Yet Another, and Another...

[Guitarhero]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/fr.-corapi-announces-hes-leaving-the-priesthood/

Fr. Corapi suspended from the priesthood. I'm not sure about the process of accusation and defense that he's saying is not giving him a fair trial, but it's evident by his response that he's guilty of something ...yet, he "forgives" his female accuser. Any catholic follow Fr. Corapi? I'm not very familiar with him at all.

His response to the charges:

"Fr. Corapi said in his online post Friday that he has “been guilty of many things in the course of my life, and could easily and justifiably be considered unfit to engage in public ministry as a priest.”

However, referring to the woman in question, he said that the “present complaint that you have heard about is, as far as I know, from the one person that I can honestly say I did more to help and support than any human being in my entire life.”

“I forgive her and hope only good things for her. I am not going to get into a back and forth or argument with the Church or anyone else about this matter.”--



This is something you see all the time now, someone accused and answers in an evasive way that they are guilty but that we can't yet find them guilty. Why not just say, "I'm guilty and I've failed, I need forgiveness" or "I'm not at all guilty" rather than knowing s/he is going to be found in error?

And another case in which someone is affirming s/he is going to continue in some kind of ministry function. Who are they leading?

--"“I cannot give a lengthy explanation of what has transpired, but I can tell you that the most likely outcome is that they leave me suspended indefinitely and just let me fade away.”

“My canon lawyer and my civil lawyers have concluded that I cannot receive a fair and just hearing under the Church’s present process,” he said. “The case may be on hold indefinitely, but my life cannot be.” ----
Fr. Corapi said that he'll move forward by through ministry both within the Church and outside of it.

--“I shall continue, black sheep that I am, to speak; and sheep dog that I am, to guard the sheep – this time around not just in the Church, but also in the entire world.”

“Under the name 'The Black Sheep Dog,' I shall be with you through radio broadcasts and writing. My autobiography, 'The Black Sheep Dog,' is almost ready for publication.”

“My topics will be broader than in the past, and my audience likewise is apt to be broader,” he added. “I’ll do what I can under the circumstances.” ---


Um, Black Sheep Dog? No, thanks. I'll stick with the Magisterium.

 

[aribell]

He and other priests like him are acting with the knowledge and support of the religious authorities, right up to the Pope--even JP II. It's a sickness that goes to the root. The RC considers itself the True Church, but God owes it nothing. They are all liable to be judged, just like God judged Israel in the prophetic books.

This is a great evil, and not simply an isolated accident.

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[Guitarhero]

As well as protestants, we all very well know. I don't see how he was acting with the support of religious authorities, though, if he's guilty. They are the ones who brought him down. Is there some particular ideology he is espousing that was loathesome...perhaps his call to orthodoxy? I know his confessor is held to secrecy because of the nature of absolution. BTW, I'm not asking for a catholic beat-down because the church is much deeper than your understanding. Hopefully, catholics are welcome to post. I'm not going to give a protestant-flavor to anything so that should be expected. It should also be known that merely presenting catholic issues is not an attempt at conversion...I'd expect the same respect. Anyhoo....to the intended topic which is not attempting to prove why the catholic church is not the true church... I don't do that discussion. In other words, let's stick to the topic of Fr. Corapi if anyone knows about it, k?

Now, there is so much speculation about this case with Fr. Corapi...I'm not sure what the actual charges are, but they are not involving a child. He supposedly had a female lover, and in some whistle-blowing sting, he was paid several million dollars. Why did she turn him in if it's true? If he felt so strongly to have a relationship, why did he not convert to the Orthodox Church or Maronite instead where he could have married? I know of such former catholic priests. Shrugs. That's all if it's actualy fact.

She was probably paid to whistle-blow lolol! He, as a priest, has taken a vow of celibacy and poverty. I guess it'll unfold as the days go on. I still don't understand who he is other than some big whig on EWTN lol. I guess folks liked his preaching.

 

[Guitarhero]

Actually, somebody just brought it to my attention that he's probably pissed off some bishops and that's why this so-called fact-finding mission has unsubstantiated facts lolol. I know he preaches towards orthodoxy and has probably thrown some spiritual stones. Eh, who knows. I can't make heads nor tails of this...unless he's actually guilty, which I sincerely hope he's not.

 

[aribell]

Hmm...I'm not sure I understand your response. I was raised Catholic and was actively involved on multiple levels in the RCC-much more than most. You can find me in a Catholic religious ed video, I was chosen to lead Catholic retreats, and had other leadership positions in the Church. I speak now only as a believer in Christ. You can't discuss these individual incidents without also looking at the system as a whole because if you look at the reports, they are connected by way of the bishops and even the Pope who knowingly shuffled people around knowing the accusations against them. That's not opinion, it's all public information.

I have no vendetta against the RC but neither do I feel the need to tip toe around the enormous pink elephant in the room. It is what it is.


ETA: My response was prompted by the comment "I'll stick with the Magesterium." The point is that one can point out an individual "bad sheep" as it were while putting trust in a group of leaders who have been proven completely beyond opinion to have created an envirionment where these types of priests have largely been lightly handled. Regardless of how this particular priest's situation is handled, the RCC leadership in general is not trustworthy (including in its teaching capacity) because there has been inherent complicity throughout.

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[Guitarhero]

Actually, my question was what the big melee' was concerning Fr. Corapi. He's catholic, so am I. That's not up for questioning. It's what he did or supposedly did. I think (according to someone who recently told me something) he pissed off a few bishops, possibly pointing to something going on and that's why they backlashed against him. I'm not going to go into some strange conspiracy theories and whatnot. There's no pink elephant anymore than there is one in protestant circles. The issue was Fr. Corapi....was he found guilty of something?


His interview was interesting, to say the least. My sticking with the Magisterium as the teaching authority is what I meant by it. Black Sheep Dog is supposed to be his website or something. I've not followed him...I perused it a bit but I don't see the big deal. Shrugs. See, in light of charges - if true, I'll stick with the teaching authority of the Church in obedience to Christ. That means, whatever is true and pure ...not following every whim. We are to uphold the truth. If someone is misleading the sheep, then don't follow him in particular but the Eucharist is central, the sacraments...all point to Christ. Complicity...though....that's what I'm trying to figure out what this big darned mess is all about. ????? He was hiding an affair? And actually, a priest, as you should know, cannot reveal a confession. So, beyond that, I'm not sure what it is he supposedly did other than accept a lot of money in a whistle-blowing deal.

 

[Guitarhero]

And yet another...but there is a pattern...there are accusations that unfounded. This is possibly the result of too many bishops craving power and attempting to crush those actually doing the L-rd's work? Hmmm, they are flushing out the bad ones as they are willingly rising to the surface due to greed...perhaps?

Now, a priest who works to preserve life in the womb.....

Official statement from Fr. Frank Pavone in response to bishop’s suspension order Edit (460)

by The Editors
Tue Sep 13, 2011 11:48 EST
Comments (0)




For the past several years, my Ordinary, the Most Reverend Patrick Zurek, Bishop of Amarillo, has given me permission to do the full-time pro-life work that I have done since 1993. In 2005, I made a public promise in a Church ceremony in Amarillo, presided over by a Vatican Cardinal, that this full-time pro-life work would be a lifetime commitment. That's a commitment I promise to fulfill without wavering.

This past week, however, I received a letter from the Bishop insisting that I report to the Diocese this Tuesday, September 13 and, for the time being, remain only there.

I am very perplexed by this demand. Despite that, because I am a priest of the diocese of Amarillo, I will be obedient and report there on the appointed date, putting the other commitments that are on my calendar on hold until I get more clarity as to what the bishop wants and for how long. Meanwhile, I continue to retain all my priestly faculties and continue to be a priest in "good standing" in the Church. The bishop does not dispute this fact. Rather, he has said that he thinks I am giving too much priority to my pro-life work, and that this makes me disobedient to him. He also has claimed that I haven't given him enough financial information.

Now, although Bishop Zurek is my Ordinary, he is not the bishop of Priests for Life. Each of our staff priests has his own Ordinary, and the organization has an entire Board of Bishops. We keep them all informed of our activities, and of our financial audits.

I want to say very clearly that Priests for Life is above reproach in its financial management and the stewardship of the monies it receives from dedicated pro-lifers, raised primarily through direct mail at the grassroots level. To this end, Priests for Life has consistently provided every financial document requested by Bishop Zurek, including annual financial audits, quarterly reports, management documents—even entire check registers! Priests for Life has been completely transparent with Bishop Zurek and any other bishops who have requested information regarding our management and finances. Indeed, we have 21 bishops and cardinals who sit on our Advisory Board, and they are kept fully informed about our finances.

Therefore, in the interest of preserving my good reputation as well as protecting the valuable work done by the Priests for Life organization, I have begun a process of appeal to the Vatican. This process aims to correct any mistaken decisions of the bishop in my regard and to protect my commitment to full-time pro-life activity for my whole life. We are very confident that the Vatican will resolve this matter in a just and equitable fashion. Because of this confidence, we are not currently making any changes in any positions at Priests for Life, or in any of our projects and plans.

I also want to point out that, according to the canon law of the Catholic Church, because I have begun this process of appeal to Rome, the Bishop's order that I return to Amarillo has been effectively suspended. Nevertheless, because of my great respect for this Bishop and my commitment to be fully obedient at all times, I am reporting to Amarillo this Tuesday, in hopes that I can sort this problem out with the Bishop in a mutually agreeable and amicable way.

I would like to note that, unlike other organizations, which have sometimes been critical of the Church hierarchy or other institutions within the Church, Priests for Life has always remained 100% supportive of the Bishops, never criticizing any Church official, and always acting as a megaphone for the Bishops' pro-life statements. Moreover, we serve dioceses and their priests and laity without asking for any speakers' fees, and distribute millions of pieces of pro-life literature to dioceses completely free of charge. We do not seek parish collections, and we work to reinforce in each diocese the local pastoral plan which the bishop wants to implement for pro-life activities.

We are committed to going forward with that same spirit, regardless of the recent action taken by Bishop Zurek.

In the interest of full transparency, I would like to make it known that I do not receive any salary or financial remuneration from either the Diocese of Amarillo or from Priests for Life. Priests for Life, as a Private Association of the Christian Faithful, does provide for my residence and the expenses associated with the ministry, but these expenses are very small. Though, as a diocesan priest, I have never taken a vow of poverty, I have basically chosen to live in that fashion in solidarity with the pre-born children we are trying to protect—who are the poorest of the poor.

I want to be clear that I do not harbor any ill will towards the Bishop of Amarillo, nor do I foster suspicions about his motives. I am merely confused by his actions. It is impossible for me to believe that there is no place in the Church for priests to exercise full-time ministry in the service of the unborn. We do it for the sick, the poor, the hungry, and the imprisoned. But where in the Church is the place where a priest can exercise the same kind of full-time ministry for the children in the womb? That is the question that is at the heart of my own calling.

I am confident that we will be able to resolve this difficulty soon, without any harm to either my own reputation and without any slowdown of the valuable pro-life work we do at Priests for Life.

 

[Shimmie]

Hmm...I'm not sure I understand your response. I was raised Catholic and was actively involved on multiple levels in the RCC-much more than most. You can find me in a Catholic religious ed video, I was chosen to lead Catholic retreats, and had other leadership positions in the Church. I speak now only as a believer in Christ. You can't discuss these individual incidents without also looking at the system as a whole because if you look at the reports, they are connected by way of the bishops and even the Pope who knowingly shuffled people around knowing the accusations against them. That's not opinion, it's all public information.

I have no vendetta against the RC but neither do I feel the need to tip toe around the enormous pink elephant in the room. It is what it is.


ETA: My response was prompted by the comment "I'll stick with the Magesterium." The point is that one can point out an individual "bad sheep" as it were while putting trust in a group of leaders who have been proven completely beyond opinion to have created an envirionment where these types of priests have largely been lightly handled. Regardless of how this particular priest's situation is handled, the RCC leadership in general is not trustworthy (including in its teaching capacity) because there has been inherent complicity throughout.

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I had to sit down and just say .....



An awesome message all in it's own. Meaning none to compare. Nicola, you simply nailed it.

 

[Guitarhero]

Shimmie, with all due respect, do you even know what I was talking about? I don't think you got it but that's okay. It's about obeying Him, not the world...and in light of the charges, I wanted to be sure not to support somebody who was potentially guilty of gross improprieties...but it looks like he's not guilty...these bishops who are power hungry are causing trouble with many good priests doing the L-rd's work and so many of them are being persecuted for it. I have no trouble with the Magisterium, it's the teaching authority. That means obedience to Christ. But if you see someone doing wrong, simply do not follow their particular ministry. That is what was meant. sigh........oh L-rd.


So, actually, my bad for believing the hype. I'm sure there are more going to be charged of nonsense while some arrogant bishops are biting the bait. G-d is cleaning house, which is the point. If anybody points to an action that is contrary to your conscience and to Christ's teaching...that, to me, is not the Magisterium. He's always central.

 

[Shimmie]

Shimmie, with all due respect, do you even know what I was talking about? I don't think you got it but that's okay. It's about obeying Him, not the world...and in light of the charges, I wanted to be sure not to support somebody who was potentially guilty of gross improprieties...but it looks like he's not guilty...these bishops who are power hungry are causing trouble with many good priests doing the L-rd's work and so many of them are being persecuted for it. I have no trouble with the Magisterium, it's the teaching authority. That means obedience to Christ. But if you see someone doing wrong, simply do not follow their particular ministry. That is what was meant. sigh........oh L-rd.


So, actually, my bad for believing the hype. I'm sure there are more going to be charged of nonsense while some arrogant bishops are biting the bait. G-d is cleaning house, which is the point. If anybody points to an action that is contrary to your conscience and to Christ's teaching...that, to me, is not the Magisterium. He's always central.

Guitar, my reply wasn't meant to offend anyone. Nicola simply put it out there...the truth in a nutshell.

 

[Guitarhero]

Guitar, my reply wasn't meant to offend anyone. Nicola simply put it out there...the truth in a nutshell.

It doesn't offend me...she misunderstood what I said so I clarified it...then you misunderstood by thinking I was saying something else (or so, it appeared). She's right...but so am I to obey what He tells us. Hardly anybody outside of the Orthodox, Catholic, Coptic and Chaldean churches comprehend a "magisterium." I know she does, she was catholic, but it's not a part of her life anymore so she doesn't value it. For us, it's an important part of our faith but that's why I pose the question and keep reiterating that it's Christ one should follow. There is the truth presented by the Church but anybody can cause another to fall away from it...that's when you keep your eyes focused on Him. Without the Eucharist, there is no catholic church for me. That's why I stay. I think it's a bit hard for others to comprehend so I'll leave it there. But I do open up this discussion for other catholics in the know to chime in. Maybe compare Bishop Sheen's previous trouble? I've heard a little about it...but am not truly in the know.

 

[aribell]

Just chiming in to say that I didn't misunderstand what was being said. I think it's important to recognize when perceptions of truth are contrary to one another. For instance, I mentioned that the Roman Catholic Church even in its teaching capacity is unreliable for reasons listed above and others that would require another thread. But the point is that it's not all reconcilable. I don't think that it's forcing anyone to change anything by pointing out these distinctions, nor is the purpose simply to argue. If anything it's said for the benefit of passersby who may not know.

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[Guitarhero]

Nicola, this is not about YOUR perception about the truth or anyone else's...it's about finding out what Fr. Corapi supposedly did. You are definitely making value statements and hinting that the church is false. It's not about whether you believe in the Church and whether I should or should not...so, that leads me to believe that you did actually misunderstand my statement because my obeying the magisterium means obeying what Christ teaches...anything else that doesn't conform to that, I don't follow and I don't teach my kids to either. I can think of many circumstances...it's the Eucharist which is central to us. The distinctions you mention are personal opinions about what one perceives to be truth. That is your right, it is mine...however, I cannot make value judgments against other believers as to what they consider truth.

Again, my statement wasn't about what you are thinking. We are not robots (at least, I'm not...I do not follow anybody blindly at all, never have..I do realize that some people do). I tried to clarify that. I just wanted to know about Fr. Corapi and if you know something about supposed complicity, I'd like to know about it, too. The thing is, I don't he was guilty now and that other priests and bishops gave a blind eye, I think there are some bishops who are arrogant and are angry that he's like John the Baptist, pointing out corruption. Fr. Pavone is another one coming under a certain bishop's anger. We will all find out in the end. Again, "I'll follow the Magisterium..." statement for me means 1)reconciliation 2)obligatory Mass (weekly church attendance and holy days) 3)following what is truth. Anybody who is abusing people in any way under the church's name is not under the "magisterium," in my opinion. Christ is the head. This truly is no different from other christians who 1)confess their sins and 2) attend services weekly, reading scripture and attempting to follow Christ as best they can.

 

[Sharpened]

What was the point of posting this in the first place? All you are demonstrating is the leaven (operating like the world) in that religious institution and yet you stay. Wah. So what? You think God is going to clean up the messes in all of these religions? No, He always sets aside a remnant before He destroys (The stories of Noah and the Exodus, 2 Kings 19:31, Isaiah 1:9, Isaiah 10:20-21, Jeremiah 42:2, Ezekiel 9:3-4, Revelation 18:4]. It is obvious He is calling you out, but you continue to ignore it. Why do you think He alerts you to these things? Does it terrify you that much to be wrong?

And for the record, this is my opinion for all of religious scandals, much of which remains shrouded from followers. I pray nearly everyday for robe skirts to be lifted, veils ripped from His children’s eyes and ears unclogged. Following Christ alone, there is so much freedom; in Him, lies the true Sabbath (Rest).

 

[Guitarhero]

^^^To get a catholic perspective...I wanted to know the big deal about Fr. Corapi whom I do not follow...but people misunderstand so the meaning of the post got lost. There is a GREAT cleaning out that is happening all around us. I think it's important to keep abreast of these things...just as much as our priest reminds us to be vigilant and active regarding the issue of abortion and national health insurance. Again, it's largely misunderstood when it is a catholic matter. I understand...but am not on the specific page you are pointing out...it was about Corapi and the Bishops.