Fr John Corapi has Announced in a Video Message that he is Leaving the Priesthood

[CatholicFireman]

In case it wasn’t posted, The World Over Aftershow discussion is now online:

ewtn.com/news/blog.asp?blog_ID=2

 

[valient_Lucy]

This whole thing bothers me greatly. It’s not really even about Fr. Corapi himself. It’s about Catholics getting involved in a cult of personality which is what this seems to be. People are attracted to the PERSONA of Fr. Corapi instead of seeing Christ reflected in him. Very heady stuff for someone who has an ego, and Fr. Corapi definitely has that.

Anyone’s parish who has a VERY popular priest knows what I am talking about. People come to church to hear HIM, not the Word of God. But most parish priests don’t rise to the level of John Corapi.

Just the length of this thread, in a very short time, says that Corapi has drawn people to HIM instead of to the Church. Otherwise people would be like



so what?

I agree with you about this. The persona of Fr. Corapi was clearly magnetic to a lot of people. I didn’t realize how strongly until this past week, and it did scare me.

It is scary how many people seem to think that Fr. Corapi was the only orthodox priest in the entire Church. (What does that make the Holy Father?)

The whole thing reminds me of a Muslim story about the death of Muhammed. One of Muhammed’s supporters goes out to tell the community that Muhammed has died. He said, “For those of you who worship Muhammed, know that Muhammed is dead. For those of you who worship Allah, know that Allah lives forever.”

 

[TMC]

I pretty much had the same thought.

The Holy Father can’t have his finger on the pulse of everything and everyone. It’s a reason that Our Lord called more than just one to be an apostle or disciple.

The Pope certainly has the Primacy of Peter, but there is a reason that there are more than just one bishop and that they are equal in authority.

You are right. There are over 400,000 priests in the world. It’s a shame when any priest chooses to walk away from his vows, but one priest among 400,000 is not likely to merit the Pontiff’s attention. That is what his religious superiors and his bishop are for.

 

[Catholicpotato]

What the heck is going on in Montana? Antipopes, blacksheepdogs… Sheesh.

 

[valient_Lucy]

Lucy I don’t know what I said to get such an emotional response from you. I only wanted to keep the facts straight. That fact is that knowledge of the suspension would be known whether Fr. Corapi said anything or not. This letter was sent by SOLT, I’m not making a judgment about it just stating the fact that they did. I stated it because your statement (probably unintentionally) made it sound as if they did not.

I don’t know why you thought it was an emotional response. I apologize that it came out that way. I haven’t been following the case that closely, so if you say that SOLT sent a letter to EWTN, and I believe you.

My only point was that SOLT and the Bishop have showed discretion, and haven’t tried to smear Fr. Corapi publically. Most of the details about the situation that we know have come from Fr. Corapi himself, not from SOLT or the Bishop.

You’re right, we probably would have heard eventually that he was suspended, but neither SOLT or the Bishop made a public spectacle out of the situation as far as I know.

But as I said, I haven’t been following the case, so if you have statements from SOLT released in March stating “We think he’s guilty,” or “He’s done terrible things,” etc. I’ll gladly recant my assertion.

 

[dfp42]

Fr. Corapi’s latest tweet today below…

To quote a fan, “Please, please, resist the temptation to turn this circumstance into a dividing force among Catholics.” Pray! Pray! Pray!

 

[whm]

I don’t know why you thought it was an emotional response. I apologize that it came out that way. I haven’t been following the case that closely, so if you say that SOLT sent a letter to EWTN, and I believe you.

No problem.

My only point was that SOLT and the Bishop have showed discretion, and haven’t tried to smear Fr. Corapi publically. Most of the details about the situation that we know have come from Fr. Corapi himself, not from SOLT or the Bishop.

I agree they are not smearing him.

You’re right, we probably would have heard eventually that he was suspended, but neither SOLT or the Bishop made a public spectacle out of the situation as far as I know.

No speculation did that. Fr. Corapi’s statements add to the speculation, many of his later statements are in response to the speculation.

But as I said, I haven’t been following the case, so **if you have statements from SOLT released in March stating “We think he’s guilty,” or “He’s done terrible things,” **etc. I’ll gladly recant my assertion.

See I never said any such thing, why would you associate that with me?

 

[CatholicFireman]

Three friends plead for Father:

youtube.com/watch?v=VZNUKpWfhoc

 

[valient_Lucy]

I agree. There are many good, devout Catholics who even don’t watch EWTN. There are definately people for whom these recent statements and the stir it has caused are their first real exposure to him. As New England Priest said very far up this thread: There was no talk about him or his status until he made these new public statements.

Let us all continue to pray for everyone involved in this sad situation.

You’re right. I don’t watch EWTN all that much, because I don’t have cable. Occasionally I’ll stream it on the internet, but not very often. I saw him once and was impressed, but I didn’t make it a point to watch him.

But you’re right. I had pretty much forgotten about him until the news last week. I’m sure most people had.

 

[valient_Lucy]

See I never said any such thing, why would you associate that with me?

I’m not. That goes for everyone. I haven’t been following the investigation over the past few months, and if someone has facts that prove my assertions wrong, they are welcome to share them. I don’t have all the facts, so if someone else has facts asserting that, then I am perfectly willing to acknowledge I was wrong. Since you knew that SOLT sent a letter to EWTN, I’m assuming you know a lot about the case, so I figure you know more about how SOLT and the Bishops have been handling this. If not, that’s fine too.

 

[valient_Lucy]

I pretty much had the same thought.

The Holy Father can’t have his finger on the pulse of everything and everyone. It’s a reason that Our Lord called more than just one to be an apostle or disciple.

The Pope certainly has the Primacy of Peter, but there is a reason that there are more than just one bishop and that they are equal in authority.

 

[OneAugustKnight]

Father Corapi said he filed the civil suit under the advisement of Father Flanagan and Bishop Gracida. Even though Bishop Gracida seems to support Fr Corapi, he also posted on his blog that he hasn’t spoken with him.

It occurred to me that everything I know about Father Corapi has come from what he says, and I can’t take him at his word anymore. I wish he would produce some evidence or witnesses to corroborate his testimony and his claims about people wanting him to be gone. I wish it were easier to overlook the unanswered questions.

 

[qui_est_ce]

Father Corapi said he filed the civil suit under the advisement of Father Flanagan and Bishop Gracida. Even though Bishop Gracida seems to support Fr Corapi, he also posted on his blog that he hasn’t spoken with him.

**It occurred to me that everything I know about Father Corapi has come from what he says, and I can’t take him at his word anymore. ** I wish he would produce some evidence or witnesses to corroborate his testimony and his claims about people wanting him to be gone. I wish it were easier to overlook the unanswered questions.

Sadly, this is so true.

 

[CTCatholic5]

That was uncalled for. Rush Limbaugh has NOTHING to do with this discussion. Nice try at besmirching his reputation as you go.

Mr. Limbaugh ‘besmirches’ his own reputation. I could listen to Mr. Limbaugh and (Mr./Fr., whichever he is these days) Corapi and would probably agree with 80-90% of everything they say.

However, my statement was intended to mean that the Church does not need this kind of blustery, in-your-face rhetoric. I believe that–at best–it is something to be avoided in most situations, or–at worst–antithetical to Christianity.

(1) Go over Mr./Fr. Corapi’s recent statements.
(2) Consider that the content and form of these statements are more reflective of Mr./Fr. Corapi’s actual message, as he is no longer officially yoked to the bishops/superiors/Church and by his own words ‘free.’​

(3) Now, consider what the sort of hyperbole Mr./Fr. uses to describe his present situation: “being shot in the head like a dog / laying down and dying.”
(4) This whole schtick isn’t Christian. Its all well and good that we have a preacher here, Mr./Fr. Corapi, who can come out with his Darth Vader voice and be talk about relevant topics… but now his message has shifted to criticizing the bishops–easy target–with all this bogus cowboy-talk, because they were very interested in a case of alleged abuse and misbehavior on the part of an extremely wealthy religious priest who insists on living alone and apart from his community’s guidelines.

Do not let yourself be hoodwinked by someone, just because he is standing behind the Cross and the collar. Do not sell your bishops short–they might be imperfect, but I don’t think the Corapi incident is an example of them mishandling a case. See if I’m wrong.

 

[dfp42]

Father Corapi said he filed the civil suit under the advisement of Father Flanagan and Bishop Gracida. Even though Bishop Gracida seems to support Fr Corapi, he also posted on his blog that he hasn’t spoken with him.

It occurred to me that everything I know about Father Corapi has come from what he says, and I can’t take him at his word anymore. I wish he would produce some evidence or witnesses to corroborate his testimony and his claims about people wanting him to be gone. I wish it were easier to overlook the unanswered questions.

Why doesn’t someone simply ask Father Flanagan and Bishop Gracida to just give us their side of the story? Why haven’t they responded yet? There’s still too many holes in this story and no one is talking except Fr. Corapi…I have yet to see what any priest’s have to really say about this from the (inside). Most of the blogs are from lay people etc who don’t really have “inside” connections. At this point we may never know the truth until we get to heaven.

 

[qui_est_ce]

Mr. Limbaugh ‘besmirches’ his own reputation. I could listen to Mr. Limbaugh and (Mr./Fr., whichever he is these days) Corapi and would probably agree with 80-90% of everything they say.

However, my statement was intended to mean that the Church does not need this kind of blustery, in-your-face rhetoric. I believe that–at best–it is something to be avoided in most situations, or–at worst–antithetical to Christianity.

(1) Go over Mr./Fr. Corapi’s recent statements.
(2) Consider that the content and form of these statements are more reflective of Mr./Fr. Corapi’s actual message, as he is no longer officially yoked to the bishops/superiors/Church and by his own words ‘free.’​

(3) Now, consider what the sort of hyperbole Mr./Fr. uses to describe his present situation: “being shot in the head like a dog / laying down and dying.”
(4) This whole schtick isn’t Christian. Its all well and good that we have a preacher here, Mr./Fr. Corapi, who can come out with his Darth Vader voice and be talk about relevant topics… but now his message has shifted to criticizing the bishops–easy target–with all this bogus cowboy-talk, because they were very interested in a case of alleged abuse and misbehavior on the part of an extremely wealthy religious priest who insists on living alone and apart from his community’s guidelines.

Do not let yourself be hoodwinked by someone, just because he is standing behind the Cross and the collar. Do not sell your bishops short–they might be imperfect, but I don’t think the Corapi incident is an example of them mishandling a case. See if I’m wrong.

Disturbing and definitely not pastoral.

 

[OneAugustKnight]

Why doesn’t someone simply ask Father Flanagan and Bishop Gracida to just give us their side of the story? Why haven’t they responded yet? There’s still too many holes in this story and no one is talking except Fr. Corapi…I have yet to see what any priest’s have to really say about this from the (inside). Most of the blogs are from lay people etc who don’t really have “inside” connections. At this point we may never know the truth until we get to heaven.

Bishop Gracida said he hasn’t spoken with Father Corapi. Here is his blog: abyssum.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/a-few-thoughts-on-father-corapis-announcement-yesterday/

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Mr. Limbaugh ‘besmirches’ his own reputation. I could listen to Mr. Limbaugh and (Mr./Fr., whichever he is these days) Corapi and would probably agree with 80-90% of everything they say.

However, my statement was intended to mean that the Church does not need this kind of blustery, in-your-face rhetoric. I believe that–at best–it is something to be avoided in most situations, or–at worst–antithetical to Christianity.

(1) Go over Mr./Fr. Corapi’s recent statements.
(2) Consider that the content and form of these statements are more reflective of Mr./Fr. Corapi’s actual message, as he is no longer officially yoked to the bishops/superiors/Church and by his own words ‘free.’​

(3) Now, consider what the sort of hyperbole Mr./Fr. uses to describe his present situation: “being shot in the head like a dog / laying down and dying.”
(4) This whole schtick isn’t Christian. Its all well and good that we have a preacher here, Mr./Fr. Corapi, who can come out with his Darth Vader voice and be talk about relevant topics… but now his message has shifted to criticizing the bishops–easy target–with all this bogus cowboy-talk, because they were very interested in a case of alleged abuse and misbehavior on the part of an extremely wealthy religious priest who insists on living alone and apart from his community’s guidelines.

Do not let yourself be hoodwinked by someone, just because he is standing behind the Cross and the collar. Do not sell your bishops short–they might be imperfect, but I don’t think the Corapi incident is an example of them mishandling a case. See if I’m wrong.

I am sure you weren’t addressing me particularly here, since I am not a Corapi “fan.” I still don’t understand why you had to draw Rush Limbaugh into the discussion, you could have as easily used Jon Stewart or Tosh as an example of in your face rhetoric.

Unless you intend to draw a parallel between The Black Sheepdog and other entertainers? If that is what the man formerly known as Fr. Corapi means to become, an entertainer, self-pity and paranoia don’t end up very attractive to a Catholic audience.

Me? It may get the thread closed, but I think he may be under attack by Satan. Go search his facial transformation and also Alexander La Vey. Even if he didn’t look remarkably like the famous Satanist, I would still think “possession” from all the strange statements he has made since this news broke, and his website with all the references to being “unleashed.” Would a priest use that terminology? I know a being who would, though…

 

[dfp42]

Bishop Gracida said he hasn’t spoken with Father Corapi. Here is his blog: abyssum.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/a-few-thoughts-on-father-corapis-announcement-yesterday/

So then he’s not the highly respected Bishop Fr. Corapi said he talked to then about his decisions then? What about Fr. Flanagan has he made a comment about talking to Corapi?

 

[CTCatholic5]

I am sure you weren’t addressing me particularly here, since I am not a Corapi “fan.” I still don’t understand why you had to draw Rush Limbaugh into the discussion, you could have as easily used Jon Stewart or Tosh as an example of in your face rhetoric.

Unless you intend to draw a parallel between The Black Sheepdog and other entertainers? If that is what the man formerly known as Fr. Corapi means to become, an entertainer, self-pity and paranoia don’t end up very attractive to a Catholic audience.

Me? It may get the thread closed, but I think he may be under attack by Satan. Go search his facial transformation and also Alexander La Vey. Even if he didn’t look remarkably like the famous Satanist, I would still think “possession” from all the strange statements he has made since this news broke, and his website with all the references to being “unleashed.” Would a priest use that terminology? I know a being who would, though…

He’s (i.e., Mr. Limbaugh) a guy I agree with at a basic level, but I find his approach and circumstances distasteful enough for it to completely ruin his message. That’s how I feel about Mr.Fr. Corapi as of the ‘Black Sheep Dog’s’ ‘unleashing.’

I don’t think Fr. Corapi is under attack by Satan–no more so than anyone else, in his position especially…