Second Update (July 5th, 2011): After reading everything SOLT had to say on this matter I will have to still go with what Bishop Gracida says, NO ONE, ESPECIALLY A RELIGIOUS SUPERIOR, IS ALLOWED TO PRACTICE DETRACTION AND CALUMNY!
UPDATE (June 19th, 2011): Please read Bishop Emeritus Garcida's reflection on this which has caused so much confusion and sadness (and division). Please continue to pray for all priests. I'm praying that Father Corapi has a change of heart since his SOLT superior is allowing him an opportunity to change his mind. Pray with me.
In addition, since the news has spread like wildfire, I went about reading some really well written posts on this issue, most very charitable asking for prayers (which, I believe is the most important thing we can do), and other just being very sinful in their words. I think this blog post over at The Rosary Trail, states it best as to what we ALL need to do about this situation:
"The worst thing that could possibly happen with this Father Corapi news that everyone is buzzing about is that an occasion of evil could occur in which the Devil will take full advantage of the adverse situation at hand and use it to pull people out of a state of peacefulness and into a state of chaos. After all, he is the master of deceit, lies and trickery and will stop at nothing when it comes to ruining a soul.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with expressing opinions on the Father Corapi news and discussing the reasons he chose to do what he did and say what he said. There isn’t even anything wrong with completely disagreeing with his choice of words, manner or conduct! It’s okay to be disappointed, confused, bewildered, sad, disheartened, abandoned – all of these are normal human emotions and it would be strange not to be feeling something here. But keeping these emotions in check and not allowing oneself to lose control is the secret of how Mary lived her life. She felt pain all of her life from the prophecy of Simeon to the burial of Jesus. She, too, experienced sadness and disappointment, abandonment and fear and everything adverse all of us have ever felt and more adversity than we will ever feel. But she didn’t fly off the handle in attack mode when adversity struck; what she did do was pray.
Please place your trust in the Lord and don’t allow the Devil to infuse his poisons into the cracks of openings you are giving him by letting this Father Corapi news break you down. Seal the cracks and say the prayers and the Devil won’t have a fleeting chance because you didn’t give it to him."+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Here's my original post from last Saturday:
Let me start with this.....a CATHOLIC FACT: Once a man's hands are consecrated he is always a priest...because it is a SACRAMENT....priestly faculties can be taken from them or they can choose to leave but the fact of the matter is that he is a priest! In addition, the Sacrament of Holy Orders (like Baptism and Confirmation) leaves an imprint in your SOUL. He can be dispensed of his obligations as a priest (or even forbidden to act as a priest); but he remains a priest forever.
If you haven't read or heard Father John Corapi's statement {see the youtube video below}, please do and then come back so we can chat about this.
"Fr. John Corapi's much anticipated announcement, proclaiming the introduction of "The Black SheepDog." Within this announcement is an update regarding the most-recent accusations, his response, his mission, as well as his gratitude for all who have supported his priesthood. For more information please visit his blog-site: www.TheBlackSheepDog.us ! As always, God Love You, and God Bless You!"Friends, I've read people compare this to what happened to Padre Pio but also use it to accuse Father Corapi of not being humble and of being disobedient. I humbly must disagree. I think that he is acting in obedience. Obedience takes many forms, and in an age of disobedient bishops, failing their Apostolic mandate, it is unjust to brand obedience to the Truth, to the Church, to the Faith, as disobedience.
As his new motto says: Truth. Hope. Unleashed.
Father Corapi is left in an untenable situation. My beloved calls it being "black-holed." He will be left on indefinite suspension with little or no hope to be exonerated. Todd has known two priests who were black-holed where he used to live in Syracuse, and we knew (all too briefly) Father Andrew Dowgeirt in Miami, and went to confession with him. He made the mistake of detailing improprieties of his pastor, and then the pastor after that, and instead of him being treated with respect for detailing misdeeds, he was black-holed by the Archbishop at the time. Now we see Father Corapi made to forsake his active priesthood so that he can continue to preach.
He has said he will speak more broadly than just the Church. Good!
As my Beloved worded it best:
"I think that the age of the laity is now taking hold in earnest. We will not be silenced. We will not be silent. Shepherds can ignore us, can try to silence us, can neglect us, but we can no longer be silent. God gave Himself for our salvation. He gave us one Church. He gave us one faith, one fold, one shepherd. And the Modernists and Liberals and crypto-Protestants that would seek to take our Faith, our Sacraments, our holy priests, and our parishes from us will no longer be allowed to do it. Error will be fought, it will be cut down, and it will be cast out. You can remove the collar from the priest, but you cannot remove the Sacrament from his soul. Ad multos annos, Father Corapi. Ad multos annos."
I also invite you to read Father Z's blog post on this situation, he invites us to be charitable and to pray:
About Fr. John Corapi with observations about our times
and last, but not least, I invite you to join me in prayer for our Bishops!
Here are way to keep in touch with him:
(Father) John Corapi's blog, and his new moniker, is The Black Sheepdog.
No matter how you feel about {Father} Corapi's decision, you must agree with me that this is one sad day in our beautiful Church! My heart aches...but at the same time it makes me want to run out and receive the Sacraments more often and to drop on my knees and pray even harder!
Blessings,
- Erika (and Todd)
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