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

But Father!  But Father!  Misleading the public?
.
So anyway - I just got back from doing many, many very important errands and I'm all sweaty and over heated.  While pouring a glass of delicious tap water, I was just going to put on the recording of Penny singing "Soft Kitty" and for some reason I thought, "Maybe I should check my email."  And so I did...
.
Breaking News:  From: Rev. Gerard Sheehan, SOLT Regional Priest Servant Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Robstown, Texas.
.
Fr. John A. Corapi submitted his resignation from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity ("SOLT") early in June. SOLT is a Society of Apostolic Life of Diocesan Right with its regional office in Robstown, Texas.
.
While SOLT does not typically comment publicly on personnel matters, it recognizes that Fr. John Corapi, through his ministry, has inspired thousands of faithful Catholics, many of whom continue to express their support of him. SOLT also recognizes that Fr. Corapi is now misleading these individuals through his false statements and characterizations. It is for these Catholics that SOLT, by means of this announcement, seeks to set the record straight.
.
A woman, well known to Fr. John Corapi, mailed SOLT a signed letter detailing allegations of Fr. Corapi's sexual activity with adult women, abuse of alcohol and drugs, improper sacramental practices, violation of his promise of poverty, and other wrongdoing.
.
After receiving the allegation, SOLT formed a three person fact-finding team to ensure that it handled this matter in accordance with canonical norms. The team included a priest-canonist, a psychiatrist, and a lawyer. Two were members of religious orders, and one was a lay Catholic. Two were men, and one was a woman. All three have national reputations and substantial experience in ecclesiastical processes related to priest disciplinary issues.
.
As the Society was engaging this team, Fr. Corapi filed a civil lawsuit against his principal accuser. He contended that she had defamed him and breached her contract. The contract, according to Corapi's lawsuit, contained a provision binding the woman to silence about him. He offered the woman $100,000 to enter this agreement.
.
SOLT's fact-finding team subsequently learned that Fr. Corapi may have negotiated contracts with other key witnesses that precluded them from speaking with SOLT's fact-finding team. Many of these witnesses likely had key information about the accusations being investigated and declined to answer questions and provide documents. - Read the rest of the sordid mess here.
.

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

H/T Jimmy Akin for the SOLT link.  And DB Cooper for the tip.

Links:
National Catholic Register
Spirit Daily

Corapi - The words of a disgruntled employee/business owner.

Creepy.
.
Corapi's announcement sounds and reads like a disgruntled employee's desperate attempt to defend his work history, defame and blame his management for his failings, and reinvent himself by the launch of a new business.  I find it ironic that the unidentified female former employee who initiated the 'morals' investigation was referred to as a disgruntled employee by Corapi's media company, and as Corapi lamented, she's the 'one for whom I did so much'.
.
I've received a few emails asking what I think of Corapi's statement.  I haven't ever changed my mind about him since the accusations first surfaced.    His recent announcement and public reaction have been fairly predictable.  In my opinion, the announced continuation of the 'business' under a new name is typical SOP by for-profit evangelists.  Unfortunately, when the money comes in, the Spirit goes out.
.
I'm just responding to Corapi's announcement here, his statement and my reaction means nothing - both are simply personal opinions.  Instead I will wait to hear what the Bishop has to say on Corapi's status as a priest, and possibly what his religious superiors have to say regarding the investigation.  Then there is something to discuss.

News on Fr. Corapi

Talk is that Corapi will be making an announcement very soon, and it sounds as if he will be resuming his  apostolate where he left off.  One account quotes Corapi as declaring he is “not extinguished!”  The hope is that the accusations against him were proven to be not credible. If that is the case, it is very good news for the Church to have a priest declared wrongly accused and innocent of all charges.

Update:  Corapi made his announcement.  It looks as if he will be resuming his 'ministry' outside the narrow confines of the Roman Catholic priesthood.

Lady Gaga and Judas

In it for the money.
.
Evidently Lady Gaga is in love with this man.  She's obviously attempting to taunt faithful Catholics for the last part of Lent and Holy Week.  It appears even anti-religious people can make money off religion. 
.
If she repents she can be forgiven.

A Call For Prayer - From Fr. Corapi.

Raise your hand if you are not surprised by this.
.
I figured it was just a matter of time...
.
From Fr. John Corapi:
.
On Ash Wednesday I learned that a former employee sent a three-page letter to several bishops accusing me of everything from drug addiction to multiple sexual exploits with her and several other adult women. There seems to no longer be the need for a complaint to be deemed “credible” in order for Church authorities to pull the trigger on the Church’s procedure, which was in recent years crafted to respond to cases of the sexual abuse of minors. I am not accused of that, but it seems, once again, that they now don’t have to deem the complaint to be credible or not, and it is being applied broadly to respond to all complaints. I have been placed on "administrative leave" as the result of this.
.
I’ll certainly cooperate with the process, but personally believe that it is seriously flawed, and is tantamount to treating the priest as guilty “just in case”, then through the process determining if he is innocent. The resultant damage to the accused is immediate, irreparable, and serious, especially for someone like myself, since I am so well known. I am not alone in this assessment, as multiple canon lawyers and civil and criminal attorneys have stated publicly that the procedure does grave damage to the accused from the outset, regardless of rhetoric denying this, and has little regard for any form of meaningful due process.

.
All of the allegations in the complaint are false, and I ask you to pray for all concerned. - Fr. Corapi 
.

.
I hope he lets the beard go natural now - and maybe stop with the 'shaved' look.  People get ideas...
.
Didn't he once claim that death threats were made against him as well?  Yeah.
.
Yes, yes.  I am praying.
.
Photo credit: Fumare
.
H/T to Ray at Stella

Originally posted 12:01AM - reposted 2:30 PM 3/19/11.