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	Catholics Called to Obedience St. Louis Review July 14, 2011 http://stlouisreview.com/article/2011-07-13/editorial-catholics One of the first religious truths that we learned was the Fourth Commandment, "Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother." As we continue to grow, we learn that there is something more to that than just our parents. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us:"The Ten Commandments state what is required in the love of God and love of neighbor. The first three concern love of God, and the other seven love of neighbor." We are further reminded that they reveal "grave obligations." The Fourth Commandment, we have learned from the past, "concerns the ties of kinship between members of the extended family. It requires honor, affection and gratitude toward elders and ancestors. Finally, it extends to the duties of pupils to teachers, employees to employers, subordinates to leaders, and citizens to their country and to those who administer of govern it. This command includes and presupposes the duties of parents, instructors, teachers, leaders, magistrates, those who govern, all who exercise authority over others or over a community of persons," the catechism points out. In the past month or so, since the original announcement on June 17, many of us have been following an act of disobedience carried out in public and, unfortunately, with very sad repercussions. A very popular preacher, Father John Corpai, a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, spellbound many thousands of people throughout the world. His conversion story was moving, to say the least. He spoke of himself as once a very successful businessman and, because of that, a very wealthy man, with good automobiles, a nice house,and "everything" that the world could give, who found himself very empty. He spoke of his acceptance of Christ, his entry into religious life and his ordination to the priesthood. Just last year he spellbound several thousand good people of faith in St. Louis at the Chaifetz Arena. However, all of that came crumbling down, when, on March 18, Father Corapi was placed on administrative leave by his community, because of "an allegation that (he had) behaved in a manner unbecoming of a priest." At that time he was suspended from all public priestly functions, including preaching and publicly celebrating the sacraments, because of a credible accusation of improper sexual activities with an associate of his ministry. While many people of good faith were upset and prayed for a happy solution to this allegation, not much was heard about it until June 17. At that time, a statement came from Father Corapi -- the new self-stylized "blacksheepdog" (referring to his recent autobiography and website). At that time, he stated that he was leaving the priesthood and attacked his religious superiors, the bishops and the entire process that was then under way. Understandably hurt, on July 5, the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), Father Corapi's community, issued another statement, which said, in part, "SOLT has ... directed Father John Corapi, under obedience, to return home to the society's regional office and take up residence there. It has also ordered him, again under obedience, to dismiss the lawsuit he has filed against his accuser." On July 8, Father Corapi issued yet another statement which denied again any inappropriate financial abuse, denied sexual impropriety and attacked the investigation. "Obedience" can be open to interpretation. However, the Church demands obedience from its members, especially those in religious life. As the Second Vatican Council said in "Lumen Gentium," "from the God-given seed of the (evangelical) counsels a wonderful and wide-spreading tree has grown up in the field of the Lord, branching out into various forms of the religious life lived in solitude or in community. Different religious families have come into experience in which spiritual resources and multiplies for the progress in holiness of their members and for the good of the entire Body of Christ." Different congregations have differing aspects of how these evangelical counsels are to be lived in their own communities. It is clear, however, that in this case, Father Gerard Sheehan, Father Corapi's superior, ordered him to obey, "to return home to the society's regional office and take up residence there." As Catholics we are all called to obedience, to the pope and Magisterium, to our bishops, to our pastors and, in a sense, to each other. Religious men and women have additional layers of obedience to their religious superiors. May the Lord watch over all of us and keep us obedient as we journey to the Lord and ask Him to guide and take care of His Church, which could even include a repentant "blacksheepdog."
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