mercy.
I trust the rest of the Catholic blogosphere will follow further developments.
Comment here any time Richard, you are most welcome.
Comments are now closed.
[…] life of his priesthood taking a backseat to the preaching — I don’t think it served him well. I don’t think he was ever as free as these stable, committed monks, and frankly, I felt […]