Celebrity Priests??

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debraran

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Hi,
I want to say first off, if it wasn’t for EWTN and Mother Angelica, I wouldn’t of “come home” or any time soon. That said though, I wonder if TV has turned people like Fr.Corapi, Fr. Groechel and the other friars, etc. into celebrities, almost idolized the same way a star would be? When you hear that Fr. Corapi has 4-5 bodyguards ( I don’t doubt death threats,but come on) my lovable Fr. Groechel gets mobbed in airports,sent money in amounts that would rival other catholic charities,you have to wonder if it trickles down to any to the other priests and people serving God or just them. For example, Mother Angelica always said you had to remember who you represented, who was really doing the work, if for a minute you forgot, your ego would grow and you would start “being God” not his unworthy instrument. Being human we all fall prey to that, but it most be very hard for them. Father Groechel for example was a bit rude to someone who stopped him for confession, his missed a plane/train and it was for very veniel sins. They acted desperate, but it was that they wanted HIM doing it, not just any priest. He wouldn’t mind normally, but he said he is “just a priest” and has to do many things, he isn’t a celebrity, his absolution is the same as another priest. Father Corapi (whom I love) can be egotistical, saying how many people want him to come talk, how he loved the adoration he got before the scandals. In a sense, he had what he had before the priesthood in ego (not sins) with people begging him to say Hello, etc. He loves it and doesn’t shy away from it.
How does this all fit in with holiness? Do you think it’s a good thing to idolize, follow some of these speakers like a cult (some do) just because they are religious? I can see both sides I think, but I wonder if can be the ruin of some very good people too, just like it is with “regular celebrities”.
 
I think some people do idolize people, things, culture,money,life style, etc., which is against the first commandment. “I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other god’s besides me” (Exodus 20:2-3)

We are all weak and need God’s help with temptation. We must remember to place God above all things in this life. We can pray for our priests and those who might lose focus on Him. We must not judge, only God can judge.
 
I have heard that Fr. Corapi has bodyguards, but never seen it myself, so I don’t know how true it is.

Back to the question, there have always been celebrity priests, even before EWTN. Not many, but Archbishop Sheen comes to mind, as well as any pope (have you seen how St. Peter’s Square gets filled up every Wednesday?). The saints, I might consider as celebrities, though I’m sure they don’t/didn’t think so. I think people revere these people because they appreciate the message that’s being given. My ears perk up at the sound of Fr. Corapi’s voice, and I listen intently to what he’s saying. But as long as it’s the message, which is the message of Christ, and not so much the person, I think it’s ok. And as for the individual priest, you’re quote of Mother Angelica is right on. We all need to remember that it’s God who’s given the gifts we bear, no one else.
 
Yes, I agree with her 100%. She said when she would start to entertain a thought even leading to that direction, she knew she had to spend more time in the cloister than out.

I have read about the bodyguards in a few encounters with Fr. Corapi…one girl loved the talk but thought the 5 burly guys were a bit much. He mentioned death threats (never why) but she felt they did more to just keep people away. That part reminded her of a star signing autographs. But hey, he’s not perfect, none of us are and if he likes the attention, as long as he preaches the true church and doesn’t let it go to his head too much, he’ll be okay. It’s very hard to completely let go of your past, he always liked being liked (don’t we all) but you have to remember “who’s the boss”. One guy said he cornered him after a talk and asked to talk to him, he said 5 minutes, but did give him more. He asked when these temptations would end he was having and he quoted one his mentors, “a few minutes after you’re six feet under” or something close to that. They both laughed! : )
Father Groechel said he was humbled after his accident how well things ran for months while he was in rehab…he was genuinely shocked but smiled that all the friars got recognition also. When you think about it, so many of his friars and sisters work so hard everyday and no one says Thank you to them. That’s when you have to be careful you don’t put just 1 or 2 people on a pedestal.
 
debraran said:
…I have read about the bodyguards in a few encounters with Fr. Corapi…one girl loved the talk but thought the 5 burly guys were a bit much. He mentioned death threats (never why) but she felt they did more to just keep people away…
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The death threats Fr. Corapi received were related to the heart surgery scandal he uncovered in northern California. It put several doctors out of business and just about shuttered the hospital they did the surgeries at. The threats got so bad his order had to relocate him to another state for his safety.
 
I wondered at that! I’m just south of you in the Diocese of Oakland, and knew Fr. Corapi was located near Sac. Thank you for the information.
 
there is a Will Smith quote that i like - money/fame doesn’t change people, it only enhances what is already there.

not that i am criticizing anyone in particular. but if you’re cocky, you’re still going to be cocky; if you’re grumpy, you’ll still be grumpy.

our pastor has peacock tendencies and he is a small fish. imagine if he was a somebody.

the main problem is people’s need to be groupies. i think those people need therapy. the groupies squeal with glee when they see a celebrity and they have to touch them, they want their picture taken with them, they want a piece of them. would you like that kind of intrusion in your life? hollywood people want the fame, maybe some of the religious celebrities want fame too. but hopefully most of them are just trying to serve God in the way that He called them to.
 
His bio said a hermitage in Montana…but maybe he has more than 1 place to hang his hat. : ) I remember the medical scam suit, good for him, but I don’t think that threat would last too long, at least I would hope not. 😦

I agree with personalities not changing, the shy tend to stay shy, the impatient stay impatient (Father G and Mother A share this trait) and the “fans” think they are the first one to stop them or ask a question. It must be so hard not to be rude sometimes when they are but you do the best you can. If I missed a connection because someones “emergency confession” was raising his voice at his children, I’d have to say a few Hail Mary’s myself. 😉
I found myself in NYC with one eye out for a grey habit, anyone in his group really, but I wouldn’t do that for any religious group. If I did go to one of his charities, it would be to work all day, not a field trip spot to gawk…but I still realize the desire stems from seeing him on TV. If there was an unknown friary in another state, would I do the same thing??
 
debraran said:
…I remember the medical scam suit, good for him, but I don’t think that threat would last too long, at least I would hope not. 😦 …
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The husband of a person I work with is an FBI agent. As of last December they were still investigating Tenet Healthcare.

The cardiac part of it did end, but the investigation into Tenet Healthcare resulted in the finding of many questionable activities, esp. as related to medicare billing, nationwide and many lawsuits some of which are still open.
 
debraran said:
you have to wonder if it trickles down to any to the other priests and people serving God or just them.
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How many Rolls-Royces you seen Fr Groeschel driving lately? Any diamond rings or million-dollar mansions? Champagne and caviar? Private jets? Of course the money that goes to him is funnelled straight through to his work.

Remember that he was active in his mission well before he was well-known in any way, I don’t think he would have changed that much since.

Fr Corapi? Well, I’ve never heard him mention any of his own work without giving God the praise for it (which is a perfectly acceptable way to ‘boast’).

And he certainly seems to frequently mentions his own shortcomings in a very convincingly humble way.

But then I’m only going from the limited amount of his material that I have heard.
 
I wasn’t that clear, I didn’t mean they kept the money, I meant their “missions” got the money from their popularity and TV exposure vs other good groups that struggle. That’s the way it is in life, but I meant, do people reach out to other orders, etc. or just keep sending checks to them. I do, but I try to reach out to others, even looked up other orders that are smaller, more obscure, and see what their about. I kind of rotate since I don’t have much to spare. Father’s friars live frugally, sleep on the floor (although Fr.G needs a bed now) just take donations, etc. but they are “on the radar” of a lot of people. He talks of many good meals and dinners, etc. with friends, fellow priests. etc. along with fasting many hours also. He goes on trips, sees places I will never go.There is a balance.
I remember Mother A having other nuns on that lived in upper state NY or places that didn’t have internet, etc. and begging the viewers to send them money. She said, “we have much, they have very little”. I hope that is a little clearer.
 
debraran said:
I wasn’t that clear, I didn’t mean they kept the money, I meant their “missions” got the money from their popularity and TV exposure vs other good groups that struggle. That’s the way it is in life, but I meant, do people reach out to other orders, etc. or just keep sending checks to them. I do, but I try to reach out to others, even looked up other orders that are smaller, more obscure, and see what their about. I kind of rotate since I don’t have much to spare. Father’s friars live frugally, sleep on the floor (although Fr.G needs a bed now) just take donations, etc. but they are “on the radar” of a lot of people. He talks of many good meals and dinners, etc. with friends, fellow priests. etc. along with fasting many hours also. He goes on trips, sees places I will never go.There is a balance.
I remember Mother A having other nuns on that lived in upper state NY or places that didn’t have internet, etc. and begging the viewers to send them money. She said, “we have much, they have very little”. I hope that is a little clearer.
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It’s a natural and inescapable fact of life that there will be good groups who do well and other good groups who struggle. Can’t be avoided - not unless each person sends 1/50 of a cent to each group that’s out there, which is useless for any practical purpose.

I believe Father Groeschel has guests on his show, or who call in? Certainly Fr Pacwa does, I saw one a while ago with a sister who was a member of the Schoenstatt movement. So they do promote other causes than their own in this way. And I’m sure they help out privately where they can as well.

As for Mother Angelica … begs the question, if these are her nuns and she has more than she needs why doesn’t she send them money?
 
Maybe she does?? I don’t think she ever had with EWTN an abundance of cash, it ebbed and flowed because of the network kept growing, but they never had to worry about what to eat and she did mention helping when she could. She got gifts from her TV family as she put it daily, flowers, candy, food,religious items, knitted items,etc., she would joke, just keep sending it, it goes somewhere. I’m sure she didn’t want to say she gave some away but I’m sure she did. She only had to say she needed something and she got it, although growing as they were, it never seems to be enough. I hope quietly she did that often, not hurting anyones feelings, but being charitable. I think someone told me Bishop Sheen would tell people to please give to others around Christmas, don’t send him things because he’s on TV.
I did try to write down the other religious orders names that came on or look up other Poor Claire convents, Benedictine orders, things like that online. I found some very nice communities that were in need of a new roof or other repair and try to send my small offering there one month. I found, to my surprise, many warm replies, handwritten notes, offerings of prayers, etc. but in a more personal way.
As you said, there will always be good people and good religious groups that struggle, some just getting by or fasting more than they should, some eating well and traveling all over the world for retreats and visits.
That’s life…but I originally just worried about idolizing, following the person more than the message. That’s what has to be kept in check.
 
Jesus taught us not to do our good deeds “in order to be seen by men.” Amen, if that is the secret intention, we will have our meager reward. I like this warning from Proverbs 27:21, “As the crucible tests silver and the furnace gold, so a man is tested by the praise he receives.”

Hopefully, our hearts will be stern with ourselves when we find that a desire for honors is reigning there. It is a human tendency that takes a lot of God’s work within to enable us to overcome. If we recognize its presence, we can perform acts of humility to diminish it, and like St. Therese, develop an attraction to be hidden and unknown. But in reality, God is the one who will work passively in us to “humble the exalted” until the day when praise is no longer sought after, but rather God’s glory alone. Then publicity can be a road more safely traveled, but I suspect we will have to be on guard always, for the devil doesn’t sleep on the job.

With some religious, I have noted a few tendencies to bask in the limelight, but I consider that the just man falls seven times daily and try not to notice. 😊

Carole
 
I think that there are well-known priests who we regular people may make into “celebrities” in our minds but who probably are not into a celebrity lifestyle. I think that there are lesser known people who are into lifestyle over substance. (I have a friend with a priest who is all about the luxury car and expensive clothes which he wears instead of his clerics quite often.)

I worry more for the people who seem to hoard expensive things and live the lifestyle than those who are merely well-known and may have to take some special precautions when in public. A little prudence and advance planning is a good thing when anyone well-known is in a crowd because there are too many nut jobs out there today.
 
How does this all fit in with holiness? Do you think it’s a good thing to idolize, follow some of these speakers like a cult (some do) just because they are religious? I can see both sides I think, but I wonder if can be the ruin of some very good people too, just like it is with “regular celebrities”.

I feel that when Fr Corapi has his gate keeper tell me to basically go fly a kite with a much nastier wording. I feel it is time that they go to a monastery or to India and get a good dose of reality. We have a shortage of priests especially here in the Southwestern part of Missouri maybe Father Corapi needs to say mass for us little ones. Maybe he needs to go to the Trappist Monastery here in Ava and serve for 5 years. They are human and they switch one obcession for another. Father Corapi used to love the girls the lights the dice and booze now he swapped all that for his ego tripping church talks. He has a great message although so does Father _____ at our church. They all need to be “on stage” for a time period and take that same time off serving physically in places that need priests. Look charirty begins at home. We need priests and need them bad atleast here in Missouri so I feel send Fr Corapi Fr Grocel and some of the other big heads out for a year to serve where needed. When they become unapproacable it is time for them to get real and get buzy with serving parashes. I didn’t really like Cardinal Spellman’s attitude towards Bishop Sheen but he had it coming he had one heck of an ego. They put their vestments on just like Father O’Malley does in Joe sixpacktown Nebraska. Scoob.
 
I beleive that Father Corapi and Father Groeschel are both following faithfully their calling from God. They just happen to be more visible. They both understand the responsibility that goes with that calling, and from what I have heard from both of them(which is considerable) is that they each would prefer to live anonymously. They have given up a lot to do what they do out of love for the body of Christ. Fr. Corapi has imparted strength and clarity to me when I desparately needed it, and Fr. Groeschel has always underscored how helping the poor is his mission, and he has done so. I don’t think either of them has an easy or glamorous life. Those of us who are blessed to live in relative obscurity can make our mistakes, learn from them and go on, without the whole world looking on.
My heartfelt prayers and love to both of these faithful men, who have helped and ministered to so many of us.
 
scoobydoo6v92 said:
I feel that when Fr Corapi has his gate keeper tell me to basically go fly a kite with a much nastier wording. I feel it is time that they go to a monastery or to India and get a good dose of reality. We have a shortage of priests especially here in the Southwestern part of Missouri maybe Father Corapi needs to say mass for us little ones. Maybe he needs to go to the Trappist Monastery here in Ava and serve for 5 years. They are human and they switch one obcession for another. Father Corapi used to love the girls the lights the dice and booze now he swapped all that for his ego tripping church talks. He has a great message although so does Father _____ at our church. They all need to be “on stage” for a time period and take that same time off serving physically in places that need priests. Look charirty begins at home. We need priests and need them bad atleast here in Missouri so I feel send Fr Corapi Fr Grocel and some of the other big heads out for a year to serve where needed. When they become unapproacable it is time for them to get real and get buzy with serving parashes. I didn’t really like Cardinal Spellman’s attitude towards Bishop Sheen but he had it coming he had one heck of an ego. They put their vestments on just like Father O’Malley does in Joe sixpacktown Nebraska. Scoob.
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Scoob, you know for a fact that Father Corapi told his guards the exact nasty words to use to you? :confused: Seems to me if he was so intent on belittling you he would’ve talked to you himself, and that most likely the security guards themselves came up with the nasty language (who Fr C could hardly watch over every word that comes out of 'em)

And I know for a fact that even Father O’Malley in Joe Sixpacktown, if he had to deal with large and demanding crowds, would very likely be in less than saintly temper at times too. Every priest has human moments.
 
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