Update on Fr. John Corapi

[isshinwhat]

And yet Bishop Gracida says he believes he is justified... Time will tell, and in the meantime, all involved need prayer because a lot of people have been scandalized, drawn into gossip or slander, and made angry, justifiably or not. The Church, SOLT, Fr. Corapi, those who listen to him, the woman making the accusation, all have been injured through this, and that is tragic.

 

[JoabAnias]

My personal opinion from reading what he has done and his statements is that he is putting too much faith in the secular authority and too little in the clerical ones.

He is not pursuing the secular case saying he did nothing...he is saying she signed an agreement to tell no one what went on in his business. Of course that does not remove her canonical rights and obligation as a member of the laity to tell the Bishop of misconduct.

So see how this looks? He is tossing the Church process aside after 3 months after personally truncating their ability to investigate at pretty much the start. And rather than pursue innocence civilly he goes after a basic gag order he made her sign to give up her rights to say anything that happened.

That does not look very good.

Did you listen to todays statement? It does seem that his faith in the Church process has erroded over the years.

It does seem the Church is assuming guilt without proof. They have had plenty of time to question her.

 

[thereselittleflower]

And that may very well be the case. But we do not know that with any degree of certainty, and that is my entire point...

Yes we do. It is now stated fact as has been presented in this thread. His superiors have revealed this information.

Corpai interferred with his own ecclesial investigation by filing the civil suit, hog-tying his ecclesiasl investigation, bringing it to a standsill by his own actions.

It is conjecture.

It is not conjecture . it is fact.

Once again, as Bishop Gracida said, "I believe that he is justified in not seeking to clear his name through a canonical process; at the present time such processes are very flawed in most dioceses. Rather I would like to believe that he intends to try to clear his name through the civil courts." It's not like Bishop Gracida is speaking off the cuff here with no frame of reference at all...

That is his personal belief .. however, there is an appeal process that was rejcted in favor of a civil process, and even Bishops can be mistaken in their support of an individual and their actions, especially charismatic ones.

 

[Davidnic]

Did you listen to todays statement? It does seem that his faith in the Church process has erroded over the years.

It does seem the Church is assuming guilt without proof. They have had plenty of time to question her.

I listened to his statement and I hear a man with more faith in himself than the Church. That is part of what upset me.

In canonical terms the process is not going to move like lightning in 3 months
and he knows that. Anyone who knows canon law, and he does, knows that.

Like I said, when I listen to his recent comments I head mountains of pride and it really turns me off. I really tried to not have an opinion on this until it was over but he kind of really tipped it for me with his actions. I don't see them as the actions of an innocent man seeking justice...now he may be innocent, that is not my point.

Even if he is innocent he is taking this road that says he is bigger than the Church and secular law will get him justice and the Church is not good enough for him. If after a canonical process he felt he still was not cleared that is one thing. But thinking he deserves some 3 month clear when the canonical process for everyone else takes longer is another sign of pride in my view.

 

[thereselittleflower]

Does anyone here think that if he was patient with the process and appealed all the way to the Vatican instead of pushing a civil suit against his accuser, that the Vatican would not ensure he received a fair investigation and outcome?

 

[Davidnic]

And again he is not seeking innocence civilly...he is seeking to say she had not right to speak of anything that happened. Unless I missed it that is the core of his civil case, not false accusation. But violation of secrecy that was a condition of employment.

 

[Michie]

Breaking: Corapi issues a second statement, and comes out swinging...

Breaking: SOLT issues official statement on Corapi...

WATCH THIS VIDEO about the Corapi affair. Just watch it. It's only 3 minutes, and it's about to go viral in the Catholic blogosphere...

I Will Not Defend Fr. Corapi. I Will Defend Bishop Mulvey...


Corapi's actions are hurting the Church (and EWTN), and I'm angry because he appears to be okay with that...

Retired bishop of Corpus Christi: Corapi's Black Sheepdog rebranding is a "stroke of genius"; alleged victim should face civil penalties for presenting case to Church authorities...

 

[thereselittleflower]

And again he is not seeking innocence civilly...he is seeking to say she had not right to speak of anything that happened. Unless I missed it that is the core of his civil case, not false accusation. But violation of secrecy that was a condition of employment.

So he's not even going after libel . he's not even trying to clear his name?


0.0

he has special conditions of secrecy for his employees against the instructions of the Church?

0.0

The Church REQUIRES Catholics to notify a priest's superiors when there are such grave situations of misconduct!

No priest can require a subordinate to keep secret what the Church requires us to reveal!!!!!!


What in the heck is going on here?



This is getting worse and worse!

 

[Davidnic]

Does anyone here think that if he was patient with the process and appealed all the way to the Vatican instead of pushing a civil suit against his accuser, that the Vatican would not ensure he received a fair investigation and outcome?

I would be surprised if I saw that since it has only been three months. And his superiors said they did not even get to finish their process because of his civil suit. So there is no way he was patient with the process.

 

[Davidnic]

So he's not even going after libel . he's not even trying to clear his name?


0.0

I could be wrong but that is what I saw, that it is based on a secrecy order that was a condition of employment.

 

[Davidnic]

Yep just checked it. His civil suit is breach of contract not libel, slander or false accusation.

 

[isshinwhat]

He is not to speak in his capacity as a priest. He does not give a homily for instance. But that does not mean we stop calling him father.

TLF, he cannot present himself as Fr. Corapi, suspended Catholic Priest who is not functioning in his capacity as a priest. No one has asked him to stop speaking publicly, but publicly as a priest, hence Bishop Gracida's statement, "As a suspended priest he cannot function publicly as a priest, but he can continue to evangelize as long as he does not present himself to the public as a priest." He is not presenting himself as Father Corapi to honor that.

Bishop Gracida did not approve of this continuing to speak or to represent himself not as a priest, but as blacksheepdog .

He's certainly being supportive:

"As a good sheep dog he will continue to try to protect the flock from the dangers of heresy, heterodoxy, and all other forms of untruth."

Now, until his suspension is lifted, he is free from the Church’s prohibition on clerics participating in the political life of the nation. Given his past outspoken criticism of the current slide of our government to become more and more like the socialist governments of Europe, I think that we can expect to hear The Black Sheep Dog speak out more openly on the burning issues we will face in the election year of 2012. I know from my own experience that God sometimes “writes straight with crooked lines” as the Portuguese put it, and so perhaps God is using this new (unwanted) freedom from ecclesiastical restraint to permit The Black Sheep Dog to say some important things in the next 16 months on those burning issues.

I appreciate his Excellency's hope and charity.

 

[Davidnic]

I mean he said:

There are certain persons in authority in the Church that want me gone, and I shall be gone. ... They can't prove I'm guilty of the things alleged because I'm not, and they can't prove I'm innocent because that is simply illogical and impossible. ... My canon lawyer and my civil lawyers have concluded that I cannot receive a fair and just hearing under the Church's present process. The Church will conclude that I am not cooperating with the process because I refuse to give up all of my civil and human rights in order to hold harmless anyone who chooses to say defamatory and actionable things against me with no downside to them. ... I am, indeed, not ready to be extinguished. Under the name "The Black Sheep Dog," I shall be with you through radio broadcasts and writing. My autobiography, The Black Sheep Dog, is almost ready for publication. My topics will be broader than in the past, and my audience likewise is apt to be broader. I'll do what I can under the circumstances.
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Yeah that just sounds suspect to me. Civil and human rights? uh huh. People in power want him gone?

I pray for him, but I personally find these actions more suspect than brave or exonerating.

 

[isshinwhat]

Yes we do. It is now stated fact as has been presented in this thread. His superiors have revealed this information.

TLF, you nor I know the ins and outs. Did something drive Fr. Corapi to pursue civil action knowing the canonical consequences? Fr. Corapi has stated he has a Bishop advising him that his course of action is appropriate, Bishop Gracida believes it is appropriate, and he is the Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese where the charges stem from, still lives there, and established SOLT within the Church. These are the details I am talking about, and they are where the Devil lies... That is why it is conjecture; no one here knows.

 

[isshinwhat]

I mean he said:

There are certain persons in authority in the Church that want me gone, and I shall be gone. ... They can't prove I'm guilty of the things alleged because I'm not, and they can't prove I'm innocent because that is simply illogical and impossible. ... My canon lawyer and my civil lawyers have concluded that I cannot receive a fair and just hearing under the Church's present process. The Church will conclude that I am not cooperating with the process because I refuse to give up all of my civil and human rights in order to hold harmless anyone who chooses to say defamatory and actionable things against me with no downside to them. ... I am, indeed, not ready to be extinguished. Under the name "The Black Sheep Dog," I shall be with you through radio broadcasts and writing. My autobiography, The Black Sheep Dog, is almost ready for publication. My topics will be broader than in the past, and my audience likewise is apt to be broader. I'll do what I can under the circumstances.
​

Yeah that just sounds suspect to me. Civil and human rights? uh huh. People in power want him gone?

I pray for him, but I personally find these actions more suspect than brave or exonerating.

He could be going nuts. He could be guilty. He could be innocent of the charges, but filled with pride and this is the tool the Devil used to bring him down. He could be innocent and expressing his hurt. He could be innocent and this is his standard manner of reacting... I don't know. The only thing I am trying to do is reserve judgment, even if it is difficult. Discernment must be tempered by prudence, and right now all we have are a few blog posts and no real complete information. It's obvious he needs prayer, as well as those who look(ed) up to him, and the woman making the allegations. Time to study. Take care.

 

[Davidnic]

no matter what the situation, he and the accuser are in my prayers.

 

[Searching_for_Christ]

Perhaps this thread should be closed because all that can be done is speculations and gossip, which despite all of our own opinions on the matter, should be something we all strive to not do.

just my humble two cents.

Pax Christi.

 

[thereselittleflower]

TLF, you nor I know the ins and outs. Did something drive Fr. Corapi to pursue civil action knowing the canonical consequences? Fr. Corapi has stated he has a Bishop advising him that his course of action is appropriate, Bishop Gracida believes it is appropriate, and he is the Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese where the charges stem from, still lives there, and established SOLT within the Church. These are the details I am talking about, and they are where the Devil lies... That is why it is conjecture; no one here knows.

We know that his civil case has casued the ecclesial investgation to come to a stand still because they cannot interview the witnesses.

We know that his civil suit against the woman involved is not to clear his name, but because, in contacting the Bishops, she broke some secrecy clause of her employment with Corapi.

We know Corapi is not seeking to clear his name through the civil courts at this point in time. . he has not brought a case of libel or slander against her.


May God have mercy.

 

[JoabAnias]

Perhaps this thread should be closed because all that can be done is speculations and gossip, which despite all of our own opinions on the matter, should be something we all strive to not do.

just my humble two cents.

Pax Christi.

Thats pretty much it. The same reasons the last two should have been closed too. Rather ugly and dark isn't it? Of course its ok to judge those in the public eye. Its hypocrisy.

 

[JoabAnias]

Yep just checked it. His civil suit is breach of contract not libel, slander or false accusation.

Which would be winable. Sounds like lawyer speak.