Fr. Corapi and I were ordained together, by John Paul II, in 1991. I didn’t know him at that time. After ordination I think I only ran into him twice, at conferences were we were both speakers. So, I don’t know him. I don’t know what is up with his life or situation and I won’t speculate. Nevertheless, by that tendril connection of our ordination, I have imagined a kind of bond with him and all the other men scattered across the world, even though I didn’t know most of them personally.
So, I don’t have much to say about Fr. Corapi. I do have a few things to say about the circumstances surrounding this sad announcement.
From the email I am receiving and a few blogs I have read reacting to Fr. Corapi’s video message, it strikes me that a lot of people are doing neither themselves nor Fr. Corapi any good. Charity requires us to consider the good of others. I can’t see how the way some people are talking about Fr. Corapi does anyone any good.
We are in difficult times right now concerning ecclesiastical relationships. The Church has sustained horrible wounds because of her own churchmen and, during this time of healing, there are bound to be painful moments. When you receive a blow upon a bruise, the pain can be great. I suggest that we avoid poking the bruises as much as we can.
Given what I have been seeing and experiencing, I believe the verse many priests pray every night during Compline in the older form of the Office (Tuesday in the Liturgy of the Hours) is being realized in a particularly intense way right now:
“Be sober and vigilant: because your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is roaming around seeking whom he might devour. Strong in faith, resist him knowing that the same affliction befalls your brethren who are in the world. ” 1 Peter 5:8-9.
This is certainly the case in my life right now and I think it is also going on in the life of many priests and bishops who are on the more conservative side of things. The attack is on.
This is one reason why I have been earnestly asking the support of your prayers.
The enemy hates priests and bishops. Let me say that again. The enemy hates priests and bishops. When priests and bishops start making inroads, they will be attacked with intensity.
But priests and bishops remain men and remain sinners. We need the support of prayers especially regarding the primary goal of saving our souls. We must, for the love of God, help each other.
I will keep Fr. Corapi on my prayer list, and will remember him in a special way, hoping that through the help of the Holy Spirit, who bends the rigid and heals the broken and consoles those who are in pain, he will have some peace whether he is able to return to active ministry or not, whether he wants to or not. He is a priest forever and he is my brother in that indelible mark received from Christ the High priest. And because he is a priest forever, the devil will not relent in attacking him until he dies. Nor will the devil relent in attacking anyone who has authority over him.
It is what we signed up for, but sometimes it can be very hard.
Please remember, please, that all priests are human beings and subject to the afflictions of the world the flesh and the devil. If you look at them in some other way, you do them and yourselves a disservice.
In these difficult times, when we are seeing the lion and hearing the lion roaring around even more, I ask for your prayers for myself and for all the priests you know, whether they are in active ministry or they are for whatever reason not active, whether they have been exemplary according to how you think they ought to be, or whether they have made mistakes and are suffering the consequences.
They have immortal souls and they, like you dear lay people, are working out their eternal salvation with fear and trembling with the additional burden of knowing that they will be priests forever, in heaven or in hell. Ask St. John Vianney for help. And, since St. “Padre” Pio has been on my mind with increasing frequency lately, perhaps ask him as well.
Please don’t write to me anymore about Fr. Corapi. Please. Even though I didn’t know him, right now for me this is like a blow upon a bruise.
Please find it in your hearts to pray, daily and often, for priests.
Catholicism Pure & Simple 
I am sure that is the right attitude. All the time God chooses his priests from the human race, he will call sinners. We have all fallen short and need forgiveness. Let us not publicise a priest’s failings, we all have them. As someone once said, “don’t criticise the clergy, God only has the laity to choose from”.
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I am sure that this is not the right attitude, with respect. So we must not publicise, i.e. discuss a priest’s failings? What a terrifying vista.
This is what led to the suppression of information about some appalling practices over a very long time, leading to an explosion of scandal which threatens the existence of the church. It also smears the good work that the church does.
Thinking of the Reformation, I am reminded that if we do not pay attention to history, then we are condemned to repeat it.
But what do I know?
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AND ALSO WHAT I WANT TO SAY – I DO NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT THIS PRIEST AND THE CONFLICT-
IS THAT WE HUMAN BEINGS TEND TO REMEMBER THE WRONGS AND FORGET ABOUT ALL THE GOOD THINGS AND FORGET THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN MANY FRUITS FROM THE TALKS AND LIFE OF FATHER
CORAPI. WE SHOULD THANK HIM FOR THAT TOO AND AS YOU SAID KEEP HIM AND ALL PRIESTS IN OUR PRAYERS.
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What is not known is if this man did something wrong. It is merely alleged. As I understand it, he is accused but may not be told who is accusing him, and that he does not even know the nature of the allegations in any detail.
In this area, he is like a teacher in the UK who can be accused with no evidence, be suspended immediately until a hearing which can be months. He is expected to prove a negative, which can be impossible. Then, if he is found to be innocent his career is ruined anyway. It remains on his record, and schools will prefer to hire someone else just to be on the safe side.
Appalling.
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“As I understand it, he is accused but may not be told who is accusing him, and that he does not even know the nature of the allegations in any detail. ”
Read this, then get back to us, m8: http://www.jimmyakin.org/2011/06/new-information-on-the-fr-corapi-situation.html?cid=6a00d8341bfbfe53ef014e8949b590970d
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Re “the observations”.
A ‘simpler’ link to Akin’s article: http://www.ncregister.com/new-information-on-the-fr.-corapi-situation.html
Mark Shea’s take on ‘the situation’ is also well worth a look: http://markshea.blogspot.com/2011/06/analysis-of-holes-in-fr-corapis-story.html
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Yes there is a blizzard of comment and counter comment.
My posts above refer to a situation in general, not specifically this matter.
Years ago when it was the fashion to pronounce on whether OJ Simpson the US boxer or whatever he was, was innocent or guilty. I thought it was like an old fashioned lynch mob, all that. I resolved never to take part in such baying and howling. Bush and Blair demonised a whole country like that, Iraq, on no evidence whatsoever. The slaughter they began there, aided and abetted by a complicit media, continues of course.
So I, like most, have no idea of guilt or innocence with this man. But the situation makes me uneasy.
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I should say, Om that I don’t mean you when I speak of a mob. And my previous post about dhotis was I’m afraid, a garbled attempt at humour, and the unfortunate result of lunching heavily….. mad.
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Wally, I found the “dhotis” stuff amusing. No worries at all.
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Yes Father Z, I surely will keep praying, even harder now, for our beloved bishops and priests. On Thursday, I offer the day for our priests. We need you, we love you, we know what hardships you are going through, we will lift you up each day. Our Lady of the Most Precious Blood watch over the living chalices of the Blood of Christ.
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Omvendt,
Thank you for your very interesting links, which then give further links; and altogether – as Mr Whippy points out – an absolute “blizzard” of articles and comments on the subject.
Fr Corapi was always such a stalwart figure of true Catholicism – this whole business has caused the Faithful a lot of sorrow, disconcertment and perplexity.
If he is innocent of the accusations against him – as my gut feeling tells me he is – I hope his rashness in leaving the priestly ministry will be rescinded. From what I heard on EWTN’s “World Over Live”, this option is still open to him.
Our indomitable Michael Voris has had some severe words of reprimand towards the Catholic blogs who have reported on the subject: http://www.youtube.com/user/RealCatholicTV?feature=mhee#p/u/5/Di538dp9SQk
But not all the bloggers are pre-judging and accusing Fr John Corapi, and I rather feel that in this case Michael is tending to throw out the baby with the bath water.
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Kathleen,
I think Voris will have cause to regret his latest ‘pronunciamento’.
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