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

  • Thread starter Thread starter Catholic_Press
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
this is shocking news to me. as a catholic for only 3 years, i was a fan of father corapi.
i enjoyed watching him on EWTN. i always thought that he didn’t pull any punches.
i had read parts of his conversion story and was very impressed and i felt his love for the Catholic Church was very sincere. when i heard of his suspension, i was very disappointed and concerned.
there were a few red flags, but i was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until the investigation was completed and all of the facts were out. so i am saddened that he is not staying to fight this out and prove his innocence. whether there really are those in the Church who want him out, i don’t know.
i am confused by someone who loves the Catholic Church, but has decided to abandon the priesthood. i don’t know what to think of his new autobiography and venture either.
this whole situation seems really strange to me.
 
I think when you put to much into the messenger and not the message, it can get confusing. I think it was Fr. Groechel that said, when you think you do anything, when you take credit for any words or actions for Christ, its downhill from there. Everything good comes from him, conversions, grace, etc. I think he meant when you believe the adoration, when you seek it, you lost him.
 
NewEnglandPries said:
  1. The process was essentially 3 months old. To give up this early seems a bit odd. He wasn’t accused of sexual misconduct with a minor. Even if he was found guilty of consensual sexual relations with an adult woman that wouldn’t necessarily mean he would be kicked out of ministry.
  2. According to the NCReg , Father Gerard Sheehan, regional priest-servant of SOLT
    stated that if he had simply agreed not to sue his accuser the process could have moved forward but he refused to do that. I’d like to think that clearing my name and continuing with my vocation would be more important to me than a civil suit against my accuser.
  3. Fr. Corapi seems to have made the wrong move at every turn. His initial press release was awkward. Then his company started spilling details about the incident. Then he claimed the process was canonically illicit (did he ever appeal it?) and yet it continued on. And now he’s making a claim the woman tried to extort him, is an alcoholic, and mentally unstable. He spends way too much time attacking his accuser and also all the bishops. Strange.
  4. What happened to him happens to many people in public positions (police, firefighters, teachers, etc). When there’s an accusation they get suspended until there’s a resolution. He could have offered it up to be in union with them.
  5. He spends a lot of time saying that the Church has abandoned him. Yet he never experienced any financial hardship because of those situations. Yes, he had to pay out 1000’s of dollars in legal fees for certain situations. But he also personally profits from his own media company and sits on a multimillion dollar settlement from years ago. Most priests, especially religious, don’t have those resources. If the Church didn’t pay his legal fees its because there’s not a giant bottomless bucket of money and the Church only helps those who truly need it.
    He claims he’s spend over $300,000 defending himself, I would question that but at the same time, he still never appeared to be hurting for money so its ultimately irrelevant.
  6. He seems to make all of this about him. And that seems to be a pattern with him. Peppered into many of his talks/writings it seems that there’s people persecuting him at every turn throughout his entire priesthood. A little dramatic for me.
    Despite what he thinks, even this process is ultimately not about him. Its about a consistent system that is able to make credible judgments, it doesn’t all change because he thinks everyone should presume his innocence.
    And the music at the end, imho, is rather narcissistic.
  7. His challenge to take a drug test for cocaine is laughable. For someone who wants to bask in the public glow, he sure is sensitive to internet slights.
  8. And finally, the graphics on his video and blog creep me out. Not that that matters, but still…
Click to expand...
My thoughts, EXACTLY.
 
You can read part of the book Coronary on Amazon.com. (pages 50-up reflect his early business) It said he made a lot of money just on the chatichism series. He said EWTN didn’t pay him but let him put a tag on the credits to his web site. 100,000 the first month, it must have made millions once he started churning out the DVD’s and books, thousands to do each talk, books sold there, I don’t think his medical expenses were that much compared to that. And if he could afford the expensive cars, boats, trips, multiple homes, he could pay for some of the things himself.
 
I’ve only been confirmed 8 days, so pardon my naive questions…but…

Don’t parish priests generally get moved every few years with the effect being that people don’t get attached to the priest…? The messenger shouldn’t be bigger than the message, right? At some point wasn’t Corapi made aware that his ego was getting a big too grand?

Why is FB alive with Corapi mourners? They are quick to condemn the bishops, but honestly! A woman could have been violated here! That’s something that we should be concerned about!!

Wasn’t Corapi found to have lied about his past already? Why was he elevated to such a place without certain checks in place?

Thank you, and God Bless.

I will pray for him and his conversion. Hopefully he’ll find his way back to the flock.
 
An apology if someone else has already said this.

One of Father Corapis mottos is "Surrender is NOT an Option". Could this message be his way of forcing the issue regarding the treatment of accused priests (not just himself) ? Maybe, in his own way, hes exercising heroic virtue by sacrificing his good name, and taking advantage of his high profile, for the sake of other priests… He DID say: “I don`t care what anybody thinks of me.”.

MOD: There was no intention to violate Forum rules. Please feel free to delete if it does.
 
heathernoel said:
Why is FB alive with Corapi mourners? They are quick to condemn the bishops, but honestly! A woman could have been violated here! That’s something that we should be concerned about!!
Click to expand...
A woman was violated here–but not only was she violated, Fr. Corapi also makes a point of ‘calling out’ her husband, as well, on his most recent telecast.

Fr. Corapi makes a point of saying that sacramental ministry was a small fraction of what he ended up doing during his 20 years behind the collar. However, he should’ve remembered the tacit ministries of the priest: the priest’s very existence as alter Christi and the religious priest’s vowed life. Obedience and poverty–let alone the saintly and Christ-like sacrifices that we have been taught to expect from great priests–are by his own admission not present here.
**
We do not need a Catholic Rush Limbaugh.** For those of us who have read ‘Diary of a Country Priest’ (ex: apothecary salesman) or ‘Lord of the World’ (ex: Master of Ceremonies), there is something inherently contemptible about priests trying to convert their ministerial resume into something useful in the secular world.

I pray that Fr. Corapi realizes what he’s doing.
 
TMC said:
But that is not what happened here. Corapi was not “cut loose” to fend for himself. His order initiated an investigation into serious charges against him, which is the responsible thing to do. He blocked the investigation by suing one witness and threatening to sue others if they talked to investigators. Then he quit - effectively ending the investigation. He was not “cut loose”, he cut himself loose. His order has said they wanted to talk to him, to keep him in the order, and to get to the bottom of the allegations. His actions have prevented any of those from happening - not anything the bureacracy did.
Click to expand...
I find myself agreeing with this from the information that we have…
 
Sonic said:
Mark, I noticed that Father’s speech starts out mechanical and then becomes very slurred and erratic. Also, at times you can hear paper rustling as though he is reading his mp3 address. Did you also notice this?

Something doesn’t seem right here.
Click to expand...
I noticed that as well but thought perhaps I was hearing things or reading to much into it. 🤷
 
debraran said:
I think when you put to much into the messenger and not the message, it can get confusing. I think it was Fr. Groechel that said, when you think you do anything, when you take credit for any words or actions for Christ, its downhill from there. Everything good comes from him, conversions, grace, etc. I think he meant when you believe the adoration, when you seek it, you lost him.
Click to expand...
Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

John Wooden
 
I loved to hear Fr. Corapi speak on EWTN. The turn of events does sadden me. I can be niave and I have to tell you that when I learned of his new endevour, my first thought was that he could really reach out to so many people outside the Catholic Church to bring them home. Maybe…just maybe a good thing will come out of a bad situation. I guess we will have to wait and see.
 
jwinch2 said:
Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

John Wooden
Click to expand...
👍 i agree with this and i do think it pertains to father corapi - sad to say.
obviously, he was a successful businessman at one time and then he lost everything.
i thought he did learn humility and i was impressed at the changes he made in his life.
perhaps, things got out of perspective for him. i pray he can find his way out of this
and be honest with himself and that the truth will be revealed some day.
hopefully, his fans will NOT leave the Church to follow him.
 
NewEnglandPries said:
  1. The process was essentially 3 months old. To give up this early seems a bit odd. He wasn’t accused of sexual misconduct with a minor. Even if he was found guilty of consensual sexual relations with an adult woman that wouldn’t necessarily mean he would be kicked out of ministry.
  2. According to the NCReg , Father Gerard Sheehan, regional priest-servant of SOLT
    stated that if he had simply agreed not to sue his accuser the process could have moved forward but he refused to do that. I’d like to think that clearing my name and continuing with my vocation would be more important to me than a civil suit against my accuser.
  3. Fr. Corapi seems to have made the wrong move at every turn. His initial press release was awkward. Then his company started spilling details about the incident. Then he claimed the process was canonically illicit (did he ever appeal it?) and yet it continued on. And now he’s making a claim the woman tried to extort him, is an alcoholic, and mentally unstable. He spends way too much time attacking his accuser and also all the bishops. Strange.
  4. What happened to him happens to many people in public positions (police, firefighters, teachers, etc). When there’s an accusation they get suspended until there’s a resolution. He could have offered it up to be in union with them.
  5. He spends a lot of time saying that the Church has abandoned him. Yet he never experienced any financial hardship because of those situations. Yes, he had to pay out 1000’s of dollars in legal fees for certain situations. But he also personally profits from his own media company and sits on a multimillion dollar settlement from years ago. Most priests, especially religious, don’t have those resources. If the Church didn’t pay his legal fees its because there’s not a giant bottomless bucket of money and the Church only helps those who truly need it.
    He claims he’s spend over $300,000 defending himself, I would question that but at the same time, he still never appeared to be hurting for money so its ultimately irrelevant.
  6. He seems to make all of this about him. And that seems to be a pattern with him. Peppered into many of his talks/writings it seems that there’s people persecuting him at every turn throughout his entire priesthood. A little dramatic for me.
    Despite what he thinks, even this process is ultimately not about him. Its about a consistent system that is able to make credible judgments, it doesn’t all change because he thinks everyone should presume his innocence.
    And the music at the end, imho, is rather narcissistic.
  7. His challenge to take a drug test for cocaine is laughable. For someone who wants to bask in the public glow, he sure is sensitive to internet slights.
  8. And finally, the graphics on his video and blog creep me out. Not that that matters, but still…
Click to expand...
I really do like Fr C, but he has never been anything near that which I consider a humble person is…He is honest about his past ,and admits he was wrong and takes the blame himself…but almost as a Marine in the heat of battle would take it…with courage perhaps ,but also with considerable bravado and a bit of swagger

I am so sad about all of this…but none of us are bigger than the church…I know nothing of this bishop, he might be heartsick about the whole business

One thing I will bet…Fr will not go softly into that good night, he is already raging against the dying of the light

I wish him well ,and hope he remains, a faithful son of the church
 
7_Sorrows said:
this is shocking news to me. as a catholic for only 3 years, i was a fan of father corapi.
i enjoyed watching him on EWTN. i always thought that he didn’t pull any punches.
i had read parts of his conversion story and was very impressed and i felt his love for the Catholic Church was very sincere. when i heard of his suspension, i was very disappointed and concerned.
there were a few red flags, but i was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until the investigation was completed and all of the facts were out. so i am saddened that he is not staying to fight this out and prove his innocence. whether there really are those in the Church who want him out, i don’t know.
i am confused by someone who loves the Catholic Church, but has decided to abandon the priesthood. i don’t know what to think of his new autobiography and venture either.
this whole situation seems really strange to me.
Click to expand...
Corapi has never said this.

However, many people posting in this thread have.

CTcatholic5—why do we not need a Catholic Rush Limbaugh? What would be wrong with that? Limbaugh states the conservative position as clearly as possible.

Many people would welcome it.
 
7_Sorrows said:
👍 i agree with this and i do think it pertains to father corapi - sad to say.
.
Click to expand...
I was responding to the quote posted by Father Groeschel. It was not meant specifically about Father Corapi. However, to be fair, I did notice a difference in his later videos as compared to his earlier ones. The early ones were more humble in my view as compared to his later ones. Perhaps I am just seeing things which are not there but I do remember getting that impression…
 
I don’t understand what you mean by a Catholic Rush Limbaugh…

Have a great evening, everyone!
 
Sailor_Kenshin said:
Corapi has never said this.

However, many people posting in this thread have.

CTcatholic5—why do we not need a Catholic Rush Limbaugh? What would be wrong with that? Limbaugh states the conservative position as clearly as possible.

Many people would welcome it.
Click to expand...
Father Corapi is a Father for life, as he explained and many catholics who understand their faith realize.

I am going to pass on the rest of your questions. They have nothing to do with the Catholic faith. And, ironically both share too many qualities to mention.
 
Whatever the outcome of any kind of investigation I wish Father Corapi nothing but the best and I just want to say to those people on here who had some not so nice things to say that he was nothing but kind and very humble when he heard my confession at a talk he gave when I was in New York a few years ago and I for one do not believe anything bad about him I say this because the room where he heard my confession was away from people and he could of easily tried something inappropriate in that area because no one would have seen but not once did he look or touch me in a way that was not fatherly He placed his hand on my shoulder when he gave me absolution and it was no different than a father reaching out to give his daughter a loving touch that was totally appropriate. I will always have a great respect for him.
 
thequeen said:
Whatever the outcome of any kind of investigation I wish Father Corapi nothing but the best and I just want to say to those people on here who had some not so nice things to say that he was nothing but kind and very humble when he heard my confession at a talk he gave when I was in New York a few years ago and I for one do not believe anything bad about him I say this because the room where he heard my confession was away from people and he could of easily tried something inappropriate in that area because no one would have seen but not once did he look or touch me in a way that was not fatherly He placed his hand on my shoulder when he gave me absolution and it was no different than a father reaching out to give his daughter a loving touch that was totally appropriate. I will always have a great respect for him.
Click to expand...
I have a friend that met him, and said how kind he was to her ,and how much better she felt after she had a talk with him,about issues that were troubling to her…He has many fine qualities, and kindness is a virtue

I think you can have an negative impression about someone, in certain areas, and it doesn’t mean if you see a smudge or 2 you think they are bad, or guilty of anything major…We all have faults, me included
 
This is a sad situation in so many ways.
Much of what is said here and elsewhere in some Catholic blogs is not helpful in any way.
What is needed, in my opinion, is prayer and silence.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top