Fr. Corapi = The Black Sheep Dog?

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Is anyone here disturbed by Fr. Corapi removing “Father” from his name and calling himself “The Black Sheep Dog”? I still think he is innocent of what he was accused of, but now I’m pretty weirded out by this whole black sheep dog thing and his devotees refering to him as BSD on forums and comments. He’s always seemed like such a great man to me–a saint in the making–but I’m wondering where is his humility and obedience right now? Does anyone else feel this way, or am I overreacting?

www.theblacksheepdog.us
 
kristleful said:
but I’m wondering where is his humility and obedience right now? Does anyone else feel this way, or am I overreacting?
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I’m right there with you. I do believe he was falsely accused, but there is no humility in this choice.

I recall listening to his talk on the priesthood. He openly said to those struggling with the call to the priesthood “Who would not exchange dirt for gold?”. Well, apparently he’s trading gold for dirt, as he’s giving up the priesthood to further advance his career. What comparison is there to saying mass? How can he just lightly toss that aside in exchange for being able to continue his public career?

I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t know all the facts, and maybe down the road we will have a better understanding of why he’s doing what he’s doing, but I for one struggle to see how this was the right decision.
 
kristleful said:
Is anyone here disturbed by Fr. Corapi removing “Father” from his name and calling himself “The Black Sheep Dog”? I still think he is innocent of what he was accused of, but now I’m pretty weirded out by this whole black sheep dog thing and his devotees refering to him as BSD on forums and comments. He’s always seemed like such a great man to me–a saint in the making–but I’m wondering where is his humility and obedience right now? Does anyone else feel this way, or am I overreacting?

www.theblacksheepdog.us
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Count me in as well . It is a weird feeling . I am not crazy about that name . A priest is always a priest . Father should always be in front of his name .
 
Well, we do not have all the facts yet, but Father Corapi himself stated in his BSD comments that he would remain a priest. Therefore, I am assuming that he is leaving the religious order in which he was ordained and will not longer be under the authority of a Bishop in order to pursue a defense of his case - which also concern me for the same reason of lack of humility that that action demonstrates. A priest without a Bishop I believe is very limited, perhaps a priest in this forum can educate us on that topic.

His comments on not being able to know his accuser or have specific knowledge of the charges against him make him a sacrifice - period. How can he defend himself against such a position?

I am equally saddened that his Bishop is not providing him some basic rights of defense, as well as Father Corapi’s decision.

I will continue to follow him at his web site, and pray that the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary protect him and lead him
 
Julian0404 said:
Well, we do not have all the facts yet, but Father Corapi himself stated in his BSD comments that he would remain a priest. Therefore, I am assuming that he is leaving the religious order in which he was ordained and will not longer be under the authority of a Bishop in order to pursue a defense of his case - which also concern me for the same reason of lack of humility that that action demonstrates. A priest without a Bishop I believe is very limited, perhaps a priest in this forum can educate us on that topic.

His comments on not being able to know his accuser or have specific knowledge of the charges against him make him a sacrifice - period. How can he defend himself against such a position?

I am equally saddened that his Bishop is not providing him some basic rights of defense, as well as Father Corapi’s decision.

I will continue to follow him at his web site, and pray that the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary protect him and lead him
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I however stand firm to the belief that the Bishop knows what he is doing. AS much as I enjoyed Fathers videos ans speeches he gave for 20 years , Its probably a wise decision to stay out of it . Lets not say anything that we may regret later about the Bishop . He is a leader in the church .
 
I think it is a particular type of person who gives himself a nickname.
 
I believe Fr. Corapi is innocent, mainly because of all that he has taught me. Most of what I know as a Catholic I learned on EWTN and from him.

Jimmy Aiken has a blog that you might be interested in ncregister.com/new-inform…situation.html

Fr. Corapi recieved the Sacrament of Holy orders, that puts an indelable mark on the soul the same as baptism. He is a priest forever, even it he can not act in that capacity. I do pray that he will be blessed in any capacity in which his ministry goes.
 
I like the idea of sending this issue “upstairs” to be reviewed by The Holy See. There’s politics in any organization. Fr. Corapi has stated that he feels he has been wronged, but does not personally want to appeal. So, that’s something we can do for him. I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions either way on any of the questions that come to mind. However, it does seem a shame to lose Fr. Corapi as a priest for all the good he has done for the Church and the faithful.
 
kristleful said:
Is anyone here disturbed by Fr. Corapi removing “Father” from his name and calling himself “The Black Sheep Dog”? I still think he is innocent of what he was accused of, but now I’m pretty weirded out by this whole black sheep dog thing and his devotees refering to him as BSD on forums and comments. He’s always seemed like such a great man to me–a saint in the making–but I’m wondering where is his humility and obedience right now? Does anyone else feel this way, or am I overreacting?

www.theblacksheepdog.us
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My feeling is that you should keep quiet. Why are you so intent on saying bad things about Father Corapi. You are not in a position to judge.
Leave it alone!!
 
I am disturbed by the whole thing, but it is what it is. Only brother Corapi is the one who has to deal with the whole issue, it is all a part of his life. I have great respect for the ability he has to teach the catholic faith, and am saddened by the whole thing. God be with you brother!
 
I love Fr. Corapi and miss his show on EWTN. I am confused because I thought when I listened to his announcement last week that he was saying he was stepping down from the priesthood and would no longer be a priest.

I believe he is innocent. I saw the accusatory comments made by an individual online to him both before and after he was suspended and feel certain that this person is mentally disturbed and has a grudge against him and is intent on making him look bad.

I don’t understand why he stepped down. It saddens me. I think he is very angry at the way this was handled. I was told by someone today that he stepped down in order to be able to file a civil suit for defamation of character against the person. Not sure if this is true. I’m certain that there is a lot we don’t know and may never know about this situation.

I don’t want to pass judgement on what he is doing because I don’t know the reason behind it. What I am certain of is that Fr. Corapi and everyone involved in this situation desperately need our prayers.
 
In case someone did not know, there’s a gigantic thread about this topic under “Catholic News”. It’s over 800 posts long and there’s everything there from news to wild theories. As others have stated, I don’t really have enough info to figure out what the heck happened in this situation.
 
thistle said:
My feeling is that you should keep quiet. Why are you so intent on saying bad things about Father Corapi. You are not in a position to judge.
Leave it alone!!
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I am not at all intent on saying bad things about Fr. Corapi… After all, as I said in my original post, he has always seemed like a great man and a saint in the making to me! I love Fr. Corapi, and that’s why I care that this Black SheepDog thing feels so weird… I am a firm believer that if one puts all his trust in God and prays with humility, then God will defend His own, if that be His will. Apparently that is what great and holy people did in the past, during situations such as this (Padre Pio, for instance). I had hoped that Fr. Corapi would have done the same, and unfortunately what he has done instead has confused a great number of people and even caused people to say unpleasant things about the bishop and Church authority. Now, that’s not Fr. Corapi’s fault, of course… But I long to hear humble words from Fr. Corapi, encouraging people by assuring them that God works all things for good for those who love Him, instead of the angry, fighting words I’ve been reading.

However, you are completely right; I should not judge, and I would probably be pretty angry if I were in his shoes, too. But I am nowhere near the kind of sanctity I believe Fr. Corapi to have… And i hope to keep seeing the sanctity in him that I have admired for so long.

We should all pray hard for Fr. Corapi during this time that must be terrible for him.
 
thistle said:
My feeling is that you should keep quiet. Why are you so intent on saying bad things about Father Corapi. You are not in a position to judge.
Leave it alone!!
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I would encourage to reread your response to Kristeful and think about the possible lack of charity in it. When you read the OP it is more like someone dealing with the shock and some of the strangeness. Your response lacked charity and was out of proportion to what was written.

There is another whole thread on this issue(s) under Catholic news. Fr. Corapi has invited the speculation. There is a link to an article from the NCR or something similar where the head of his order notes how Fr. Corapi himself caused some problems in their investigation by suing the accuser (which adjusts or halts the process). Think the suit had something to do with the non disclosure agreements staff at Fr. Corapi’s company had to sign. The head of the order noted that Father Corapi has also been resistant to changing his living style (which was allowable when the order began and allowed people to self fund their mission and live apart from community). The SOLT community has since decided to hold property in common and live in community. These are not speculative issues nor are statements according to the article. His guilt or innocence, now that is speculative. People should not jump to conclusions.

It is sensitive because people loved and believed in Fr. Corapi and want to jump to his defense or some hated him (and his orthodoxy) and want to condemn. Both extremes should be avoided.

We need to pray for him. He has made some missteps in his handling of these issues (probably out of hurt and anger). Assuming the allegations turn out to be false and he needs more freedom than allowed by SOLT and wishes to keep the company he owns (etc), then I would hope he simply gets released from the order and continues as a diocesan priest. He is a powerful witness to the Catholic faith (or was) and should remember that as he decides how to deal with the issue itself and concerns he has.
 
Keeping my comments just to the name - Black Sheep Dog. This is the name of his autobiography, as yet to be released, I believe. The domain name was reserved over a year ago to go along with the book - long before any of this other stuff happened. The name is supposed to be a combo of “Black Sheep” as a reference to his past and “Sheep Dog” as a reference to protecting the Church and the fathful.

If this latest issue had not developed, I don’t think anyone would have thought twice about the nick name.
 
Corki said:
Keeping my comments just to the name - Black Sheep Dog. This is the name of his autobiography, as yet to be released, I believe. The domain name was reserved over a year ago to go along with the book - long before any of this other stuff happened. The name is supposed to be a combo of “Black Sheep” as a reference to his past and “Sheep Dog” as a reference to protecting the Church and the fathful.

If this latest issue had not developed, I don’t think anyone would have thought twice about the nick name.
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That is probably very true; it only feels weird because this whole situation is weird, and it makes me sad to hear him refer to himself as Black Sheep Dog by name. I wish he could still call himself Fr. John Corapi.😦

I didn’t realize there was another thread about this… I didn’t mean to start a new thread and be redundant!:o And it is very long already–over 50 pages!
 
Corki said:
Keeping my comments just to the name - Black Sheep Dog. This is the name of his autobiography, as yet to be released, I believe. The domain name was reserved over a year ago to go along with the book - long before any of this other stuff happened. The name is supposed to be a combo of “Black Sheep” as a reference to his past and “Sheep Dog” as a reference to protecting the Church and the fathful.

If this latest issue had not developed, I don’t think anyone would have thought twice about the nick name.
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I agree Corki, he has always referred to himself as the black sheep. Anyone can go back and listen to his many productions and hear that.

I am waiting to see his next step and what kind of ministry he will be doing when he finished his books. But for now, book writting is a big task, especially with the health problems he has had, so lets just lay low and see what the Lord does in his life.
 
beth40n2 said:
I agree Corki, he has always referred to himself as the black sheep. Anyone can go back and listen to his many productions and hear that.

I am waiting to see his next step and what kind of ministry he will be doing when he finished his books. But for now, book writting is a big task, especially with the health problems he has had, so lets just lay low and see what the Lord does in his life.
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I see so many posts speaking badly of Fr. Corapi. 😦 This saddens me! We are not to judge especially when no one knows what the truth is and what the details are! My heart goes out to him and I keep on thinking that something great will come out of this bad situation!! He has drawn so many to the faith through EWTN. Perhaps now he will beable to draw even more by reaching out to people a different way. He has stated he isn’t leaving the Catholic church and he loves the Church!
 
joclucsylv said:
I see so many posts speaking badly of Fr. Corapi. 😦 This saddens me! We are not to judge especially when no one knows what the truth is and what the details are! My heart goes out to him and I keep on thinking that something great will come out of this bad situation!! He has drawn so many to the faith through EWTN. Perhaps now he will beable to draw even more by reaching out to people a different way. He has stated he isn’t leaving the Catholic church and he loves the Church!
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👍
 
I am glad a new thread has started. I just can’t read 50 posts!

I, too, have been trying to figure out what happened. I was shocked and incredulous and even more so by what Fr. Corapi said of himself and his actions, and I needed to understand. So I read around a lot. A lot has been said because John Corapi has not been shy about speaking about it! I’ll share my links of the best of the best, for anyone interested!
  1. I think that Elizabeth Scalia, Managing Editor of the Catholic Portal at Patheos and columnist for First Things, has very balanced and insightful and charitable commentary, while not overly romanticizing and canonizing Fr. Corapi as some fans tend to do. First Things has top-notch orthodox Catholic writing. A true Catholic voice of reason. Here is her article:
    patheos.com/community/theanchoress/2011/06/17/john-corapi-leaves-the-priesthood/
  2. Here is an** insightful article by Father Dwight Longenecker, “Priests and Pedestals” **based on his thoughts and reflections after being confused to be Father Corapi - he starts out with that story: gkupsidedown.blogspot.com/2011/03/priests-pastors-and-public-disgrace.html
  3. The following is an interesting reflection. ** “Aggie Catholic” defends Bishop Mulvey.** I don’t know who Aggie Catholic is, but this blog article is very balanced. Bishop Mulvey may not be virile and handsome and with deep and wonderful speaking voice and have a giant following of Facebook fans, but he is a Prince of our Church and has been maligned because of this, I think* its fair to hear a defense of him.
[And keep in mind that EWTN and its contributions have suffered, too, even though they have acted prudently and without prejudice.]

marysaggies.blogspot.com/2011/06/i-will-not-defend-fr-corapi-i-will.html
  1. Don’t forget that Fr. Corapi is a HUMAN BEING and as such is a sinner like the rest of us! God uses cracked pots! It is a possible that Father Corapi has erred, even in possibly in exactly the way he has been accused. We don’t know! We love the good priest that God has used so powerfully and abundantly. We don’t know the anonymous accuser from whom all this ruckus stems. Its easy for us to accuse the anonymous nobody! But you know, we are in no position to do that. To be fair, we have to concede that there is a possibility that the accuser is not lying. Even if its true she has a drinking problem!
As a “cracked pot” - like the rest of us - and used by God - [like the rest of us, if we let Him], Fr. Corapi has not been absolutely stainless. His presentation of self - a big part of his speaking - hasn’t always been altogether honest, as becomes clear in this article by Mark Shea:
markshea.blogspot.com/2011/06/gaping-hole-in-fr-corapis-story.html

Lovers of Father Corapi, don’t be offended by the above truth. You can still love him, but maybe just don’t Cannonize him yet! God’s not done with him!
  1. I keep saying “Father” Corapi - I just WANT to, like others here! But the fact is, he has dropped “Father” from his name. :eek:😦 No, not by any order of Catholic authority, but by his own private choice - he tells us, himself. **On his website of his own private-enterprise business, he presents himself as “John Corapi: The Back Sheepdog.” See it here, “from the desk of John Corapi”: **
    fathercorapi.com/Default.aspx
Its the fact. I don’t like it either. I also want to call him “Father Corapi” - and to not say “Father” of him is heartbreaking!
 
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