Dear Hope:

This situation is very sad. The details are not known to the public. As far as I know there has been no charges or lawsuits filed. Fr. Corapi is apparently on administrative leave (a common practice by American bishops when a priest is accused). Fr. Corapi has not been laicized as yet as far as I know. He has apparently volunteered to cease public ministry as a priest. I presume he will ask for laicization (to return to the lay state). He will always be a priest, of course, but will not have the function or privileges of a priest (except he may give the Sacraments to a person who is in danger of death when no other priest is around to give the Sacraments).

What Fr. Corapi may or may not do outside of public priestly ministry is up to his superiors. If he is laicized, that document will outline what he may or may not do. Otherwise, as a laicized priest he will have all the rights and privileges of another other layman.

As for Father Corapi criticisms of "the process", his assessment is essentially true. Canon Law requires that a person be treated as innocent unless proven guilty. Frankly, speaking generally, the bishops in America are so afraid of lawsuits and what the public may think that they have forgotten that they are pastors and are called by Christ to charity. Priests, in the United States in particular, are often "thrown under the bus" and treated as guilty until proven innocent. This approach violates canon law and Christian charity and those bishops who behave that way ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Most of the bloggers out there that I have read are excoriating Fr. Corapi. This is improper. Jimmy Akin is one of those people who has been very uncharitable in my opinion. I have little respect for Jimmy Akin anyway. He was the one at Catholic Answers who said that we do not have to forgive anyone unless they ask for forgiveness first. That is an outrageous statement and contrary to Church teaching.

Akin's article, Fr. Corapi Has Lost It, is outrageous. It contains rash judgment (a mortal sin), innuendo, and an utter lack of compassion. It also violates Church teaching in that we are to presume the good about someone unless "evidence" proves otherwise.

Whatever respect I had for Akin is gone. It is Akin who has lost it.

I am not a Fr. Corapi fan, never have been, but I bristle when I see such rash judgment and uncharity, perhaps because I have experienced much the same myself.

I do think that Corapi's public statement was a major mistake. I learned the hard way that the more you try to protect your reputation, to more you will lose it. St. Francis de Sales said that. St. de Sales gives guidelines of how to deal with false allegations. After learning the hard way ten years ago, I now try to follow St. de Sales advice whenever this happens to me.

I think Corapi is now learning the hard way.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

P.S. On July 5th SOLT, the Order to which Fr. Corapi was a member, issued a press release on the results of their investigation of the allegation against Fr. Corapi. They concluded that Fr. Corapi was guilty of sexual misconduct, drug addiction, and violation of his vow of poverty, and considers him unfit for ministry. Click here to read the Press Release.

This does not change my criticism of the bloggers inappropriate behavior in their statements made before the investigation was complete and reported publically. Rash judgment and uncharity is grave sin, even if the information later turns out to be true.