BY NOW MOST OF YOU HAVE READ THE STATEMENT ISSUED TODAY BY THE LEADERSHIP OF THE SOCIETY OF OUR LADY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY ON THE CASE OF FATHER JOHN CORAPI.
The statement seems to me to be nothing more or less than an effort by the SOLT leadership to ‘throw Father John Corapi under the bus.’ Maybe he deserves it, maybe he does not, I do not know. I have had no direct contact with Father Corapi in many years. But it seems to me that the issuing of the statement is an effort by the SOLT leadership to justify their own mishandling of his case from the beginning. It is a classic example of what psychologists call transference.
As I have previously pointed out, Father Corapi was not charged, as far as I can figure out, with a civil crime. Nor was he accused of sexual misconduct with a minor. Rather, his conduct which resulted in the accusatory letter sent by the woman seems to have been fostered by the lax leadership of SOLT itself. Even though he did not have a vow of poverty he was given freedom to acquire and use wealth which can in itself have a corrupting influence on anyone.
MY CHIEF COMPLAINT AGAINST BOTH THE CHANCERY OF THE DIOCESE OF CORPUS CHRISTI AND THE LEADERSHIP OF SOLT IS THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE GOOD OF THE CHURCH IN MIND WHEN THEY ACTED PRECIPITOUSLY TO PUBLICLY SUSPEND FATHER CORAPI.
By rushing to publicly suspend him before any investigation of the facts had been done, these Church officials totally overlooked the impact of their actions on the tens of thousands of innocent people who have been brought into a closer relationship with Our Lord, Jesus Christ, through the TEACHING of Father Corapi. He did not seem to have any other form of ministry.
Instead of rushing to publicly suspend Father Corapi these people should have quietly launched an investigation into the accusations and, if they proved to be credible, they could have quietly removed him from active exercise of his public activities and then after further investigation determined whether or not to take more drastic canonical disciplinary action against him.
INSTEAD OF RUSHING TO PUNISH HIM PUBLICLY, they should have been concerned for the welfare of the thousands and thousands people who have either been brought to the faith or have had their faith strengthened by the man who, in spite of his having clay feet, had been an effective teacher of the Gospel.
THAT WAS MY CHIEF COMPLAINT AND THAT REMAINS MY CHIEF COMPLAINT.
I doubt that I will have much, if anything, further to say about the sad case of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity and Father John Corapi.
ABYSSUS ABYSSUM INVOCAT / DEEP CALLS TO DEEP 
What would you have said, my dear brethren, if you had been living during the time of St. Nicholas and you had seen him coming in the middle of the night, walking around the house of three young girls, watching carefully and taking good care that no one saw him. Just look at that bishop, you would have thought at once, degrading and dishonouring his calling; he is a dreadful hypocrite. He seems to be a saint when he is in church, and look at him now, in the middle of the night, at the door of three girls who do not have a very good reputation! And yet, my dear brethren, this bishop, who would certainly have been condemned by you, was indeed a very great saint and most dear to God. What he was doing was the best deed in the world. In order to spare these young persons the shame of begging, he came in the night and threw money in to them through their window because he feared that it was poverty which had made them abandon themselves to sin. This should teach us never to judge the actions of our neighbour without having reflected very well beforehand. Even then, of course, we are only entitled to make such judgments if we are responsible for the behaviour of the people concerned, that is, if we are parents or employers, and so on. As far as all others are concerned, we are nearly always wrong. Yes indeed, my brethren, I have seen people making wrong judgments about the intentions of their neighbour when I have known perfectly well that these intentions were good. I have tried in vain to make them understand, but it was no good. Oh! Cursed pride, what evil you do and how many souls do you lead to Hell! Answer me this, my dear brethren. Are the judgments which we make about the actions of our neighbour any better founded than those which would have been made by anyone who might have seen St. Nicholas walking around that house and trying to find the window of the room wherein were the three girls?It is not to us that other people will have to render an account of their lives, but to God alone. But we wish to set ourselves up as judges of what does not concern us. The sins of others are for others, that is, for themselves, and our sins are our own business. God will not ask us to render an account of what others have done but solely of what we ourselves have done. Let us watch over ourselves, then, and not torment ourselves so much about others, thinking over and talking about what they have done or said. All that, my dear brethren, is just so much labor lost, and it can only arise from a pride comparable to that of the Pharisee who concerned himself solely with thinking about and misjudging his neighbour instead of occupying himself with thoughts of his own sins and weeping for his own poor efforts. Let us leave the conduct of our neighbour on one side, my dear brethren, and content ourselves with saying, like the holy King David: Lord, give me the grace to know myself as I really am, so that I may see what displeases Thee, and how to correct it, repent, and obtain pardon.
No, my dear brethren, while anyone passes his time in watching the conduct of other people, he will neither know nor belong to God. ST. JOHN VIANNEY
My defense For Father John Corapi
I appreciate what you have said about the lack of wisdom on the part of SOLT in the public announcements of accusations and supposed outcome of their investigations. Among my friends, we have commented on the curious public statements made about this priest when no law has been broken. Why??? Is there some plan to destroy Fr. Corapi and the Church? I guess that has been going on since the beginning. He has certainly alerted us all to the evil behind the scenes, as well as other Catholic watchdogs. I appreciate also what you said about how much he has impacted those of us in the pews. It is all confusing and upsetting to those of us who have loved this priest and counted upon his teaching, while not much is being taught with his gusto anywhere else in the Church. We are all very hurt by this. I found it hard to watch him in a biker’s jacket instead of clerical collar, expressing his views about what has happened and how he will go on. Well, its not so easy to go on for me. I want my priest back on radio and Catholic television. I look forward to his teaching of the faith, which gives me great courage to really live the Catholic life. I have gone to hear him preach live. He has made a difference in my life. I feel that today I have the courage to live and to speak truth when others hide from it. I am unpopular, but so what? I keep thinking of him as a “fallen soldier” and how we are never to abandon him. Emotions are running high these days around this important issue. We have felt the impact of a direct hit on the Church. We are wounded, but we are still alive. May God have mercy on us all and may He endow us all with the grace to endure until the end.
It is so sad to see that are the SOLT statement came out now people are ready to burn Fr. Corapi at the stake. This is very disgusting and disheartening for me
As always I thank you for your view on this situation. I too smell something rotten, and it is not in Denmark , but rather in Texas. Two weeks ago we were told that the investigation was halted because of Fr. Corapi’s civil suit, and it could not proceed. Now the day Fr. Sheehan leaves for 20 days, we hear all these terrible things regarding Fr. Corapi. How so if just two weeks ago no investigation could proceed? All this has been said without benefit of Fr. Corapi’s testimony. I find SOLT’s statement angry and demoralizing, something I would consider un-Christ like to say the least. I remember in one of Father’s talks he said, “Satan has told me he will destroy me, guilty or not” I continue to pray for the TRUTH to be known in this situation. Since we all know Jesus is the TRUTH, may He reveal Himself and His divine will for Fr. Corapi, SOLT, and His universal Church.
1) As reported on EWTN in an interview by Raymond Arroyo with a journalist from NCR, the journalist spoke with Fr Sheehan who told the journalist that the civil suit brought by Fr Corapi put pressure on the accuser and other witnesses, which under canon law poses a problem as witness must not be pressured. This is the only theory under which I know of that SOLT was requesting or demanding that Fr Corapi drop the civil defamation suit. AS SOLT violated Father Corapi’s canonical rights by suspending him without judgment, they had no authority to demand he drop the civil suit.
2) Now, apparently SOLT has rendered judgment on Fr Corapi, and thus ending the canonical investigation, and imposed the penalties of continuation of his suspension, ordering him to the SOLT community under obedience, and ordering him to drop the lawsuit under obedience. This is a violation of Father’s civil rights, ordering him to drop the lawsuit, AND SOLT no longer has the ‘justification’ that the lawsuit impedes canonically on the investigation as it is over. On the other hand, if judgment has NOT been rendered, then SOLT is once again in violation of Father Corapi’s canonical rights by imposing penalties without judgment.
3) SOLT already violated Father Corapi’s canonical rights by suspending him prior to any investigation of the allegations, including not even determining if the allegations were credible.
4) Furthermore, SOLT seems to have committed the sin of detraction by publicly announcing Father’s suspension, leaving hanging implications.
5) Furthermore, SOLT committed a more grave sin of detraction on July 5 by announcing in gruesome detail the allegations and/or the judgment of what sins Father committed.
6) Furthermore, the only substantial allegation/conviction that could be proven beyond “he said/she said” in the July 5 statement by SOLT was that of excess wealth. Bishop Gracida stated Father Corapi did not take a vow of poverty. SOLT says that he did, “as a perpetually professed member”. SOLT changed their constitution in 1994 to include a vow of poverty, Father Corapi apparently never took the vow.
7) Father Corapi did not file the civil suit until after being suspended in violation of his canonical rights.
A READER SENT ME THIS COMMENT, BUT WISHED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS:
1.) In the moral sphere, is not the disclosure of private sins in public the essence of detraction? Did the author of today’s statement not commit a grave sin by mentioning the particular sins that Father is accused to have committed? If Father is lying, and anything here said is true, he must be compelled by someone he respects to admit wrong, and take the appropriate ecclesiastical penalties that come with it. If he is telling the truth and this an assassination campaign on the part of a cabal of American prelates, is this statement nothing more than mere game play on the part of SOLT and your successor to compel obedience on two definitive articles so that they can proceed forward on pretext when Father refuses to return to community or drop his civil suit? If he refuses to enter community and refuses to drop the suit, they can proceed in the canonical realm, no? Thus avoiding the impedance of the civil suit?
2.) Is it illicit, illegal, or immoral for a superior to propose terms of obedience as a pretext for further canonical action? Why would they want him to return to community and drop the lawsuit given the litany of injurious and reprobate actions he has committed. My thought is simple, and is one echoed by his accuser and SOLT. Forcing him into community and more than likely asking him to forfeit SCM and his personal wealth would castrate his public ministry. If he refuses, they accomplish the same thing by deeming him rogue priest and unfaithful Catholic.
3.) This issue is much large than Father Corapi. His is a high profile emblem of episcopal abuse in the post-Conciliar Church. It goes not just to the most egregious cases like Father Macrae, but every orthodox priest (either conservative or traditional) that has had the full weight of the episcopal office brought down on them for simply or for forcefully proclaiming the Faith only adding injury to the social isolation, the assignments to the middle of no where (not that the souls in the middle of no where do not need priests, but you understand my meaning), involuntary sabbaticals, forced psychological counselling, etc, etc, ad nauseam. I plan to carry on this crusade for all of them that suffer for Him at the hands of lawful, albeit heretical or immoral superiors. It won’t make me friends, but mundane fear is the grave sin.
Your Eminence,
I just wanted to say thank you for your calm, balanced commentary on this whole situation. I can see why Fr. Corapi trusts you so much. You have been a breath of fresh air in the chaos, confusion, and conflict swirling around ever since he was suspended. As my parents have always told me, and I believe it may have been in one of Our Lady’s messages, wherever there are the three c’s – chaos, confusion, and conflict – you will find the evil one right in the middle of it. And from some of the vile commentary from those who have thrown Fr. Corapi under the bus (both regular and ‘professional’ Catholics), it is quite clear something diabolical is involved here. The message of Our Lady of Akita comes to mind, and I believe this is what we are witnessing today:
“On October 13, the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, 1973, Sr. Agnes heard the beautiful voice speaking from the statue once more: “The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against other bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres, churches and altars will be sacked. The Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the devil will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord. The demon would be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer any pardon for them.”
She continued, “As I told you, if people do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the Flood, such as one will never have seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by my Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary pray for the Pope, the bishops and the priests.” The statue wept for the last time on September 15, Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
We cannot say we were not warned. Thank you again, Your Eminence, for being a calm voice amid this storm. You are in my Divine Mercy Chaplet and Rosary daily, as well as that of my elderly parents, who taught me from a very young age about the times in which we are living.
God bless, and I am grateful to have found your blog through all of this!
Mary
This seems too convenient. I suspect political motivations. If this were all true, a rational and sane man would not have acted as Corapi has done. A man with this much to hide would try and fade away. Also I question why an organization would want such a man in their enclave. Compassion? Not a likely motivation given the way SOLT has handled this.
So in order to believe this, I have to believe SOLT leadership is misguided at best and also believe that Corapi is basically insane. I do not believe Corapi is insane. So I’ll maintain a healthy skepticism.
I agree entirely with Bishop Gracida’s analysis of this situation. But I also have many questions about both the timing and the public nature of the statement by Fr. Corapi’s religious superiors. If they have concerns for his “free range” lifestyle, they can’t be new concerns. Why haven’t they raised these issues as they developed over the last several years? They have given the impression that Fr. Corapi has failed his community, but it seems to me that they have failed each other and in a very big way. One thing has become clear to me from all the comments and discussion about the Fr. Corapi case. Catholics believe that their Church is investigating and seeking justice when priests are accused. I plan to write much more of this in the next few weeks at http://www.TheseStoneWalls.com. If your fathers or brothers or sons were accused, you would not discard them. You just wouldn’t! Yet it is happening in our Church, and it must be the next wave of this scandal. I thank Bishop Gracida for having the courage to speak the truth.
Fr. Gordon MacRae
@ John Borkowski –
It is true that I have not had any direct contact, verbal or otherwise, with Father John Corapi for many years now. I made my suggestion to him that probably the only way he could clear his name would be through a civil law suit filed against his accuser. I made the suggestion to Father James Flanagan, the Priest General Servant Emeritus, and Father Flanagan entrusted the message to Father Anthony Anderson, SOLT, who flew to Montana and personally delivered the suggestion to Father Corapi. I share your concern for Father Corapi’s wellbeing, but unfortunately I have neither his email address nor his telephone number.
+rhg
“I have had no direct contact with Father Corapi in many years. But it seems to me that the issuing of the statement is an effort by the SOLT leadership to justify their own mishandling of his case from the beginning. It is a classic example of what psychologists call transference.”
Yep, shoot the messenger. Ad hominems can be quite effective.
Thankfully, you can see through this clear attempt to deflect attention from the real victim in all of this; Fr John Corapi.
Your Eminence,
In the interest of helping this man, I would like to bring the following to your attention. It seems he could use some guidance from people he trusts, which based on my next statement would seem to be you. You mention that you have not spoken to Fr Corapi in many years, but he has stated on his facebook wall (June 21 at 1:13pm) that you and Fr Flanagan have advised him to file the civil lawsuits against the accuser. There seems to be a confusion as to which statement is real. It really is none of my business as to whether or not you have spoken to him, but what I do think is important is that he trusts you and Fr Flanagan and is using your names as a reference of trust.
This whole episode is rapidly spinning more and more ugliness, and is proving to be a boon to the devil as it pits christian against christian. This is neither good for Fr Corapi or for the SOLT, or for that matter, all of the multitude of others who have taken an interest in this story.
I also hope you will reach out to this poor man who I think feels threatened and could use a trusted friend to guide him to safety.
If you are already aware of all of this please forgive my intrusion and the public nature of my writing this. I hope that you do moderate these posts and will not post this should you find it too intrusive.
sincerely,
John
I VERY much like and appreciate your posting. There have been (obviously) many heated debates over this, and you presented a balanced viewpoint. I ‘smell something fishy’ about the whole SOLT leadership thing… why are they choosing NOW to reveal these things? And the three person ‘fact-finding group’? Hmmmmmm….. it just seems that something has indeed been swept under the carpet, as Robin commented above. I have witnessed first-hand corruption within the priesthood, and even within an international order (Regnum Christi, where I was a member for 5 years before the truth came out about the founder). Looking back, I could find where the spiritual was tainted. But with Fr. Corapi, I can’t seem to find this ‘taintedness’ in his speeches, anywhere. Jesus said a ‘tree is known by its fruit’… Of course, we don’t know the whole truth (about most anything), but I am finding it interesting that so much corruption from priests and bishops who stay below the radar and teach heresy goes virtually unnoticed. I am supposing the answer here, and with all situations, is to simply pray, as something is grossly wrong, especially since Fr. Corapi is being denied even the most basic right of a fair trial. Accusations can be made by anyone for any reason at any time… but ‘who’ decides if those accusations are true and just? Thank you again! ~shalimamma
Good post. So many people are rushing to judgement about this it’s not funny
Your Eminence, Is that the correct for address? My abject apologies if it not but I Digress…
THANK YOU for you opinion. It merits greater consideration and I will personally do some more digging for the good of the faith and benefit of the faithful.
Semper Fi.
Something that has been swept under the carpet in this whole situation is the good the Lord is doing in this- that many many Corapi supporters have come together as prayer warriors to support him and truth he has taught- evil cannot triumph – in my opinion this is a pure attack of the liberals who are not faithful to the Lord on a Godly teacher who has led many back to the Lord- may we all pray for him and other abused Priests as we see these attacks continue, and bless you for sharing your take on this!
I agree with what you have said. The first responsibility is to separate fact from fiction and after that decide a course of action. I do not get the impression that this has been done. It seems to me more like a kneejerk reaction.
Even after discerning what it factual, it still remains that Fr. Corapi has been a very effective teacher. It was through him that as a convert I really came into an understanding of the catechism. If we look back into the history of the Catholic church we can find many, including popes, who engaged in some questionabl activities but in spite of that made valuable contributions to the spiritual development of the church.
I certainly wouldn’t want to be the one to throw the first stone (or any after that one either!).