NEW YORK CITY, July 12, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – State Senator Jim Alesi told a crowd gathered to celebrate the passage of same-sex “marriage” in New York that his priest embraced him and gave him Holy Communion when he attended Mass after voting to pass the legislation.
The event at which the senator spoke was sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, and took place in Manhattan four days after the New York Senate voted to legalize same-sex “marriage.”
After taking the microphone to loud applause and shouting, Alesi told the revelers, “that’s exactly what it sounded like when I went to Mass Sunday.”
“I went to Mass Sunday in my church and I was so warmly received. It doesn’t matter what religion you are, but I know in my religion, when I went up to receive Communion, my priest embraced me,” he said.
Alesi represents the 55th District of New York, which is in the Diocese of Rochester..
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
A Well Reasoned and Balanced Appraisal of the Father John Corapi Case
Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of the diocese of Corpus Christi, presents an appraisal of the Father Corapi case, written by John Stevens:
Posted on July 12, 2011 by abyssum
I am one who still supports Fr. Corapi. I do not adulate people no matter who they are. I do not place Fr. Corapi on a pedestal. But for God’s grace he is capable of anything. I would like to offer a number of things for consideration. They may not be in order.
1) The accuser of Fr. Corapi is his god daughter. He has said for a long time that she needs prayer because she and her husband have been struggling with drug addiction for many years. He commented on this during his conference in San Antonio in August, 2010. He may have commented on this even earlier. He said he has tried to help them overcome their problems and that they need help. If you read the lawsuit he has filed against her you will see that the confidentiality statement is quite appropriate for the circumstances. She lists in her LinkedIn profile that she is the owner of Santa Cruz Media and also has tried to take his copyrighted moniker “The Black Sheep Dog” as her own. This is theft. Fr. Corapi has a right to sue her for protection of his property. If she has lied, he also has a right to sue her for damage to his good name. Many have claimed that the $100,000 she has received is hush money to keep her quiet. This is not at all clear. As she is his god daughter, he has tried desperately to help them over the years. I am sure this includes, but is not limited to, financial compensation.
2) Fr. Corapi initially said he would co-operate with the investigation despite disagreeing with the process. Bishop Rene Gracida advised him that he could not clear his name through the canonical process in the Diocese of Corpus Christi and suggested he proceed civilly. On that basis Fr. Corapi filed the suit. Depending on the diocese the canonical process may or may not work. In my opinion, Bishop Gracida is one of the best bishops we have had in the U.S. in many years. Someone I know asked Fr. John Hardon back around 2001 AD what he thought of the condition of the hierarchy in the U.S. Fr. Hardon responded that he thought there were about 6 bishops that were 100% faithful to the teachings of the Church. He felt there were about 40 bishops that were pretty much faithful to the teachings of the Church. Fr. Hardon then said that he considered the rest to be ‘non-believers’. I would consider Bishop Gracida to be one of the 6. Well, the hierarchy in the U.S. has definitely improved since 2001 but it is obvious that there is a lot rot still existing in places.
3) Read closely everything that Bishop Gracida has had to say. He definitely does not appear to be distancing himself from Fr. Corapi as some bloggers have suggested. As a good bishop, he has stated correctly that he does not have personal knowledge of the particulars of the charges against Fr. Corapi. He continues to state that what the Diocese of Corpus Christi and SOLT have done is wrong. By saying that he had hopefully placed his last post on the matter he was saying that he would not participate in the back and forth fighting that is going on between those who either support or oppose Fr. Corapi.
4) I have a problem with some of the statements by SOLT. Fr. Sheehan stated in NCR that Fr. Corapi was suspended in accordance with Canon Law. I could not find any statute that would mandate such action. I wrote to Fr. Sheehan and he sent me a response referring to statute 1722. Well, the local bishop can do pretty much whatever he wants, but statute 1722 does not call for suspension as it occurred with Fr. Corapi. I think Bishop Gracida has also indicated this was wrong. One of the problems we have had over the last 40 years or so is that heterodox prelates have used obedience as a hammer to destroy orthodox priests. A reading of the Catholic Encyclopedia on ‘Religious Obedience’ would be very instructive. This obedience is not absolute and its application to Fr. Corapi’s case is confusing at best. There is the example of St. Padre Pio who submitted to injustice and lies in all humility. There is tremendous grace in this approach. Then there is the approach of directly fighting lies and injustice. Fr. Corapi is a fighter and this is the approach he seems to be taking. It doesn’t sit well with those who would seek to silence him. My initial reaction has been that the Padre Pio approach is preferred but Bishop Gracida seems to support Fr. Corapi’s approach. Due to the fact that I consider Bishop Gracida one of the finest prelates we have ever had, I reserve judgement.
5) It is not at all clear that SOLT has ordered Fr. Corapi back to headquarters prior to their recent statement. In NCR in April, Fr. Sheehan had talked about the original arrangement with Fr. Corapi and other priests prior to 1994 where they were expected to provide for themselves. He stated that the constitution had since changed. New priests were now provided for by SOLT. Fr. Sheehan said that they were looking at ways to bring the older priests under the new constitution. In the same statement he said that they never realized that Fr. Corapi’s ministry would become so profitable. That last part speaks volumes. SOLT was interested in bringing Fr. Corapi’s ministry in house although his statements seem to suggest that they were looking at their options in this matter (reconciling priests who were not under the new constitution). In my opinion, that would have been a good thing for Fr. Corapi’s spiritual development. However, I think SOLT should have been more forth right about their motivations. I am sure it was for his spiritual well being but the money was also on Fr. Sheehan’s mind.
6) I don’t believe that SOLT had required Fr. Corapi to return prior to his suspension. Fr. Sam Medly stated that he was trying to get his superiors to demand this but that his requests were not acted upon. In late June Fr. Sheehan stated in NCR that he was disappointed that Fr. Corapi had decided to resign but that SOLT would assist him in this transition – all the while taking care to protect his good name. Barely a week later Fr. Sheehan issued his statement declaring that Fr. Corapi was guilty of abusing alcohol and drugs, sexting, cohabitation, sacramental abuse, and that he was unfit for ministry. Fr. Sheehan stated that contemporaneously with the release of his July 5th statement he was demanding that Fr. Corapi return under obedience and drop the
lawsuit. It seems that this was the first demand under obedience that was made. It may, or may not , have been suggested earlier. It certainly wasn’t demanded as Fr. Medley indicated in his statements. It is my feeling that Fr. Corapi would have been required, under obedience, to obey a demand for his return to headquarters before the accusations and suspension occurred. So as to protect his civil rights, I do not believe he is required, under obedience, to obey the demand at this time.
7) In late June Fr. Sheehan promised to do all possible to protect Fr. Corapi’s good name. On July 5th he and Fr. Medley participated in a serious violation of the Eighth Commandment by detraction against Fr. Corapi’s good name. Whether the accusations are true or not – SOLT had no business as a Catholic society in making such information public. You talk about saying one thing and doing another.
8) Some have criticized Fr. Corapi for bragging by always telling his story about his past and conversion. With all the adulation that many give to Father I agree that he must always be cautious about pride and I suspect that he struggles (not always successfully) with this. However, Father is not always bragging about his past. He mentions it frequently but not always. I maintain that it is a necessary part of his ministry. Many in our society (including modernist Catholics) think that having vast wealth, sex with beautiful movie stars, moving in prestigious circles, etc. is the equivalent of going to heaven. They would give anything for that life. Well, Fr. Corapi was able to tell them that he had been there and done that. It left him totally unfulfilled and ultimately destitute, homeless, and nearly dead on the street, completely deserted by all the beautiful people who couldn’t care less whether he lived or died. Father was able to speak from experience that fulfillment was in surrender to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and not to the lures of Satan. Few were able to convey this message as well as he.
9) Despite claiming to be objective and praying for Father Corapi, most bloggers who have their writings posted on New Advent have almost salivated at any opportunity to cast aspersion on Father from the beginning. A few bloggers have tuned down their rhetoric and become more charitable. However, many of the bloggers continue to role in the mud. One has claimed that he never had anything bad to say about Fr. Corapi until he resigned in June. However, in April he was claiming that the accused was the only one acting appropriately and that the VP at Santa Cruz Media was just a fetch bucket for Fr. Corapi. They do Catholic discourse a serious injustice.
10) Regarding Father’s appearance – age and poor health will definitely change one from looking young and vibrant into one who looks old and on the downside of life. It is what it is. I have no idea why he now dyes his beard. Perhaps it is a vain attempt to offset the ravages of time. Haven’t we all been a little vain at times? Regarding his tan I can speak with authority. I am an expert in health and wellness. Father suffered from severe vitamin D deficiency which has devastating effects on one’s health. The best remedy for D deficiency is a lot of sun exposure. He understandably enlisted the aid of a personal trainer to help restore his wasted health and physical condition. However, I do believe his choice of a female trainer was problematic.
11) Father Corapi’s wealthy lifestyle has been known by SOLT for some time. There is no evidence that SOLT has done much to correct it until very recently. I am being somewhat uncharitable in speculating but I wonder whether the recent large settlement that SOLT made could have anything to do with the recent interest in the wealth of his ministry? I certainly don’t know the answer to this but it does seem to be a coincidence. Certainly a wealthy lifestyle is not conducive to his spiritual growth. Fr. Corapi should consider this.
12) It seems that the problem appears to coincide with the arrival of Bishop Mulvey in Corpus Christi. I don’t know much about Bishop Mulvey but it was he that demanded that Fr. Corapi be suspended (which was not mandated by Canon Law). Bishop Mulvey has ultimate authority but he was not following the directives of Canon Law in suspending Fr. Corapi in my opinion. I suspect he may not appreciate Fr. Corapi’s style or orthodoxy and felt he could bury Father with this. If true, the accusations by Father’s god daughter were fortuitous for Bishop Mulvey or anyone who might have wanted to silence Fr. Corapi. Perhaps this is why Bishop Gracida felt that he could not clear his name in the canonical structure within the Corpus Christi diocese.
13) When these charges were first made, Bishop Mulvey / SOLT could have demanded that Fr. Corapi take a drug test and a lie detector test. They could have requested (but not demanded) that his accuser do the same. Based on the results of these tests it could have been quickly determined whether any of these charges were credible or not. If credible, an investigation could have been launched under Canon Law giving Fr. Corapi an opportunity to defend himself. Depending on the outcome of the investigation Father might then have been suspended. If the charges were found to not be credible they should have been immediately discarded.
14) Time will tell if Father Corapi will have a ministry in the Church or not. At this time I believe Fr. Corapi. I believe he is capable of everything he is accused of. Father has categorically denied the charges. He has moral weaknesses but I cannot believe he would so publicly lie about everything. That would be destroying the character of others to maintain his standing. I tend to be a good judge of character and I cannot believe he would do that. If Father is lying then he desperately needs help and we should pray all the more for his immortal soul. I would not follow his ministry in the future if I found him to be lying although I would listen to his past lectures that are filled with orthodoxy. I could continue to follow Father if he sinned, but not if he continued to sin and proceeded to maintain a lie about it. Personally, I don’t care for the new title or the leather jacket but that is just my preference. Saints sin and seek reconciliation through God’s mercy. The reprobate live in sin and call God’s justice upon themselves.
15) Several responders to Fr. Medley’s blog suggested that Fr. Corapi was contributing to the support of SOLT. Fr. Medley replied that Fr. Corapi had never contributed anything to SOLT except for several projects which he had sponsored. (?????) I am confused. I guess he means that Fr. Corapi never supported SOLT, except for when he did. Well, I never told my children that I loved them, except for when I did, which was every day.
16) Several people were confused by Fr. Sheehan’s statement asking Fr. Corapi to please not foreclose on his mortgage. They asked Fr. Medley if that meant that Fr. Corapi held the mortgage on SOLT property and Fr. Sheehan was asking him not to start foreclosure on it. Fr. Medley replied that this was not the case, Fr. Corapi did not hold the mortgage on any SOLT property, and that Fr. Sheehan was simply indicating a reason why Father would need so much money – to pay for his expensive mortgage. I have a difficult time interpreting Fr. Sheehan’s statement in this light, but if it is an accurate reflection of what he was saying then he was being very sarcastic. The tone seems to suggest one who is either angry or hurt who is trying to get back at the person who has caused this anger or hurt.
17) We are told that ‘by their fruits we will know them’. Thus far I have not seen any good fruit coming out of this either by Fr. Corapi or by SOLT or the Diocese of Corpus Christi. I have also not seen any good fruit coming from Father’s accuser or the Catholic blogoshere either. Time will tell if Fr. Corapi has taken the right step and will produce good fruit. If he is able to reach a wider audience with sound, orthodox Catholic doctrine then the fruits will be there. If he becomes more of a political commentator then we will know that we are seeing bad fruit. Our salvation is not in politics or any political party. I pray that Fr. Corapi will continue to produce good fruit.
18) We Catholics need to quit attacking each other (I have been as guilty as anyone else). Let’s just pray for the eternal salvation of everyone involved. Ultimately, that is the only thing that counts.
John Stevens July 11, 2011
Link:
Related:
Posted on July 12, 2011 by abyssum
The below are my comments on the situation of Fr. Corapi regarding the charges that have been leveled against him. I may appear uncharitable in places as that is a weakness that I struggle with. I have tried to convey my thoughts as charitably as I am able. Please forgive me if I have failed to do this in any way.
John Stevens
I am one who still supports Fr. Corapi. I do not adulate people no matter who they are. I do not place Fr. Corapi on a pedestal. But for God’s grace he is capable of anything. I would like to offer a number of things for consideration. They may not be in order.
1) The accuser of Fr. Corapi is his god daughter. He has said for a long time that she needs prayer because she and her husband have been struggling with drug addiction for many years. He commented on this during his conference in San Antonio in August, 2010. He may have commented on this even earlier. He said he has tried to help them overcome their problems and that they need help. If you read the lawsuit he has filed against her you will see that the confidentiality statement is quite appropriate for the circumstances. She lists in her LinkedIn profile that she is the owner of Santa Cruz Media and also has tried to take his copyrighted moniker “The Black Sheep Dog” as her own. This is theft. Fr. Corapi has a right to sue her for protection of his property. If she has lied, he also has a right to sue her for damage to his good name. Many have claimed that the $100,000 she has received is hush money to keep her quiet. This is not at all clear. As she is his god daughter, he has tried desperately to help them over the years. I am sure this includes, but is not limited to, financial compensation.
2) Fr. Corapi initially said he would co-operate with the investigation despite disagreeing with the process. Bishop Rene Gracida advised him that he could not clear his name through the canonical process in the Diocese of Corpus Christi and suggested he proceed civilly. On that basis Fr. Corapi filed the suit. Depending on the diocese the canonical process may or may not work. In my opinion, Bishop Gracida is one of the best bishops we have had in the U.S. in many years. Someone I know asked Fr. John Hardon back around 2001 AD what he thought of the condition of the hierarchy in the U.S. Fr. Hardon responded that he thought there were about 6 bishops that were 100% faithful to the teachings of the Church. He felt there were about 40 bishops that were pretty much faithful to the teachings of the Church. Fr. Hardon then said that he considered the rest to be ‘non-believers’. I would consider Bishop Gracida to be one of the 6. Well, the hierarchy in the U.S. has definitely improved since 2001 but it is obvious that there is a lot rot still existing in places.
3) Read closely everything that Bishop Gracida has had to say. He definitely does not appear to be distancing himself from Fr. Corapi as some bloggers have suggested. As a good bishop, he has stated correctly that he does not have personal knowledge of the particulars of the charges against Fr. Corapi. He continues to state that what the Diocese of Corpus Christi and SOLT have done is wrong. By saying that he had hopefully placed his last post on the matter he was saying that he would not participate in the back and forth fighting that is going on between those who either support or oppose Fr. Corapi.
4) I have a problem with some of the statements by SOLT. Fr. Sheehan stated in NCR that Fr. Corapi was suspended in accordance with Canon Law. I could not find any statute that would mandate such action. I wrote to Fr. Sheehan and he sent me a response referring to statute 1722. Well, the local bishop can do pretty much whatever he wants, but statute 1722 does not call for suspension as it occurred with Fr. Corapi. I think Bishop Gracida has also indicated this was wrong. One of the problems we have had over the last 40 years or so is that heterodox prelates have used obedience as a hammer to destroy orthodox priests. A reading of the Catholic Encyclopedia on ‘Religious Obedience’ would be very instructive. This obedience is not absolute and its application to Fr. Corapi’s case is confusing at best. There is the example of St. Padre Pio who submitted to injustice and lies in all humility. There is tremendous grace in this approach. Then there is the approach of directly fighting lies and injustice. Fr. Corapi is a fighter and this is the approach he seems to be taking. It doesn’t sit well with those who would seek to silence him. My initial reaction has been that the Padre Pio approach is preferred but Bishop Gracida seems to support Fr. Corapi’s approach. Due to the fact that I consider Bishop Gracida one of the finest prelates we have ever had, I reserve judgement.
5) It is not at all clear that SOLT has ordered Fr. Corapi back to headquarters prior to their recent statement. In NCR in April, Fr. Sheehan had talked about the original arrangement with Fr. Corapi and other priests prior to 1994 where they were expected to provide for themselves. He stated that the constitution had since changed. New priests were now provided for by SOLT. Fr. Sheehan said that they were looking at ways to bring the older priests under the new constitution. In the same statement he said that they never realized that Fr. Corapi’s ministry would become so profitable. That last part speaks volumes. SOLT was interested in bringing Fr. Corapi’s ministry in house although his statements seem to suggest that they were looking at their options in this matter (reconciling priests who were not under the new constitution). In my opinion, that would have been a good thing for Fr. Corapi’s spiritual development. However, I think SOLT should have been more forth right about their motivations. I am sure it was for his spiritual well being but the money was also on Fr. Sheehan’s mind.
6) I don’t believe that SOLT had required Fr. Corapi to return prior to his suspension. Fr. Sam Medly stated that he was trying to get his superiors to demand this but that his requests were not acted upon. In late June Fr. Sheehan stated in NCR that he was disappointed that Fr. Corapi had decided to resign but that SOLT would assist him in this transition – all the while taking care to protect his good name. Barely a week later Fr. Sheehan issued his statement declaring that Fr. Corapi was guilty of abusing alcohol and drugs, sexting, cohabitation, sacramental abuse, and that he was unfit for ministry. Fr. Sheehan stated that contemporaneously with the release of his July 5th statement he was demanding that Fr. Corapi return under obedience and drop the
lawsuit. It seems that this was the first demand under obedience that was made. It may, or may not , have been suggested earlier. It certainly wasn’t demanded as Fr. Medley indicated in his statements. It is my feeling that Fr. Corapi would have been required, under obedience, to obey a demand for his return to headquarters before the accusations and suspension occurred. So as to protect his civil rights, I do not believe he is required, under obedience, to obey the demand at this time.
7) In late June Fr. Sheehan promised to do all possible to protect Fr. Corapi’s good name. On July 5th he and Fr. Medley participated in a serious violation of the Eighth Commandment by detraction against Fr. Corapi’s good name. Whether the accusations are true or not – SOLT had no business as a Catholic society in making such information public. You talk about saying one thing and doing another.
8) Some have criticized Fr. Corapi for bragging by always telling his story about his past and conversion. With all the adulation that many give to Father I agree that he must always be cautious about pride and I suspect that he struggles (not always successfully) with this. However, Father is not always bragging about his past. He mentions it frequently but not always. I maintain that it is a necessary part of his ministry. Many in our society (including modernist Catholics) think that having vast wealth, sex with beautiful movie stars, moving in prestigious circles, etc. is the equivalent of going to heaven. They would give anything for that life. Well, Fr. Corapi was able to tell them that he had been there and done that. It left him totally unfulfilled and ultimately destitute, homeless, and nearly dead on the street, completely deserted by all the beautiful people who couldn’t care less whether he lived or died. Father was able to speak from experience that fulfillment was in surrender to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and not to the lures of Satan. Few were able to convey this message as well as he.
9) Despite claiming to be objective and praying for Father Corapi, most bloggers who have their writings posted on New Advent have almost salivated at any opportunity to cast aspersion on Father from the beginning. A few bloggers have tuned down their rhetoric and become more charitable. However, many of the bloggers continue to role in the mud. One has claimed that he never had anything bad to say about Fr. Corapi until he resigned in June. However, in April he was claiming that the accused was the only one acting appropriately and that the VP at Santa Cruz Media was just a fetch bucket for Fr. Corapi. They do Catholic discourse a serious injustice.
10) Regarding Father’s appearance – age and poor health will definitely change one from looking young and vibrant into one who looks old and on the downside of life. It is what it is. I have no idea why he now dyes his beard. Perhaps it is a vain attempt to offset the ravages of time. Haven’t we all been a little vain at times? Regarding his tan I can speak with authority. I am an expert in health and wellness. Father suffered from severe vitamin D deficiency which has devastating effects on one’s health. The best remedy for D deficiency is a lot of sun exposure. He understandably enlisted the aid of a personal trainer to help restore his wasted health and physical condition. However, I do believe his choice of a female trainer was problematic.
11) Father Corapi’s wealthy lifestyle has been known by SOLT for some time. There is no evidence that SOLT has done much to correct it until very recently. I am being somewhat uncharitable in speculating but I wonder whether the recent large settlement that SOLT made could have anything to do with the recent interest in the wealth of his ministry? I certainly don’t know the answer to this but it does seem to be a coincidence. Certainly a wealthy lifestyle is not conducive to his spiritual growth. Fr. Corapi should consider this.
12) It seems that the problem appears to coincide with the arrival of Bishop Mulvey in Corpus Christi. I don’t know much about Bishop Mulvey but it was he that demanded that Fr. Corapi be suspended (which was not mandated by Canon Law). Bishop Mulvey has ultimate authority but he was not following the directives of Canon Law in suspending Fr. Corapi in my opinion. I suspect he may not appreciate Fr. Corapi’s style or orthodoxy and felt he could bury Father with this. If true, the accusations by Father’s god daughter were fortuitous for Bishop Mulvey or anyone who might have wanted to silence Fr. Corapi. Perhaps this is why Bishop Gracida felt that he could not clear his name in the canonical structure within the Corpus Christi diocese.
13) When these charges were first made, Bishop Mulvey / SOLT could have demanded that Fr. Corapi take a drug test and a lie detector test. They could have requested (but not demanded) that his accuser do the same. Based on the results of these tests it could have been quickly determined whether any of these charges were credible or not. If credible, an investigation could have been launched under Canon Law giving Fr. Corapi an opportunity to defend himself. Depending on the outcome of the investigation Father might then have been suspended. If the charges were found to not be credible they should have been immediately discarded.
14) Time will tell if Father Corapi will have a ministry in the Church or not. At this time I believe Fr. Corapi. I believe he is capable of everything he is accused of. Father has categorically denied the charges. He has moral weaknesses but I cannot believe he would so publicly lie about everything. That would be destroying the character of others to maintain his standing. I tend to be a good judge of character and I cannot believe he would do that. If Father is lying then he desperately needs help and we should pray all the more for his immortal soul. I would not follow his ministry in the future if I found him to be lying although I would listen to his past lectures that are filled with orthodoxy. I could continue to follow Father if he sinned, but not if he continued to sin and proceeded to maintain a lie about it. Personally, I don’t care for the new title or the leather jacket but that is just my preference. Saints sin and seek reconciliation through God’s mercy. The reprobate live in sin and call God’s justice upon themselves.
15) Several responders to Fr. Medley’s blog suggested that Fr. Corapi was contributing to the support of SOLT. Fr. Medley replied that Fr. Corapi had never contributed anything to SOLT except for several projects which he had sponsored. (?????) I am confused. I guess he means that Fr. Corapi never supported SOLT, except for when he did. Well, I never told my children that I loved them, except for when I did, which was every day.
16) Several people were confused by Fr. Sheehan’s statement asking Fr. Corapi to please not foreclose on his mortgage. They asked Fr. Medley if that meant that Fr. Corapi held the mortgage on SOLT property and Fr. Sheehan was asking him not to start foreclosure on it. Fr. Medley replied that this was not the case, Fr. Corapi did not hold the mortgage on any SOLT property, and that Fr. Sheehan was simply indicating a reason why Father would need so much money – to pay for his expensive mortgage. I have a difficult time interpreting Fr. Sheehan’s statement in this light, but if it is an accurate reflection of what he was saying then he was being very sarcastic. The tone seems to suggest one who is either angry or hurt who is trying to get back at the person who has caused this anger or hurt.
17) We are told that ‘by their fruits we will know them’. Thus far I have not seen any good fruit coming out of this either by Fr. Corapi or by SOLT or the Diocese of Corpus Christi. I have also not seen any good fruit coming from Father’s accuser or the Catholic blogoshere either. Time will tell if Fr. Corapi has taken the right step and will produce good fruit. If he is able to reach a wider audience with sound, orthodox Catholic doctrine then the fruits will be there. If he becomes more of a political commentator then we will know that we are seeing bad fruit. Our salvation is not in politics or any political party. I pray that Fr. Corapi will continue to produce good fruit.
18) We Catholics need to quit attacking each other (I have been as guilty as anyone else). Let’s just pray for the eternal salvation of everyone involved. Ultimately, that is the only thing that counts.
John Stevens July 11, 2011
Link:
Related:
- NO ONE, ESPECIALLY A RELIGIOUS SUPERIOR, IS ALLOWED TO PRACTICE DETRACTION AND CALUMNY - Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Corpus Christi
- A Few Thoughts on Father Corapi's Announcement yesterday - by Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Corpus Christi
- My Final Comment (Hopefully) on the Case of Father John Corapi - by Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Corpus Christi
- The Black SheepDog: Changes and Future
- Corapi Maintains His Innocence, Claims Certain Church Authorities Wanted Him Gone
- Father Corapi's Response to SOLT's Press Release
- Fr. Corapi Filed Defamation Suit On Advice of Fr. Flanagan, Founder of the Society of Our Lady and Bishop Rene Gracida
- Of Fr. Corapi and Casey Anthony - Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
- Father Corapi Files Lawsuit Against His Accuser
- Father Corapi: "I am not seeking laicization"
- Corpus Christi Procession goes by the wayside in Corpus Christi
- Fr. Corapi: Please Understand This, I Have Not Left The Church
- Michael Voris of the Vortex on the Professional Catholic Bloggers (transcript)
- Fr. Corapi: I am listening.. I will not be releasing those audio tapes.
- Tuesday morning.
- Valuable Canonical Insight Into the Case of Father John Corapi - by Fr. Mike via Bishop Gracida
- Good-Bye, Good Priest! Father John Corapi’s Kafkaesque Catch-22 - by
- Reconsidering the Dallas Charter - Fr. Michael P. Orsi
- About Fr. John Corapi With Observations About Our Times - by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
- Carol McKinley on Falsely Accused Priests
- Father Corapi: God Love You, God Bless You, and Good-Bye
Church no Longer Inspires People, Catholic Group Tells Pope
A CATHOLIC lobby group has railed at bishops to be more accountable, reject discrimination and do more listening to their flock.
In a scathing open letter to the Pope and Australian bishops sent to parishes across the country, Catholics for Renewal says that the church no longer adequately inspires people.
"It has alienated too many adults who were born of Catholic parents, attended Catholic schools and lived a sacramental life," the letter says.
"It has become disconnected from, and irrelevant to, the lives of too many of our children ... it appears as an institution focussed on centralism, legalism and control, with few effective structures for listening and dialogue, and often more concerned with its institutional image and interests than the spirit of Christ." It says the church "has been tainted by injustice and blemished by bad decisions".
Followers are still reeling from the sexual abuse scandal which rocked the church, the letter says. The church's claim of infallibility was stifling discussion on important issues, including human sexuality and new forms of ministry for women and married men, it says.
The Catholics for Renewal chairman, Peter Johnstone, called for "ordinary Catholics" to speak out and for priests to listen to them.
Fr. MacRae Clarifies His Remarks on Fr. John Corapi
From Scott P. Richert at About.com Catholicism:
In "A Falsely Accused Priest Looks at Father Corapi" (June 28, 2011), I discussed an article by Fr. Gordon J. MacRae, the priest behind the blog These Stone Walls: Musings From Prison of a Priest Falsely Accused. Written before Fr. John Corapi's announcement that he intended to abandon his priestly ministry, the article nonetheless summarized the problems with the way in which allegations against priests are handled in the Church in the United States today.
While I highly recommended Father MacRae's article, I did have one disagreement with it. Father MacRae wrote:
On Saturday, July 9, I received the following e-mail from Father MacRae, clarifying that section of his article "in light of Father Corapi's decision to leave ministry rather than allow the process of canonical investigation to continue." The following is the full, unedited text of the e-mail:
Link:
Related:
In "A Falsely Accused Priest Looks at Father Corapi" (June 28, 2011), I discussed an article by Fr. Gordon J. MacRae, the priest behind the blog These Stone Walls: Musings From Prison of a Priest Falsely Accused. Written before Fr. John Corapi's announcement that he intended to abandon his priestly ministry, the article nonetheless summarized the problems with the way in which allegations against priests are handled in the Church in the United States today.While I highly recommended Father MacRae's article, I did have one disagreement with it. Father MacRae wrote:
I commend Father John Corapi for his obedience and fidelity to legitimate authority in the Church, but that authority must also recognize Father Corapi’s "Catch-22." If he is a priest falsely accused, he also has a moral obligation that may be commanded by a higher law. He has a moral obligation to the truth.To which I had responded:
To me, however, those lines miss one important point: The bishops and the superiors in religious orders have a moral obligation to the truth as well. That's why the Church establishes processes to deal with such cases, because conflicting claims to truth need to be examined in order for a just outcome to be reached. When those processes are flawed, they should be revised, not ignored.I also wrote that Father MacRae might regard his lines, written before Father Corapi's decision to leave the priesthood, as justification for that decision, but I noted that "we won't know until Father MacRae comments, if he ever does, directly on Father Corapi's decision."
On Saturday, July 9, I received the following e-mail from Father MacRae, clarifying that section of his article "in light of Father Corapi's decision to leave ministry rather than allow the process of canonical investigation to continue." The following is the full, unedited text of the e-mail:
Hello Mr. Richert,
It is one of the hazards of prison that I only today, July 9th, got to see a hard copy of your June 28 post, "A Falsely Accused Priest Looks at Father Corapi" at About.com. In light of Father Corapi's decision to leave ministry rather than allow the process of canonical investigation to continue, I now wish I had phrased a part of my article about him a bit differently. I stand by his "moral obligation to the truth," but, as you pointed out so well, his superiors also have a moral obligation to the truth. The point I was trying to drive home, however, is that Church law also precludes a priest from being ordered not to defend himself. Though any accused priest is under the authority of the Bishops' Charter, the Charter itself must be informed by Church law. There are points in which it diverges from Church law. These flaws are articulated well by Ryan A. MacDonald in an article on Catholic Lane, entitled "Father John Corapi and the State of Due Process for Accused Priests." I believe it's worth reading.
As far as the question of my own deference to legitimate authority in the Church, you may not know that I lost much support - even from within the Church - when I told my Bishop in writing that I would remain silently in prison for the remainder of my life if he asked me to do so for the good of the Church. He considered this at length, and was advised by his delegate and Chancellor to take me up on it. In the end, he did not ask this of me. I described this, and its aftermath in a post on These Stone Walls entitled, "Are Civil Liberties for Priests Intact?"
In the next few weeks on These Stone Walls, I am hoping to refocus the issues away from Father Corapi and back on to the matter of due process for accused priests, most of whom are defending themselves against uncorroborated claims that are decades old and cannot be properly investigated by anyone. In fact, most are not investigated at all.
With thanks and blessings for your own fidelity to Magisterial Truths,
Father Gordon J. MacRae
P.S. You may post or cite this clarification as you see fit.I thank Father MacRae for his clarification and his blessings, and I highly recommend the pieces that he links in his e-mail. As I have said before, the question of problems in the process is much larger than the case of Father Corapi, and with Father Corapi's decision to leave the priesthood and not to respond to SOLT's specific charges, it's unlikely that Father Corapi's case will do anything to bring about necessary changes to that process. And that's a shame, because if John Corapi had continued to be called "father," he might well have done more good by helping to reform the process than he ever will as "the Black Sheep Dog."
Link:
Related:
- Good-Bye, Good Priest! Father John Corapi’s Kafkaesque Catch-22 - by
- My Final Comment (Hopefully) on the Case of Father John Corapi - by Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Corpus Christi
- A Few Thoughts on Father Corapi's Announcement yesterday - by Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Corpus Christi
- The Black SheepDog: Changes and Future
- Justice For Priests: A Flawed Dallas Charter
- Corapi Maintains His Innocence, Claims Certain Church Authorities Wanted Him Gone
- Father Corapi's Response to SOLT's Press Release
- Fr. Corapi Filed Defamation Suit On Advice of Fr. Flanagan, Founder of the Society of Our Lady and Bishop Rene Gracida
- Of Fr. Corapi and Casey Anthony - Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
- Father Corapi Files Lawsuit Against His Accuser
- Father Corapi: "I am not seeking laicization"
- Corpus Christi Procession goes by the wayside in Corpus Christi
- Fr. Corapi: Please Understand This, I Have Not Left The Church
- Michael Voris of the Vortex on the Professional Catholic Bloggers (transcript)
- Fr. Corapi: I am listening.. I will not be releasing those audio tapes.
- Tuesday morning.
- Valuable Canonical Insight Into the Case of Father John Corapi - by Fr. Mike via Bishop Gracida
- Reconsidering the Dallas Charter - Fr. Michael P. Orsi
- About Fr. John Corapi With Observations About Our Times - by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
- Carol McKinley on Falsely Accused Priests
- Father Corapi: God Love You, God Bless You, and Good-Bye
Monday, July 11, 2011
Justice For Priests: A Flawed Dallas Charter
A FLAWED
DALLAS CHARTER
by Reverend James Dallen, STD
http://www.justiceforpriests.org/
June, 2011 Newsletter
Two years after the panicked U.S. bishops wrote the Dallas Charter, Cardinal Avery Dulles wrote a perceptive and prescient critique in America (21 June 2004; available on the Justice for Priests and Deacons web- site). While he pointed out many flaws, his primary focus was the failure of the Dallas Charter and the bishops to protect the rights of priests. Seven years later it is even clearer that, where once bishops ignored the rights of accusers, they now ignore the rights of the accused.
Writers, lawyers, bloggers, and even bishops have pointed out the Charter’s flaws. Most criticisms center on the following points, some of which are discussed in more detail in this Justice for Priests and Deacons Newsletter and in past issues.
“Zero tolerance” has become a slogan, maybe even a mantra. One violation— whenever, wherever, whatever the circumstances—means permanent removal from ministry and/or laicization. Though the bishops have criticized the criminal justice system for a “one size fits all” attitude on punishment, their own Charter shows no sense of proportionality. The clerical equivalent of capital punishment has been invoked whether or not there was any sub- sequent or present danger, whether a child was violated or a boundary crossed.
All that is needed is a “credible allegation.”
What that means has never been clear. Practice, in many cases, regards it as meaning no more than “it could have happened,” even if there is no evidence beyond the accuser’s claim. Following that determination, priests are so pressured to undergo a psychological evaluation that it’s doubtful that their consent is freely given, and issues that are uncovered may have nothing to do with the original allegation.
The review board then makes its recommendation. But, unlike review boards in other professions, few priests serve on diocesan review boards, nor are priests treated like other professionals. In many instances, the bishop has already acted to remove the priest from ministry, so an allegation in some sense credible is effectively determination of guilt.
Removal from ministry after a credible allegation does carry with it the assumption of guilt, whatever may be said to the contrary. The possibility of restoring the priest’s reputation is almost nil, no matter what might be said subsequently...
DALLAS CHARTER
by Reverend James Dallen, STD
http://www.justiceforpriests.org/
June, 2011 Newsletter
Two years after the panicked U.S. bishops wrote the Dallas Charter, Cardinal Avery Dulles wrote a perceptive and prescient critique in America (21 June 2004; available on the Justice for Priests and Deacons web- site). While he pointed out many flaws, his primary focus was the failure of the Dallas Charter and the bishops to protect the rights of priests. Seven years later it is even clearer that, where once bishops ignored the rights of accusers, they now ignore the rights of the accused.
Writers, lawyers, bloggers, and even bishops have pointed out the Charter’s flaws. Most criticisms center on the following points, some of which are discussed in more detail in this Justice for Priests and Deacons Newsletter and in past issues.
“Zero tolerance” has become a slogan, maybe even a mantra. One violation— whenever, wherever, whatever the circumstances—means permanent removal from ministry and/or laicization. Though the bishops have criticized the criminal justice system for a “one size fits all” attitude on punishment, their own Charter shows no sense of proportionality. The clerical equivalent of capital punishment has been invoked whether or not there was any sub- sequent or present danger, whether a child was violated or a boundary crossed.
All that is needed is a “credible allegation.”
What that means has never been clear. Practice, in many cases, regards it as meaning no more than “it could have happened,” even if there is no evidence beyond the accuser’s claim. Following that determination, priests are so pressured to undergo a psychological evaluation that it’s doubtful that their consent is freely given, and issues that are uncovered may have nothing to do with the original allegation.
The review board then makes its recommendation. But, unlike review boards in other professions, few priests serve on diocesan review boards, nor are priests treated like other professionals. In many instances, the bishop has already acted to remove the priest from ministry, so an allegation in some sense credible is effectively determination of guilt.
Removal from ministry after a credible allegation does carry with it the assumption of guilt, whatever may be said to the contrary. The possibility of restoring the priest’s reputation is almost nil, no matter what might be said subsequently...
Bear Caught Napping with Fish
By Miss Cellania at Neotorama:
This photograph was taken by Rick Sheremeta, who tells us about the shot.
On a recent photo trip to Alaska’s McNeil River, I spent four days observing and photographing Brown Bears. The bears routine became pretty obvious – they’d fish for a while until their bellies were full, then they’d wander off into the grass for a little nap. This ole gal never quite got that far – after snaring this salmon, she wandered into a shallow pool at the side of the river, cradled the fish under her arm, and promptly nodded off. It was really comical to see her just sitting there sound asleep.It’s an entry in the 2011 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest, which is still open for entries, but only through July 11th! Find out all about the contest at National Geographic Traveler. Link -Thanks, Marilyn!
The Presbyterian Church USA will quietly usher in gay ordination
By Marilyn Joyce Lehren
The Presbyterian Church USA will quietly usher in gay ordination when an amendment on Sunday formally enters the Book of Order of the church’s Constitution.
The change comes after 33 years of contentious discussion within the Presbyterian Church and as the gay-rights movement gains momentum in other Protestant Churches.
“This is a very historic day,” said Rev. Daniel L. Martian, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Livingston.
The new policy makes it easier for the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. to ordain gays and lesbians as clergy if they chose by dropping a policy requiring unmarried clergy to remain celibate. “Now that the prohibition is over with, we can come to the bar and have a drink without getting arrested,” Martian said...
The Presbyterian Church USA will quietly usher in gay ordination when an amendment on Sunday formally enters the Book of Order of the church’s Constitution.
The change comes after 33 years of contentious discussion within the Presbyterian Church and as the gay-rights movement gains momentum in other Protestant Churches.
“This is a very historic day,” said Rev. Daniel L. Martian, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Livingston.
The new policy makes it easier for the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. to ordain gays and lesbians as clergy if they chose by dropping a policy requiring unmarried clergy to remain celibate. “Now that the prohibition is over with, we can come to the bar and have a drink without getting arrested,” Martian said...
Sunday, July 10, 2011
REST IN PEACE - Joseph Paul Trigilio (October 14, 1964 - July 5, 1997)
From Father John Trigilio:
"Today I buried a 36 year old victim of cancer. He left behind a son, brothers and sisters and his father. Today is also the 14th anniversary of the death of my younger brother, Joe, who was killed by an underage drunk driver. Inept prosecution (district attorney) and a criminal friendly judge (who threw out impeccable blood alcohol tests on a miniscule clerical technicality) plus an expensive Pittsburgh defense lawyer resulted in the 'accused' getting off free and clear. Not only was involuntary manslaughter dismissed but even DUI so the perp never even lost driving privileges. Drive away from a gas station without paying and you lose your driver's license. Drive recklessly and at more than three times the legal limit of intoxication and end up taking an innocent life; you lose nothing. No fine. No time in jail. Nice judicial system we have. Nevertheless, I would never replace it for inferior systems of adjudication.
It has been a rough several weeks (my mom has been in and out of the hospital getting blood transfusions and many tests) and then the reality of today. I often think about that poignant scene in John's Gospel where Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. All too often when you are a priest, deacon or religious, people expect you to be very Stoic or like a Vulcan and show no emotions when someone very close to you dies or when you encounter very disappointing if not devastating news. Discouragement is not a denial of faith. Depression can lead to an erosion of hope, however. But discouragement at intense levels robs you of energy, zeal and enthusiasm. Mourning the death of a friend or family member is a normal part of life. Belief in the resurrection and in the immortality of the human soul does not prevent tears, however, nor should they. If Jesus wept, so can we. Rather than trying to get the mournful to deny their feelings or worse yet, feel guilty about them, how about just BEING THERE for them? ........."
"Today I buried a 36 year old victim of cancer. He left behind a son, brothers and sisters and his father. Today is also the 14th anniversary of the death of my younger brother, Joe, who was killed by an underage drunk driver. Inept prosecution (district attorney) and a criminal friendly judge (who threw out impeccable blood alcohol tests on a miniscule clerical technicality) plus an expensive Pittsburgh defense lawyer resulted in the 'accused' getting off free and clear. Not only was involuntary manslaughter dismissed but even DUI so the perp never even lost driving privileges. Drive away from a gas station without paying and you lose your driver's license. Drive recklessly and at more than three times the legal limit of intoxication and end up taking an innocent life; you lose nothing. No fine. No time in jail. Nice judicial system we have. Nevertheless, I would never replace it for inferior systems of adjudication. It has been a rough several weeks (my mom has been in and out of the hospital getting blood transfusions and many tests) and then the reality of today. I often think about that poignant scene in John's Gospel where Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. All too often when you are a priest, deacon or religious, people expect you to be very Stoic or like a Vulcan and show no emotions when someone very close to you dies or when you encounter very disappointing if not devastating news. Discouragement is not a denial of faith. Depression can lead to an erosion of hope, however. But discouragement at intense levels robs you of energy, zeal and enthusiasm. Mourning the death of a friend or family member is a normal part of life. Belief in the resurrection and in the immortality of the human soul does not prevent tears, however, nor should they. If Jesus wept, so can we. Rather than trying to get the mournful to deny their feelings or worse yet, feel guilty about them, how about just BEING THERE for them? ........."
Another Paul - The Pontifical Commission for Sacred Art announces the discovery of a 6th century image of the Apostle in the catacombs of St. Gennaro in Naples
(L’Osservatore Romano) A year after the discovery of the cell of the apostles in the Roman catacombs of St. Tecla, another sensational discovery has been found in the catacombs of St. Gennaro in Naples. The restoration of an arcosolium has revealed a great figure of St. Paul who is turned towards one of the deceased in acclamation. The image, which is from the first years of the 6th century, is one of the most intense of late antiquity, before the Apostle became an icon of Byzantine civilization.The fresco found in Naples His face, extremely expressive and characterized by the particular physiognomy of a philosopher, is similar to the Roman representations of the same period and those brought to light a few years ago in the oratory of the grottos in Ephesus.The discovery of this Pauline image, which occurred during the restorations organized by the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archeology, with the support of the Archdiocese and the Neapolitan community, enriches and defines our understanding of the iconographic evolution of the prince of the apostles, begun in Rome at the end of the 4th century and diffused from that moment in all of the ancient Christian world.
In this context, the figure of Paul represents iconographically the evocative crossroads of Jewish, Roman and Greek culture and identity which he incarnated and which characterized his work and missionary activity in all of the Mediterranean. This particular combination must have influenced the figurative fortune of the Apostle in the Neapolitan metropolis, which was proverbially multiethnic and which he experienced in the final trip which led him to the capital for prison and his last days.
This fate, in time, came to be shared with Peter, constituting a natural parallel of that concordia apostolorum, which connects the two most important witnesses of Christ. It is the emblem of the spiritual, religious and political link between Ecclesia ex gentibus with Ecclesia ex circumcisione, but also of the East with the West.
Gianfranco Ravasi
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The Black SheepDog: Changes and Future
Related:
- Corapi Maintains His Innocence, Claims Certain Church Authorities Wanted Him Gone
- Father Corapi's Response to SOLT's Press Release
- My Final Comment (Hopefully) on the Case of Father John Corapi - by Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Corpus Christi
- A Few Thoughts on Father Corapi's Announcement yesterday - by Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Corpus Christi
- Fr. Corapi Filed Defamation Suit On Advice of Fr. Flanagan, Founder of the Society of Our Lady and Bishop Rene Gracida
- Of Fr. Corapi and Casey Anthony - Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
- Father Corapi Files Lawsuit Against His Accuser
- Father Corapi: "I am not seeking laicization"
- Corpus Christi Procession goes by the wayside in Corpus Christi
- Fr. Corapi: Please Understand This, I Have Not Left The Church
- Michael Voris of the Vortex on the Professional Catholic Bloggers (transcript)
- Fr. Corapi: I am listening.. I will not be releasing those audio tapes.
- Tuesday morning.
- Valuable Canonical Insight Into the Case of Father John Corapi - by Fr. Mike via Bishop Gracida
- Good-Bye, Good Priest! Father John Corapi’s Kafkaesque Catch-22 - by
- Reconsidering the Dallas Charter - Fr. Michael P. Orsi
- About Fr. John Corapi With Observations About Our Times - by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
- Carol McKinley on Falsely Accused Priests
- Father Corapi: God Love You, God Bless You, and Good-Bye
Cardinal-Patriarch of Lisbon, José Policarpo - A humbling clarification
From RORATE CÆLI:
"A few years ago, a Bishop who said something scandalous in his native language to the press of his native country would never have to issue any clarification (while, quite true, a few decades ago, the same Bishop would probably not have publicly said anything scandalous in the first place).
Link:
Now, the Cardinal-Patriarch of Lisbon, José Policarpo, was forced to issue a clarification regarding his disastrous declaration on "female ordination", thanks to the fast action of the "new media" - and, certainly, of someone in Rome; from the website of the Patriarchate [tip: a reverend reader]:
"CLARIFICATION
"1. ... The reactions to this interview have forced me to look into this theme with greater care, and I have ascertained that, mostly for not having taken into appropriate consideration the latest declarations of the Magisterium on the matter, I gave rise to those reactions. I feel, therefore, under the obligation of clearly expressing my thinking, in communion with the Holy Father and with the Magisterium of the Church, my obligation as a Bishop and Pastor of the People of God (cf. LG. nº 25).
..."5. The most recent Magisterium of the Popes interprets this uninterrupted tradition, that has its origin in Christ and in the Apostolic body, not only as a practical way to proceed, which may change at the rhythm of the action of the Holy Spirit, but as an expression of the ministry of the Church irself, which we must receive in faith. I quote the text of Pope John Paul II, in the Apostolic Letter 'Ordinatio Sacerdotalis': 'Although the teaching that priestly ordination is to be reserved to men alone has been preserved by the constant and universal Tradition of the Church and firmly taught by the Magisterium in its more recent documents, at the present time in some places it is nonetheless considered still open to debate, or the Church's judgment that women are not to be admitted to ordination is considered to have a merely disciplinary force. Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful.'
"We are thus called to accept the Magisterium of the Holy Father, in the humility of our faith, and to continue to deepen the relationship of the ministerial priesthood with the priestly quality of all the people of God, and to discover the feminine way of building the Church, in the decisive role of the mission of our women sisters.
"6. In this year, in which I celebrate 50 years of my priestly ordination, a great manifestation of the goodness of God to me, it was good to present this clarification to my diocesan [people]. It would be very painful to me that my words could generate confusion in our adherence to the Church and to the word of the Holy Father. I believe I have clearly shown to you that communion with the Holy Father is an absolute attitude in the exercise of my ministry.
"Lisbon, July 6, 2011.
"† JOSÉ, Cardeal-Patriarca"
Now, if only His Eminence, the Cardinal-Patriarch, could be in communion with the clear mens of the Holy Father on the generous application of Summorum Pontificum and the Extraordinary Forum of the Roman Rite! Saint Elisabeth of Portugal, pray for the Church in your adopted nation!"
Link:
Friday, July 8, 2011
Corapi Maintains His Innocence, Claims Certain Church Authorities Wanted Him Gone
By Brian Fraga - OSV Newsweekly
Father John Corapi says only he knows “the real story” behind his controversial decision to leave the priesthood.
Father Corapi announced June 17 that he was leaving the priesthood and the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) because he could not get a “fair hearing” on the sexual misconduct allegations lodged against him in March by a former female employee of his Montana-based Santa Cruz Media Company.
The popular preacher and public speaker also said “certain persons in authority in the Church” wanted him gone, said that his due process rights were violated, and accused Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas, where SOLT’s headquarters is located, of ordering his SOLT superiors to suspend him “against their will and better judgment” or else he would publicly release the letter his accuser had sent to several bishops detailing the allegations against him.
Normal procedure
Marty Wind, spokesman for the Diocese of Corpus Christi, declined to respond to Father Corapi’s statement. Wind told Our Sunday Visitor that the bishop was following canon law when he advised the SOLT that an investigation had to be conducted in accordance with the order’s constitutions.
The Diocese of Corpus Christi also released a statement that said “it would be inappropriate for the diocese to make any comment on those proceedings other than that they were in progress and were being guided by the SOLT Constitution and in accord with the Code of Canon Law.”
Father Gerard Sheehan, the SOLT regional priest servant, issued a prepared statement explaining that it was “normal procedure” that Father Corapi be suspended from active ministry and placed on administrative leave, due to the nature of the allegations.
Father Sheehan said the investigation was still ongoing when Father Corapi told the order on June 3 that he could no longer function as a priest or a member of SOLT because of “the physical, emotional and spiritual distress he has endured over the past few years.” That effectively halted the investigation, which had not reached a conclusion on the credibility of the case.
“If the allegations had been found to be credible, the proper canonical due process would have been offered to Father 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,” said Father Sheehan, who added that the SOLT was “deeply saddened” by Father Corapi’s response to the allegations.
“The SOLT will do all within its power to assist Father Corapi if he desires to seek a dispensation from his rights and obligations as a priest and as a professed member of the SOLT,” Father Sheehan said.
Father Corapi may have also complicated SOLT’s investigation against him. The National Catholic Register reported he sued his accuser for breaching a non-disclosure agreement. Other Santa Cruz Media Company employees reportedly signed similar agreements, which prevented SOLT investigators from interviewing the principal witnesses in the case.
Messages left for Father Sheehan at SOLT’s international headquarters in Robeson, Texas, were not returned.
No one answered multiple telephone calls to Santa Cruz Media Company. Bobbi Ruffatto, the former vice president of operations for Santa Cruz Media, released a statement in late March defending Father Corapi. Contacted last month by OSV, Ruffatto said she resigned from the company on May 31.
“I am deeply saddened by the situation but cannot comment further,” Ruffatto told OSV.
David Clohessy, the national director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, told OSV that Father Corapi’s accuser — whom neither the priest nor Church investigators have named — reached out to the victim’s group recently and he judged her complaint credible.
“She, even now, refuses to publicly lash out at Corapi,” Clohessy added.
Father Corapi said on his “Black SheepDog” blog that he had filed a civil defamation lawsuit against his accuser on the advice of the founder of SOLT, Father James Flanagan, and retired Bishop Rene Gracida of Corpus Christi.
“Why would they do this? Because they felt it was the only way I could receive a fair and just hearing,” wrote Father Corapi. He could not be reached for comment by OSV. Father Flanagan also could not be reached. Bishop Gracida did not reply to an email message seeking comment.
In Corapi’s corner
On his blog, Bishop Gracida defended Father Corapi and has posted several links to articles suggesting that accused priests have little protection in the way of due process.
“I believe that [Father Corapi] 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,” Bishop Gracida said.
Father Gordon J. MacRae, a priest who maintains his innocence but is still serving a life sentence for a 1994 conviction of sexually assaulting a teenage boy in New Hampshire, wrote June 22 on his “These Stone Walls” blog that Father Corapi was the victim of a classic “Catch-22.”
Father MacRae wrote: “If [Father Corapi] is to defend himself at all, he must be able to do so publicly with statements that clearly and decisively refute what is claimed of him. That is not only his right under both the U.S. Constitution and Canon Law, it is also what Catholics expect of him.
“But if Father Corapi is barred from presenting himself publicly as a priest, then he is effectively barred from presenting himself publicly at all,” he wrote. “Does anyone really expect him to treat the accusations against him as unconnected to the fact that he is a priest?”
Preventive measures
Father Francis “Rocky” Hoffman, executive director of Relevant Radio, said in a March 24 statement that Canon Law, under Canon 1722, provides a bishop or superior recourse to a “leave of absence” in order to prevent scandal, protect the freedom of witnesses and safeguard the course of justice. A canon commentary says the measure is preventive and prudential, not penal.
“This distinction, not penal but preventive and prudential, is very important for the current discussion about this issue,” Father Hoffman said. “Many consider this administrative leave to be a declaration of guilt without investigation and to be penal in nature.
“While the principle ‘innocent until proven guilty’ still holds in canon law, it would be a mistake to hold that any cleric ever has a right to exercise the public ministry without his bishop/superior’s express permission, which can be withdrawn for prudential reasons,” Father Hoffman wrote.
“I think there is due process, though it may not be the same as what we Americans would like it to be,” said J. Michael Ritty, a canon lawyer and chief partner at Canon Law Professionals in Feura Bush, N.Y.
Ritty told OSV that priests accused of sexual impropriety with adults have the right to a canon lawyer, can make a preliminary statement when the allegations are first made against them, and have the opportunity to present their case to a review board, which recommends a course of action for the bishop or superior. The accused priest also has the right to an appeal.
Father Corapi continues to maintain his innocence and to attack the “bishop’s star witness” against him as “a severely troubled person.”
On a June 23 blog, the soon-to-be Mr. Corapi promised that he had not left the Church, even as he said that its leadership doesn’t want him around anymore. He also added that he has trademarked “Black SheepDog,” and that a biography of the same title has been in the works for a year and a half.
Quote
Every time someone gets angry with me or decides they want a payday I have to go through hell with no help from the leadership of the Church. I admit I have grown weary of that."
— Father John Corapi, who now uses the moniker “The Black SheepDog.” For more information, visit his blog at www.theblacksheepdog.us
Link:
Related:
Father John Corapi says only he knows “the real story” behind his controversial decision to leave the priesthood.
Father Corapi announced June 17 that he was leaving the priesthood and the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) because he could not get a “fair hearing” on the sexual misconduct allegations lodged against him in March by a former female employee of his Montana-based Santa Cruz Media Company.
The popular preacher and public speaker also said “certain persons in authority in the Church” wanted him gone, said that his due process rights were violated, and accused Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas, where SOLT’s headquarters is located, of ordering his SOLT superiors to suspend him “against their will and better judgment” or else he would publicly release the letter his accuser had sent to several bishops detailing the allegations against him.
Normal procedure
Marty Wind, spokesman for the Diocese of Corpus Christi, declined to respond to Father Corapi’s statement. Wind told Our Sunday Visitor that the bishop was following canon law when he advised the SOLT that an investigation had to be conducted in accordance with the order’s constitutions.
The Diocese of Corpus Christi also released a statement that said “it would be inappropriate for the diocese to make any comment on those proceedings other than that they were in progress and were being guided by the SOLT Constitution and in accord with the Code of Canon Law.”
Father Gerard Sheehan, the SOLT regional priest servant, issued a prepared statement explaining that it was “normal procedure” that Father Corapi be suspended from active ministry and placed on administrative leave, due to the nature of the allegations.
Father Sheehan said the investigation was still ongoing when Father Corapi told the order on June 3 that he could no longer function as a priest or a member of SOLT because of “the physical, emotional and spiritual distress he has endured over the past few years.” That effectively halted the investigation, which had not reached a conclusion on the credibility of the case.
“If the allegations had been found to be credible, the proper canonical due process would have been offered to Father 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,” said Father Sheehan, who added that the SOLT was “deeply saddened” by Father Corapi’s response to the allegations.
“The SOLT will do all within its power to assist Father Corapi if he desires to seek a dispensation from his rights and obligations as a priest and as a professed member of the SOLT,” Father Sheehan said.
Father Corapi may have also complicated SOLT’s investigation against him. The National Catholic Register reported he sued his accuser for breaching a non-disclosure agreement. Other Santa Cruz Media Company employees reportedly signed similar agreements, which prevented SOLT investigators from interviewing the principal witnesses in the case.
Messages left for Father Sheehan at SOLT’s international headquarters in Robeson, Texas, were not returned.
No one answered multiple telephone calls to Santa Cruz Media Company. Bobbi Ruffatto, the former vice president of operations for Santa Cruz Media, released a statement in late March defending Father Corapi. Contacted last month by OSV, Ruffatto said she resigned from the company on May 31.
“I am deeply saddened by the situation but cannot comment further,” Ruffatto told OSV.
David Clohessy, the national director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, told OSV that Father Corapi’s accuser — whom neither the priest nor Church investigators have named — reached out to the victim’s group recently and he judged her complaint credible.
“She, even now, refuses to publicly lash out at Corapi,” Clohessy added.
Father Corapi said on his “Black SheepDog” blog that he had filed a civil defamation lawsuit against his accuser on the advice of the founder of SOLT, Father James Flanagan, and retired Bishop Rene Gracida of Corpus Christi.
“Why would they do this? Because they felt it was the only way I could receive a fair and just hearing,” wrote Father Corapi. He could not be reached for comment by OSV. Father Flanagan also could not be reached. Bishop Gracida did not reply to an email message seeking comment.
In Corapi’s corner
On his blog, Bishop Gracida defended Father Corapi and has posted several links to articles suggesting that accused priests have little protection in the way of due process.
“I believe that [Father Corapi] 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,” Bishop Gracida said.
Father Gordon J. MacRae, a priest who maintains his innocence but is still serving a life sentence for a 1994 conviction of sexually assaulting a teenage boy in New Hampshire, wrote June 22 on his “These Stone Walls” blog that Father Corapi was the victim of a classic “Catch-22.”
Father MacRae wrote: “If [Father Corapi] is to defend himself at all, he must be able to do so publicly with statements that clearly and decisively refute what is claimed of him. That is not only his right under both the U.S. Constitution and Canon Law, it is also what Catholics expect of him.
“But if Father Corapi is barred from presenting himself publicly as a priest, then he is effectively barred from presenting himself publicly at all,” he wrote. “Does anyone really expect him to treat the accusations against him as unconnected to the fact that he is a priest?”
Preventive measures
Father Francis “Rocky” Hoffman, executive director of Relevant Radio, said in a March 24 statement that Canon Law, under Canon 1722, provides a bishop or superior recourse to a “leave of absence” in order to prevent scandal, protect the freedom of witnesses and safeguard the course of justice. A canon commentary says the measure is preventive and prudential, not penal.
“This distinction, not penal but preventive and prudential, is very important for the current discussion about this issue,” Father Hoffman said. “Many consider this administrative leave to be a declaration of guilt without investigation and to be penal in nature.
“While the principle ‘innocent until proven guilty’ still holds in canon law, it would be a mistake to hold that any cleric ever has a right to exercise the public ministry without his bishop/superior’s express permission, which can be withdrawn for prudential reasons,” Father Hoffman wrote.
“I think there is due process, though it may not be the same as what we Americans would like it to be,” said J. Michael Ritty, a canon lawyer and chief partner at Canon Law Professionals in Feura Bush, N.Y.
Ritty told OSV that priests accused of sexual impropriety with adults have the right to a canon lawyer, can make a preliminary statement when the allegations are first made against them, and have the opportunity to present their case to a review board, which recommends a course of action for the bishop or superior. The accused priest also has the right to an appeal.
Father Corapi continues to maintain his innocence and to attack the “bishop’s star witness” against him as “a severely troubled person.”
On a June 23 blog, the soon-to-be Mr. Corapi promised that he had not left the Church, even as he said that its leadership doesn’t want him around anymore. He also added that he has trademarked “Black SheepDog,” and that a biography of the same title has been in the works for a year and a half.
Brian Fraga writes from Massachusetts.
Quote
Every time someone gets angry with me or decides they want a payday I have to go through hell with no help from the leadership of the Church. I admit I have grown weary of that."
— Father John Corapi, who now uses the moniker “The Black SheepDog.” For more information, visit his blog at www.theblacksheepdog.us
Link:
Related:
- Father Corapi's Response to SOLT's Press Release
- My Final Comment (Hopefully) on the Case of Father John Corapi - by Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Corpus Christi
- A Few Thoughts on Father Corapi's Announcement yesterday - by Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Corpus Christi
- Fr. Corapi Filed Defamation Suit On Advice of Fr. Flanagan, Founder of the Society of Our Lady and Bishop Rene Gracida
- Of Fr. Corapi and Casey Anthony - Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
- Father Corapi Files Lawsuit Against His Accuser
- Father Corapi: "I am not seeking laicization"
- Corpus Christi Procession goes by the wayside in Corpus Christi
- Fr. Corapi: Please Understand This, I Have Not Left The Church
- Michael Voris of the Vortex on the Professional Catholic Bloggers (transcript)
- Fr. Corapi: I am listening.. I will not be releasing those audio tapes.
- Tuesday morning.
- Valuable Canonical Insight Into the Case of Father John Corapi - by Fr. Mike via Bishop Gracida
- Reconsidering the Dallas Charter - Fr. Michael P. Orsi
- About Fr. John Corapi With Observations About Our Times - by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
- Carol McKinley on Falsely Accused Priests
- Father Corapi: God Love You, God Bless You, and Good-Bye
2 convicted of cruelty to monkeys on Bourbon Street
Credit: WWL-TV
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says a Texas woman and a Florida man have been convicted of cruelty to monkeys they dressed as pirates and brought onto Bourbon Street nine days before Mardi Gras.
Officials said James Wells Poole, 62, of St. Augustine, Fla., and Joan Susanne Newberger, 64, of Rio Hondo, Texas -- known as Joan Poole -- also were convicted Wednesday of lacking permits for the monkeys.
State wildlife agents confiscated the monkeys Feb. 26 after watching them touch people as part of a street act.
Civil District Judge Sean Early ordered Poole and Newberger to forfeit the monkeys to the state. The state will give them to the Louisiana Purchase Zoo and Gardens in Monroe, where they have been living.
Autistic woman demands return of monkeys
wwltv.comPosted on July 7, 2011 at 3:44 PM
Updated yesterday at 4:22 PM
NEW ORLEANS – An autistic woman and her husband returned to court Thursday, fighting to have the state return the monkeys the woman claims she needs as service animals because of her disability.
As Eyewitness News reported in February, Joan Newberger says the primates are her "service animals.”
They were confiscated during Mardi Gras by Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries officials, who said the animals were illegally owned.
One of the four monkeys has died since it was taken from Newberger. The others are currently being kept at a zoo in Monroe. Newberger has been allowed visitation rights.
At a hearing which began Thursday, a New Orleans Municipal court judge must now decide whether the animals will be returned to the Florida couple.
The state claims Newberger did not have a permit for the animals and was on Bourbon St. accepting money from people in exchange for pictures with the monkeys.
The defense says the animals were allowed through the Americans with Disabilities Act.
More than a dozen witnesses are testifying in the case, speaking about the treatment of the animals, and whether they were used to make money.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Ivan of Medjugorje's Public Apparitions Cease For a While
"Until he is told otherwise, visionary Ivan Dragicevic will not have weekly public encounters with the Virgin Mary on the top of Apparition Hill in Medjugorje. For an unknown length of time the extra apparitions will be private and exclusively attended by the members of Ivan’s prayer group.
For pilgrims visiting Medjugorje during Summertime, the Virgin Mary’s public apparitions to visionary Ivan Dragicevic on the top
of Podbrdo Hill are a much sought out attraction. But as of July 4th this attraction has temporarily come to a halt.
'After Ivan’s apparition with the prayer group on July 4th, Our Lady told him that for now on, until she lets him know, the apparitions with the prayer group won’t be on the Hill or at Blue Cross but only private and for now, once a week', Ivan’s US appearance organizer Ana Shawl tells in an e-mail to the members of IIPG, the internet arm of Ivan’s prayer group..."
For pilgrims visiting Medjugorje during Summertime, the Virgin Mary’s public apparitions to visionary Ivan Dragicevic on the top
of Podbrdo Hill are a much sought out attraction. But as of July 4th this attraction has temporarily come to a halt.
- Ivan of Medjugorje's Public Apparitions Cease For a While
- Medjugorje - Clerics and Faithful Not Permitted to Take Credibility of "Apparitions" for Granted (CDF)
- Medjugorje "visionary" Vicka flinches while in "ecstasy" (video)
- Medjugorje Commission Priest: Christian Who Bases His Faith in Apparitions is Not a Christian Adult, It's Not Mature
- Vicka in "Ecstasy" Video
Father Corapi's Response to SOLT's Press Release
I am going to answer in a simple, straight forward way what seem to me the main elements of the action taken against me by the Diocese of Corpus Christi and the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity.
Regarding my personal financial situation—From the earliest days (more than twenty years ago) the Founder of the Society of Our Lady, Fr. James Flanagan, encouraged me to support myself and the Church as well. He said they could not afford to support my ministry and me personally because of the unique nature of the mission. At every step of the way, through the entire past twenty years, the Society of Our Lady’s leadership knew of my financial independence. As Fr. Flanagan encouraged, I have supported SOLT and myself from ‘day-one.‘ I have never relied on the Society for shelter, clothing, transportation, medical care, or legal counsel and instead, using my history of success in business, set up my mission as any savvy business man would, meanwhile continuing to support the Society and many other Catholic Charities.
Regarding the charge of sexual impropriety—This song of greed has been sung many times before. I have never had any promiscuous or even inappropriate relations with her. Never.
Regarding the investigation—As standard practice, my legal counsel advised me not to cooperate with the investigation until I was able to determine that the Commission’s process was fair and I had adequate rights to defend myself. Questions that certainly qualify the validity of any legal case have never been answered by the so called “fact finding team.” They refuse to reveal, and therefore utilize, any of the so-called evidence perhaps because if ‘the bad guy’ were truly revealed it may be revealed that he is really not that bad. Clearly, as my legal counsel has portrayed, the evidence supplied by the accused (of which my counsel is not permitted access to) must not have any substance.
Regarding ‘hush money’—I never paid anybody off to remain silent. On two occasions there were standard severance agreements executed with former employees and independent contractors. These agreements contained very common non-disclosure provisions. Any attorney who would not include such provisions in such agreements would rightly be guilty of negligent and actionable conduct.
Regarding my resignation—I resigned because the process used by the Church is grossly unjust, and, hence, immoral. I resigned because I had no chance from the beginning of a fair and just hearing. As I have indicated from the beginning of all this, I am not extinguished! If I were to commit to the suggestion of the Society, then I would essentially crawl under a rock and wait to die. However, I can not deny this desire to share aspects of Truth and Hope with all those willing to hear. This is what I shall continue to fight for! Many are not going to appreciate this decision, and I respect that. For those who can accept it, onward!
Link
Related:
Regarding my personal financial situation—From the earliest days (more than twenty years ago) the Founder of the Society of Our Lady, Fr. James Flanagan, encouraged me to support myself and the Church as well. He said they could not afford to support my ministry and me personally because of the unique nature of the mission. At every step of the way, through the entire past twenty years, the Society of Our Lady’s leadership knew of my financial independence. As Fr. Flanagan encouraged, I have supported SOLT and myself from ‘day-one.‘ I have never relied on the Society for shelter, clothing, transportation, medical care, or legal counsel and instead, using my history of success in business, set up my mission as any savvy business man would, meanwhile continuing to support the Society and many other Catholic Charities.
Regarding the charge of sexual impropriety—This song of greed has been sung many times before. I have never had any promiscuous or even inappropriate relations with her. Never.
Regarding the investigation—As standard practice, my legal counsel advised me not to cooperate with the investigation until I was able to determine that the Commission’s process was fair and I had adequate rights to defend myself. Questions that certainly qualify the validity of any legal case have never been answered by the so called “fact finding team.” They refuse to reveal, and therefore utilize, any of the so-called evidence perhaps because if ‘the bad guy’ were truly revealed it may be revealed that he is really not that bad. Clearly, as my legal counsel has portrayed, the evidence supplied by the accused (of which my counsel is not permitted access to) must not have any substance.
Regarding ‘hush money’—I never paid anybody off to remain silent. On two occasions there were standard severance agreements executed with former employees and independent contractors. These agreements contained very common non-disclosure provisions. Any attorney who would not include such provisions in such agreements would rightly be guilty of negligent and actionable conduct.
Regarding my resignation—I resigned because the process used by the Church is grossly unjust, and, hence, immoral. I resigned because I had no chance from the beginning of a fair and just hearing. As I have indicated from the beginning of all this, I am not extinguished! If I were to commit to the suggestion of the Society, then I would essentially crawl under a rock and wait to die. However, I can not deny this desire to share aspects of Truth and Hope with all those willing to hear. This is what I shall continue to fight for! Many are not going to appreciate this decision, and I respect that. For those who can accept it, onward!
Link
Related:
- My Final Comment (Hopefully) on the Case of Father John Corapi - by Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Corpus Christi
- A Few Thoughts on Father Corapi's Announcement yesterday - by Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Corpus Christi
- Fr. Corapi Filed Defamation Suit On Advice of Fr. Flanagan, Founder of the Society of Our Lady and Bishop Rene Gracida
- Of Fr. Corapi and Casey Anthony - Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
- Father Corapi Files Lawsuit Against His Accuser
- Father Corapi: "I am not seeking laicization"
- Corpus Christi Procession goes by the wayside in Corpus Christi
- Fr. Corapi: Please Understand This, I Have Not Left The Church
- Michael Voris of the Vortex on the Professional Catholic Bloggers (transcript)
- Fr. Corapi: I am listening.. I will not be releasing those audio tapes.
- Tuesday morning.
- Valuable Canonical Insight Into the Case of Father John Corapi - by Fr. Mike via Bishop Gracida
- Good-Bye, Good Priest! Father John Corapi’s Kafkaesque Catch-22 - by
- Reconsidering the Dallas Charter - Fr. Michael P. Orsi
- About Fr. John Corapi With Observations About Our Times - by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
- Carol McKinley on Falsely Accused Priests
- Father Corapi: God Love You, God Bless You, and Good-Bye
Father Vows To Kill Son Over Religious Disagreement
From Modern Ghana:
Source: Daily Guide
A disagreement between a couple at Morso in the Asante Akim District of the Ashanti Region, over which religion their son should belong to, has sparked trouble and imperiled the life of the youngman, with the enraged Muslim father threatening to kill the son if he continues to be a Christian...
When DAILY GUIDE contacted the unremorseful father, this is what he had to say: 'I will rather kill him and face the firing squad (death sentence), than live to see my son not worshipping Allah.'
Source: Daily Guide
A disagreement between a couple at Morso in the Asante Akim District of the Ashanti Region, over which religion their son should belong to, has sparked trouble and imperiled the life of the youngman, with the enraged Muslim father threatening to kill the son if he continues to be a Christian...
When DAILY GUIDE contacted the unremorseful father, this is what he had to say: 'I will rather kill him and face the firing squad (death sentence), than live to see my son not worshipping Allah.'
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