More on Fr. Corapi

I was reading my blog roll and saw this come down from Diane over at Te Deum Laudamus!, which is an excellent blog, based out of Detroit, MI and Assumption Grotto.

I don't know if you've caught on, or if it's even relevant...perhaps I'm reading too much into things, I can do that from time to time, but...Fr. Corapi is fashioning himself to be a dog.  What is God spelled backward?  Is there something to it?  I don't know, but the last line of the blog entry has me thinking...

This is Diane's post in it's entirety....

”The more we see that any action springs not from the motive of obedience, the more evident is it that it is a temptation of the enemy;
for when God sends an inspiration,

the very first effect of it is to infuse a spirit of docility.”

--Saint Teresa of Avila

Late this afternoon, the lawyer of Fr. John Corapi released a short statement.  It does not address many of the specific charges in Fr. Sheehan's July 5th statement, but some select items.  In fact, some of it is ambiguous, such as this:

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.

Who is "her"?

...Nevermind.


I had hoped that Fr. Corapi would pick up his cross and humbly go where his SOLT superior ordred him.

In the July 5th statement, Fr. Gerry Sheehan, Corapi's superior, said this:

SOLT has contemporaneously with the issuance of this press release directed Fr. John Corapi, under obedience, to return home to the Society’s regional office and take up residence there.

Rarely does a superior or bishop give an order under explicit obedience, and it is not taken lightly. The SOLT appears to have been attempting to get him back into community for some years. 

The only thing in Corapi's statement which, at least indirectly, addressed the directive by Fr. Sheehan above was this (emphasis mine in bold):

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!

That seems to be a pretty obvious, "no". In his comment box, many are referring to it as Corapi's "non-serviam". 


ON DOCILITY
Over 2000 years ago, there was a Man who was subjected to the most grossly unjust, immoral process known to human kind.  It was no accident that a lamb, as opposed to some other creature, would be chosen as a "type" for Christ.  Only a lamb will go quietly to it's death, in complete docility. 

Docility is not something practiced by the guilty, but it can be when one' sinfulness is understood and God's mercy is sought.  Docility is something that is best displayed in those who are innocently accused and persecuted when, after proclaiming their innocence to no avail, they accept the will of God and use the intense emotional pain as redemptive suffering (Col. 1:24).  At the very heart of docility, is complete abandonment to God.  One has to place their trust in God in such situations.  I've quoted this before, but I will offer the words of St. Francis de Sales once again on this point.  He writes:

When any evil befalls you, apply the remedies that may be in your power, agreeably to the will of God; for to act otherwise would be to tempt divine Providence Having done this, wait with resignation for the success it may please God to send; and, should the remedies overcome the evil, return Him thanks with humility, but if, on the contrary, the evils overcome the remedies, bless Him with patience.

"The following advice of St. Gregory is useful: whenever you are 'justly accused' of a fault, humble yourself, and candidly confess that you deserve more than the accusation which is brought against you; but, if the charge be false, excuse yourself meekly, denying your guilt, for you owe this respect to truth, and to the edification of your neighbor. But if, after your true and lawful excuse, they should continue to accuse you, trouble not yourself nor strive to have your excuse admitted; for, having discharged your duty to truth, you must also do the same to humility, by which means you neither offend against the care you ought to have of your reputation, nor the love you owe to peace, meekness of heart, and humility."

IN CLOSING
Orthodox Catholics who know Father Corapi are seriously, and bitterly, divided over this.   There are those who believe strongly that a conspiracy is underway by wicked Church leaders to "throw him under the bus" because of his orthodoxy.  There are others who see Corapi driving a bus full of sheep he has fleeced.  Still, others are confused and don't know what to think.  In all this division, there is one thing that unites all of us.  We are all praying for Father Corapi.  Let us also pray for his accuser, the bishops involved, the SOLT superiors, and his community, and for all people whose lives were touched by his preaching skills.

Until there is another official statement from Church authorities on Fr. Corapi, I have no desire to feed the Black Sheep Dog with the attention he desires.  I seriously doubt we are going to hear much out of him or the SOLT for a time anyway. It takes time to process paperwork, and that seems to be all that is left to do.  I suspect he is going to shift his discussion away from all of this anyway, and into his chosen political sphere.  I only follow one "JC" and that is Jesus Christ. I'd rather focus on God, not the Dog.

My thoughts on the matter are that Fr. Corapi needs to be obedient.  Regardless of what the former superior arranged, he is to be obedient to his successors as well and he is not.  He is perverting the idea behind what religious life is all about.  Too many things don't jive.  Too many things are unanswered.  Too many things are preemptive on Fr. Corapi's part and that does not speak to obedience very well.

I certainly don't have the answers, and I am an advocate for praying for Fr. Corapi and his soul and his state in life, but giving the benefit of the doubt can be difficult...it seems as though one party isn't being completely honest in all of this...SOLT has nothing to lose and Fr. Corapi has much...who is in protection mode?

What are your thoughts?