San Antonio Express-News
June 20, 2011
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/religion/2011/06/popular-catholic-speaker-father-john-corapi-leaves-priesthood/
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Father John Corapi, a highly popular Catholic speaker who belongs to a Texas-based religious order, announced last Friday he is leaving the priesthood amid an ongoing investigation that he sexually abused an adult woman formerly on his staff.
The announcement, given on YouTube by him, was a surprising move for followers of a priest noted for candid one-liners borne of doctrinally conservative beliefs.
He drew a few thousand to the AT&T Center nearly a year ago where he dished out his inspirational messages for a visit to San Antonio, including a book signing and visits with local Catholic leaders.
The event was a fund raiser for the Alexander House, which promotes family ministry and support.
He’s had a major bone to pick with the Catholic hierarchy about its handling of priests accused of sexual wrongdoing, calling into question the church procedure where priests are suspended once accused while church authorities undertake a review of the situation.
Some believe Corapi was given too much liberty as a priest. He was too much on his own outside the Catholic Church’s oversight. And they pin the blame on the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, based in Robstown outside of Corpus Christi. Religious orders report to the Vatican and not a bishop although in this case, the Corpus Christi bishop suspended him from ministry pending the ongoing investigation.
Regardless of what opinions there are of his alleged wrongdoing, he was an engaging speaker when I took in the event last year. He definitely let loose on where he saw society going downhill — from traditional marriage and guns to adherence to Catholic teachings. It was an obvious contrast to the guardedness often commonplace by priests at local parishes, many at the event told me.
Crass cynics would say he’s leaving the priesthood not because the reasons he mentions but because he’s trying to protect his money-making business as an author and speaker and a supposedly comfortable lifestyle living in Montana without direct church oversight.
Supporters give him the benefit of the doubt that he did nothing wrong, is falsely accused by a greedy woman and is paying the price for an over-controlling hierarchy wanting to pull in the reigns because of his widespread appeal.
Maybe there are many in the middle who go back and forth on what to make of this. The steps by the Catholic Church and Corapi in trying to resolve this case leave little to go on.
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