Do you like or dislike Father Corapi?

[Shoshana]

Pray for Fr corapi as he is ill…

 

[maggieodae]

Pray for Fr corapi as he is ill…

:yup: But he is having surgery at Mayo Clinic to correct the problem. Thank fully it is a non-cancerous tumor of the para-thyroid so he should be fine but surgery is never without risk.

 

[Shoshana]

:yup: But he is having surgery at Mayo Clinic to correct the problem. Thank fully it is a non-cancerous tumor of the para-thyroid so he should be fine but surgery is never without risk.

 

[PetersKeys]

I love listening to Father Corapi. I wish I could find some more of his sermons to download on the internet. Ive seen him on EWTN and Relevant radio. He is one of the priests that fully adheres to the Catholic teaching and dosen’t make any exceptions. He is definatly a breath of fresh air. So many priests today are justifying things like Birth Control and even moral relativism that it becomes harder and harder to find a good traditional priest

 

[ba_bustanti]

Jimmy B.

You are so right. Its not the priest but who he represents. I use to feel this way if the priest didn’t move me I would still go to mass but was less involved. However, I have prayed long and hard to walk closer with Jesus and because of this, I believe, I don’t see the priest as the man but as a rep of Jesus. Letting go and trusting in Jesus is where I want to be 24/7 but its an on going journey day by day. I make no notice of style when I am at mass but just want to filled with the love of God through His Word. Amen!!!

By the way Father Corapi’s nature is one I admire because I am a strong person. He is someone I think I would get along with well!!!

I love you Jesus, I love you Mary, keep Father Corapi well so he can continue to spread the Word!!

 

[Strummer]

Fr. Corapi has a bit of a wry wit and knows how to deliver a line for maximum effect. Plus he speaks in simple absolutes that are easy to follow even they do not reflect the reality of the world. In short, I can understand his popularity among the majority who post here, but, for me personally, there are several things about him that rub me the wrong way.

First of all, the times I’ve listened to him or watched him, I have always found a flaw in his logic. He connects A to B and then B to C and then C to “Pomegranate”. Huh? How did we get there? It does not follow. I suppose if one wanted to believe such nonsense, it’d be nice if one had a well-spoken man of the cloth to make it easier, but unfortunately, I cannot turn off my brain and such logic flaws turn me off.

Now, here’s where the posts of “Not true! Prove it! What flaws?” start to pour in. Please, back away from your keyboards for a bit and let me continue.

For instance: see if you can find a copy of his presentation “Six Years After 911”. He used to have it in his You-Tube collection but now it’s gone. Huh…I wonder why?.. However, I did find a blogger, a very pro-Corapi blogger, who was impressed enough to transcribe Fr. Corapi’s speech which essentially can be summed up with this line: “APPARENTLY NOT, FOR TODAY EVEN MOST RELIGIOUS LEADERS ARE LOATH TO LINK 911 WITH THE REALITY OF SIN.” Well, yeah, Father, because those terrorists didn’t give a whit about our “sins” within the US; they wanted us out of “their lands” and out of the way of their efforts to further their mutated version of Islam. Furthermore, to exploit that tragedy to further an unrelated agenda I find, I’m sorry, despicable.

Secondly, I am leery of anyone who claims to speak for some greater good—be it for the church or for “the children” or even for some political cause with which I might agree—who always, always, has their name and usually face plastered around the message. This is self-aggrandizement and self-promotion. And while I grant that this is a marketing tool to appeal to the 85% who’ve answered this thread’s pool in favor of Fr. C., it is still the man himself who had to agree to such commercialization of his image. I cannot shake the impression that whenever I see him speak it is as much about Fr. Corapi as it is about his message.

Finally, I do not like his battlefield imagery when describing one’s confrontation with the secular world. This plays into the baser emotions of the faithful letting them revel in their “victimhood” and seeking out more and more instances of supposed “persecution” in order to proclaim their own piety. Furthermore, such attitudes lead to a dehumanizing of “our enemies” and makes compassion for our brothers and sisters less likely. In short, such attitudes make it easier for hate to take a hold of our hearts.

Just my 2-cents, adjusted for inflation.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

For instance: see if you can find a copy of his presentation “Six Years After 911”. He used to have it in his You-Tube collection but now it’s gone. Huh…I wonder why?.. However, I did find a blogger, a very pro-Corapi blogger, who was impressed enough to transcribe Fr. Corapi’s speech which essentially can be summed up with this line: “APPARENTLY NOT, FOR TODAY EVEN MOST RELIGIOUS LEADERS ARE LOATH TO LINK 911 WITH THE REALITY OF SIN.” Well, yeah, Father, because those terrorists didn’t give a whit about our “sins” within the US; they wanted us out of “their lands” and out of the way of their efforts to further their mutated version of Islam. Furthermore, to exploit that tragedy to further an unrelated agenda I find, I’m sorry, despicable.

Finally, I do not like his battlefield imagery when describing one’s confrontation with the secular world.

I do. A lot.

AND I see the connection between sin and the wrath of God. We have become a decayed, decadent, Godless nation wallowing in sin.

The Lord have mercy on us all.

 

[anamchara]

I do. A lot.

AND I see the connection between sin and the wrath of God. We have become a decayed, decadent, Godless nation wallowing in sin.

The Lord have mercy on us all.

I have to respectfully disagree with you here. We should feel very lucky that we live in the country we do. I get tired of this old song “the world is a horrible place” Every generation has had it’s ills, sin, decadent etc…nothing new. I said this in another thread and it’s worth repeating here. There’s always been rough times. The middles ages for one The Great Depression or for the native Americans, the onslaught of the “white man” or for African Americans, slavery.

Human nature is the same through time. We haven’t “become” anything. The world is not any worse then it was in any other generation. This is where I also have issues with Fr. Corapi. I personally dislike the fear mongering.

I agree with Strummer 100% which isn’t surprising.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

I have to respectfully disagree with you here. We should feel very lucky that we live in the country we do. I get tired of this old song “the world is a horrible place” Every generation has had it’s ills, sin, decadent etc…nothing new. I said this in another thread and it’s worth repeating here. There’s always been rough times. The middles ages for one The Great Depression or for the native Americans, the onslaught of the “white man” or for African Americans, slavery.

Human nature is the same through time. We haven’t “become” anything. The world is not any worse then it was in any other generation. This is where I also have issues with Fr. Corapi. I personally dislike the fear mongering.

Respectfully disagreeing right back atcha. I’ve lived long enough to see the dreadful changes wrought upon this beautiful country, and I am NOT politically correct by any stretch of anyone’s imagination.

“Bring me my weapon!”

 

[chewchoo]

i love father corapi. he may be a fear monger to some, and to others he is a breath of fresh air.

yes, today’s world is probably no better or no worse than any other time in history, but that doesn’t mean we should remain complacent to the evils around us. in proverbs it states many times that we are to tell our brother when he is in error. if he doesn’t respond then that is between him and God. but for our part we tried to get our brother to see and change his evil ways. if we didn’t show our brother the evil of his ways, then that is between us and God.

i believe fr. corapi is our modern day johan, whether we repent or not is between us and God. Fr. corapi has done his part very well.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

i love father corapi. he may be a fear monger to some, and to others he is a breath of fresh air.

yes, today’s world is probably no better or no worse than any other time in history, but that doesn’t mean we should remain complacent to the evils around us. in proverbs it states many times that we are to tell our brother when he is in error. if he doesn’t respond then that is between him and God. but for our part we tried to get our brother to see and change his evil ways. if we didn’t show our brother the evil of his ways, then that is between us and God.

i believe fr. corapi is our modern day johan, whether we repent or not is between us and God. Fr. corapi has done his part very well.

Well-said; and whatever your opinion of ‘Fadda John,’ he can use our prayers right now.

 

[fnz2thrght]

It’s so funny that I should see this thread TODAY. A few hours ago I was ruminating on Father because I fluctuate between liking him and not. Sometimes I think he’s too full of himself, and then in his next sentence I’ll think “oh why did I ever think that, he’s humble” lol. I’m still on the fence with him but I keep watching hoping I’ll have some revelation.

But mostly I can’t get past him sounding like a cross between Jimmy Stewart. and Charlton Heston.

 

[Jeanette_L]

I think we get too caught up in ‘personalities’ to be honest. Fr. Corapi has a charism, which is preaching. He would not be a very good preacher if he didn’t preach.

Anyone who reads their Bible, or reads Church history, understands that God always send his preachers into the world and among his own people to preach about the need to repent of sin. This is a legitimate need and God always supplies the workers to address the need. To deny this is to be ignorant of both Scripture and history.

We can’t expect Fr. Corapi to be John Paul II or Mother Teresa, there is only one of each, all gifted by the same Holy Spirit to do their unique job within the time they lived.

Our opinions really don’t matter much in the long run, what matters is when they stand before their creator, did they do what they were given to do to the best of their abilities.

Fr. Corpi’s fruit will speak for him on that day. The Scriptures tell us that “their works shall follow them”. We don’t have to like him or approve, but the smart ones will be praying for him to succeed in his mission.

I hope I hear even a smidgeon of the ‘well done’ he’s going to receive just by operating in the gift he was given to the best of his abilities.

I get really tired of people always judging each other as if to know what the Holy Spirit has in mind for each of us.

 

[JReducation]

I think we get too caught up in ‘personalities’ to be honest. Fr. Corapi has a charism, which is preaching. He would not be a very good preacher if he didn’t preach.

Anyone who reads their Bible, or reads Church history, understands that God always send his preachers into the world and among his own people to preach about the need to repent of sin. This is a legitimate need and God always supplies the workers to address the need. To deny this is to be ignorant of both Scripture and history.

We can’t expect Fr. Corapi to be John Paul II or Mother Teresa, there is only one of each, all gifted by the same Holy Spirit to do their unique job within the time they lived.

Our opinions really don’t matter much in the long run, what matters is when they stand before their creator, did they do what they were given to do to the best of their abilities.

Fr. Corpi’s fruit will speak for him on that day. The Scriptures tell us that “their works shall follow them”. We don’t have to like him or approve, but the smart ones will be praying for him to succeed in his mission.

I hope I hear even a smidgeon of the ‘well done’ he’s going to receive just by operating in the gift he was given to the best of his abilities.

I get really tired of people always judging each other as if to know what the Holy Spirit has in mind for each of us.

Jeanette

Well said. I do believe that some of us on CAF have developed a very bad tendency, that is to be judge, jury and prosecuter.

As to what you say about gifts, this is part of the Church’s theology about itself. It is one Body with many gifts. Christ introduced the concept through the metaphor of the vine and the branches. St. Paul restated it using the body. Vatican II reworded it so that it would be clearer for us today in Lumen Gentium. Unfortunately, many of us still do not understand it.

There is also another point that you made that should be taken into account, if we are to be truly just. You mentioned that Father is a preacher.

Yes, he is. He belongs to a religious congregation whose mission is to preach. This is what the Friars of Our Lady of Mercy do. They preach. We do not have to like what they have to say, but that’s neither here nor there.

There is a sacred tradition in the Church that goes back to the Desert Fathers called religious life. Those called to religious life are called to it for their sanctification, first and foremost. As they are sanctified, so is the Mystical Body. The mission of Father Corapi’s religious congregation is to preach. Therefore, as long as he is faithful to the mission and charism of his congregation he is fullfilling his vows. As he lives his vows, he is sanctified and that grace that he and his congregation receive are shared by all of us.

Therefore, we should rejoice when a religious is faithful to the charism of his order or congregation, whether they do a good job or a mediocre job. As long as they do not commit sin or teach sin, they are living according to the call that Christ made to them. They may not be perfect or as charismatic as Francis of Assis or Mother Teresa of Teresa of Avila and so forth, but God does not call people to religious life to be charismatic. He calls them to live in a particular way and to serve the Church through a particular ministry.

In Father’s case, his call is to life a contemplative life and to preach. He does both. One may not like his sermons. If that’s the case, change the chanel until someone else comes along. But while you change the chanel, thank God that one more religious is sanctifying you and me through his or her fidelity to the charism of his congregation.

Since when does the laity have the right to say how religious are to exercise their charism? Father Caropi is a religious and belongs to a congregation of preachers, as I said. That is not his charism, but that of his congregation. He joined them and he has the oblgiation to follow what they expect of him and that’s what he’s trying to do.

Who are we to judge someone for living according the the charism of their religious order? If this is the way that his congregation thinks and this is what the Church approved for them, then all we can say is, it is what it is. Take or leave it, but don’t try to change it. It’s a gift to the Church.

JR

 

[Shoshana]

His charism is not only preaching but apostolic preaching, which in his words, is a rare gift.

 

[allhers]

I love that awesome man of God and thank God for him!

 

[anamchara]

i love father corapi. he may be a fear monger to some, and to others he is a breath of fresh air.

yes, today’s world is probably no better or no worse than any other time in history, but that doesn’t mean we should remain complacent to the evils around us. in proverbs it states many times that we are to tell our brother when he is in error. if he doesn’t respond then that is between him and God. but for our part we tried to get our brother to see and change his evil ways. if we didn’t show our brother the evil of his ways, then that is between us and God.

i believe fr. corapi is our modern day johan, whether we repent or not is between us and God. Fr. corapi has done his part very well.

I wasn’t implying we need to be complacent. Being aware of our sin and evil in the world is very important. But it shouldn’t be the only focus to the point where we are becoming paranoid and looking around every corner for evil. The secluar world is also filled with love and understanding even from those who have not found God yet. If we cover our heads in the sand and hide away in caves then how can we go out and eat with the tax collectors as Christ did and spread the word or model our faith? In my opinion, Fr. C creates a tension with the outside world when we should be finding ways to reach out. his preaching style would have caused me to run in a different direction as a convert.

Not everyone has to like his style. We are all still Catholics under the same big tent

 

[anamchara]

I do believe that some of us on CAF have developed a very bad tendency, that is to be judge, jury and prosecuter.

Well, the thread did ask if we liked or disliked Fr. Corapi so a bit of judgment is going to take place by those that don’t like him. Just a thought.

 

[JReducation]

I wasn’t implying we need to be complacent. Being aware of our sin and evil in the world is very important. But it shouldn’t be the only focus to the point where we are becoming paranoid and looking around every corner for evil. The secluar world is also filled with love and understanding even from those who have not found God yet. If we cover our heads in the sand and hide away in caves then how can we go out and eat with the tax collectors as Christ did and spread the word or model our faith? In my opinion, Fr. C creates a tension with the outside world when we should be finding ways to reach out. his preaching style would have caused me to run in a different direction as a convert.

Not everyone has to like his style. We are all still Catholics under the same big tent

Ana, I understand what you’re saying. His style is not my style either. But there is one thing that all of us lay people keep forgetting. I can’t say it enough on CAF. So I’ll write it capital letters, but don’t take it as a disrespect. I just want everyone to notice it.

1. SOME PRIESTS BELONG TO RELIGIOUS ORDERS OR RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS
2. RELIGIOUS WILL PREACH ACCORDING THE THE SPIRITUALITY OF THEIR ORDER OR CONGREGATION
3. THE LAITY HAS NO RIGHT TO TELL RELIGIOUS ORDERS WHAT THEIR SPIRITUALITY SHOULD BE. THIS WAS DONE BY THEIR FOUNDERS.

Now, . . . back to normal. As you are well aware. My preference in spirituality is Franciscan and Caremilite. I like the softer approach. Someone like Benedict Groetchel is more my style or Cardinal Sean who is very soft spoken and speaks about the beauty of God and the world. That’s St. Francis all over the place. Fr. Scanlon also has the Franciscan charism. He is very cheerful and very positive. Dr. Scott Hahn is also a Francican trained theologian and has that same style.

Fr. Corapi belongs to the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) Their spirtuality is very tough and very ascetic. They were founded to minister in tough settings. They were told by the Holy Spirit to teach theology to those who would listen and move on. That’s the mission of their congregation. My guess is that the Holy Spirit wanted them to minister in tough settings.

When it comes to religious, my suggestion to the laity is to leave them alone. Each community has its charisms. Don’t try to turn them into you would like them to be, because you’re interfering with the Holy Spirit and with the will of the founders. Don’t spend time with wishful thinking that they would be one way or another. If you like a religious community, stick around. If you don’t like their spirituality or their style, move on.

Finally, that’s why we have secular priests. The are not religious. They do not have community or a founder or a spirituality that they are bound by. They can each have their own spirituality and style. Go to a diocesan run parish or a diocesan preacher. There has to be at least one whose spirituality is compatible with your own.

My suggestion to the laity is not to try to change the way religious do ministry. They have their spirit and their rules. We only get in the way and put them into uncomfortable situations. We don’t want to do that to our religious. It’s not fair to them and not pleasant for us when they tell us to MYOB.

If someone doesn’t like Fr. Corapi’s style, well it is what it is, because of his community’s mission in the Mystical Body. God had some plan for them.

This is not just for AnaM. It’s for all of us. Here on CAF there are too many who don’t pay attention to their priests and think that they are all the same, just because they’re priests. Not true, religious are cut from a different bolt of cloth.

JR

 

[Strummer]

So let’s recap: I’ve pointed that Fr. Corapi’s arguments are logically flawed, that he is a fear mongerer, that he exploited the victims of 9-11 to his own ends, that his shameless self-promotion elevates himself at least equal to or even above his message, and that his battlefield imagery devalues non-Catholics/non-Christians paving the way for prejudice and persecution against them. In response, the pro-Corapi-ists proclaim: “So? We like him!” In other words, it doesn’t matter a tinker’s dam about the validity and soundness of a position (or lack thereof) as long as it re-enforces one’s own preconceived biases. OK, fine, but I do hope you can now see why you might be accused of not thinking for yourselves when you respond to critique with essentially “blah blah blah, I don’t care. My mind is made up.”