Corapi Issue Gets Worse

Pray for Corapi.
Here is a statement from SOLT - his community. This is not good news.
Comments will be off for this post.

Press Release Concerning Fr John Corapi from SOLT Regional Priest Servant
July 5, 2011


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

From: Rev. Gerard Sheehan, SOLT Regional Priest Servant Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Robstown, Texas

Fr. John A. Corapi submitted his resignation from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity ("SOLT") early in June. SOLT is a Society of Apostolic Life of Diocesan Right with its regional office in Robstown, Texas.

While SOLT does not typically comment publicly on personnel matters, it recognizes that Fr. John Corapi, through his ministry, has inspired thousands of faithful Catholics, many of whom continue to express their support of him. SOLT also recognizes that Fr. Corapi is now misleading these individuals through his false statements and characterizations. It is for these Catholics that SOLT, by means of this announcement, seeks to set the record straight.

A woman, well known to Fr. John Corapi, mailed SOLT a signed letter detailing allegations of Fr. Corapi's sexual activity with adult women, abuse of alcohol and drugs, improper sacramental practices, violation of his promise of poverty, and other wrongdoing.

After receiving the allegation, SOLT formed a three person fact-finding team to ensure that it handled this matter in accordance with canonical norms. The team included a priest-canonist, a psychiatrist, and a lawyer. Two were members of religious orders, and one was a lay Catholic. Two were men, and one was a woman. All three have national reputations and substantial experience in ecclesiastical processes related to priest disciplinary issues.

As the Society was engaging this team, Fr. Corapi filed a civil lawsuit against his principal accuser. He contended that she had defamed him and breached her contract. The contract, according to Corapi's lawsuit, contained a provision binding the woman to silence about him. He offered the woman $100,000 to enter this agreement.

SOLT's fact-finding team subsequently learned that Fr. Corapi may have negotiated contracts with other key witnesses that precluded them from speaking with SOLT's fact-finding team. Many of these witnesses likely had key information about the accusations being investigated and declined to answer questions and provide documents.

When the fact-finding team asked Fr. Corapi to dismiss the lawsuit, to forbear from foreclosing his mortgage, and to release her and other individuals from their contractual obligations to remain silent about him, he refused to do so and, through his canonical advocate, stated: "It is not possible for Father Corapi to answer the Commission's questions at this time."

SOLT's fact-finding team has acquired information from Fr. Corapi's e-mails, various witnesses, and public sources that, together, state that, during his years of public ministry:

He did have sexual relations and years of cohabitation (in California and Montana) with a woman known to him, when the relationship began, as a prostitute; He repeatedly abused alcohol and drugs; He has recently engaged in sexting activity with one or more women in Montana; He holds legal title to over $1 million in real estate, numerous luxury vehicles, motorcycles, an ATV, a boat dock, and several motor boats, which is a serious violation of his promise of poverty as a perpetually professed member of the Society.

SOLT has contemporaneously with the issuance of this press release directed Fr. John Corapi, under obedience, to return home to the Society’s regional office and take up residence there. It has also ordered him, again under obedience, to dismiss the lawsuit he has filed against his accuser.

SOLT's prior direction to Fr. John Corapi not to engage in any preaching or teaching, the celebration of the sacraments or other public ministry continues. Catholics should understand that SOLT does not consider Fr. John Corapi as fit for ministry.

Father Sheehan will not be available for comments as he is attending the SOLT General Chapter from July 5-23.

The United Nations - In Need of Deep Reform

Some of the recent activity out of the United Nations included:

• UN Report Calls for Comprehensive Sex Ed for Ten Year Olds as a way to Fight AIDS
• The UN has Commissioned A Study to Find Laws and Practices that Discriminate Against Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
• 5 UN Agencies Join to Promote Universal Abortion Rights.

How any of these achieves the goals of the UN as set out in the UN Charter is beyond me.
The Preamble reads:

PREAMBLE

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED

• to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
• to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
• to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
• to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

AND FOR THESE ENDS

• to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and
• to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and
• to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and
• to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples,

HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS
Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.

Pray for our leaders, our government, and the United Nations.

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

Here is a very quick summation about the Fr. Corapi affair:

-Fr. Corapi was suspended by order of Bishop Mulvey, of Corpus Christi, because of allegations by a former employee of his apostolate. We do not know if the allegations are true.
-Fr. Corapi has been suspended all of 4 months when he announced he is leaving the priesthood and his order so that he can continue his ministry. In doing so, he threw the following under the bus:

1. The Catholic Church's investigative process.
2. His accuser.
3. Bishop Mulvey.

As to #1 - I am not a fan of certain parts of the process, and because it isn't a perfect process, I believe some criticisms are very valid. That does NOT mean that Corapi is being unjustly treated - we just don't know enough to make support the claims one way or the other.

As to #2 - we don't know enough, so no comment.

As to #3 - I know Bishop Mulvey and can say this. He does not deserve the treatment he is getting from Corapi. You see, Bishop Mulvey is the kind of man who will not come out with both guns blazing in order to defend himself. In other words, he isn't like me. He is a humble servant of God and a very good priest and Bishop.

He didn't go looking for a fight with Corapi, but was dragged into it because of an accusation that was brought to his attention. What was he to do? He had to launch an investigation and the most prudent thing was to pull Corapi from active ministry until the investigation could go forward.

We still don't know if the accusations against Corapi are true or not and we may never know. But, here is what we do know:

1. The legal processes, both in the courts and the Church, are flawed.
2. Fr. Corapi needs our prayers.
3. Bishop Mulvey needs our prayers.
4. The accuser needs our prayers.
5. The Church needs our prayers.
6. Fr. Corapi was asked to stop living by himself, on a ranch in Montana, and join his congregation.
7. Fr. Corapi was a priest of the Diocese of Corpus Christi and took a vow of obedience to his superiors. This vow has been broken.
8. This scandal is dealt with by Canon Law, not the Dallas Charter for the protection of children.
9. Because Corapi is walking away from the priesthood, the Church's investigation is over. The legal courts will now deal with it alone.
10. God is a Provident Father and can bring good out of any situation.

If Corapi "quit" because of an unjust situation, then he probably still made the wrong decision. It seems the decision to re-brand himself outside of the priesthood must have been made a while ago. Which means he only gave the process a few short months, at best. What would we think of St. Padre Pio if he quit in the face of injustice? What about Jesus quitting his vocation in the face of injustice?

At best, we have a wounded man who feels pushed out of the priesthood, because he sees no other way to continue to do what he feels called to do. This has created a huge scandal with many unanswered questions. It has also sullied the names of many others, including Bishop Mulvey, which I believe is an injustice.

At worst, Corapi is guilty of what he is accused and is now throwing others who oppose him under the bus in order to keep his reputation and increase his bank account.

Either way it is a terrible scandal, which is magnified because of Corapi's decision.

We may never know the details, but God does.

So, what do we do now? We pray. We believe. We have hope. We love.
Even in the face of scandal.

I will turn comments on for this post, but no attacks on anyone will be tolerated.
Peace.

UPDATE #1:

Corapi Issues a Second Statement...this one is quite sad. Here is a summation of it:

• He says he had "no choice" because he would never be reinstated to public ministry.
• He goes on to say it doesn't matter if he can't celebrate the Sacraments. He goes on to say he never did much Sacramental ministry anyway.
• He continues to vehemently defend himself and says the accusations are false. He says the leadership of the Church is killing and attacking him.
• So, why did he resign? Because his lawyers concluded "it would be next to impossible to receive a fair and just outcome." Then he defends his civil lawsuit and continues to defame the accuser as an alcoholic and "emotional erratic behavior", who is trying to extort money from him.
• He even tells someone who accuses him of using cocaine (which is a pitiful accusation) to "put up or shut up".) He even says he will pay him $100,000 in one day if it is proven correct. I guess he has some serious cash.
• He says "I didn't start this" and that "a very very sick woman" did. Then, the authorities through him under the bus like "yesterday's garbage" and yet he is "not bitter about it". 

Ug. This really doesn't help, but makes the whole thing uglier.

Listen to the statement here.

**I stand by this statement:

At best, we have a wounded man who feels pushed out of the priesthood, because he sees no other way to continue to do what he feels called to do. This has created a huge scandal with many unanswered questions. It has also sullied the names of many others, including Bishop Mulvey, which I believe is an injustice.

At worst, Corapi is guilty of what he is accused and is now throwing others who oppose him under the bus in order to keep his reputation and increase his bank account.

UPDATE #2:

SOLT, Corapi's community, has released a statement:

Official SOLT Statement Regarding Fr John Corapi
As the Regional Priest Servant of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), I issue the following statement on behalf of the Society.

On 16 March 2011, the Bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas, and the SOLT received a complaint against Fr. John Corapi, SOLT. As is normal procedure and due to the gravity of the accusation alleging conduct not in concert with the priestly state or his promises as a member of an society of apostolic of diocesan right, Fr. Corapi was suspended from active ministry (put on administrative leave) until such a time that the complaint could be fully investigated and due process given to Fr. Corapi. In the midst of the investigation, the SOLT received a letter from Fr. Corapi, dated June 3, 2011, indicating that, because of the physical, emotional and spiritual distress he has endured over the past few years, he could no longer continue to function as a priest or a member of the SOLT. Although the investigation was in progress, the SOLT had not arrived at any conclusion as to the credibility of the allegations under investigation.

At the onset, the Bishop of Corpus Christi advised the SOLT to not only proceed with the policies outlined in their own constitution, but also with the proper canonical procedures to determine the credibility of the allegations against Fr. Corapi. We reiterate that Fr. Corapi had not been determined guilty of any canonical or civil crimes. If the allegations had been found to be credible, the proper canonical due process would have been offered to Fr. Corapi, including his right to defense, to know his accuser and the complaint lodged, and a fair canonical trial with the right of recourse to the Holy See. On June 17, 2011, Fr. John Corapi issued a public statement indicating that he has chosen to cease functioning as a priest and a member of the SOLT.

The SOLT is deeply saddened that Fr. Corapi is suffering distress. The SOLT is further saddened by Fr. Corapi’s response to these allegations. The SOLT will do all within its power to assist Fr. Corapi if he desires to seek a dispensation from his rights and obligations as a priest and as a professed member of the SOLT. We request your prayers and the intercession of the Blessed Mother for the healing of Fr. Corapi and for any who have been negatively affected by Fr. Corapi’s decision to end his ministry as a priest and a member of the SOLT.

Fr Gerrard Sheehan, SOLT
Regional Priest Servant