From the website of Father John Corapi SOLT:
A Call for Prayer
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.
Praying now for Father Corapi and his accusers. Satan is indeed active wherever truth is proclaimed.
ReplyDeleteAlso praying for this truly magnificent priest. Offering a rosary up for him, that he will be exonerated from these false accusations.
ReplyDeleteIt is good that one so accused says it as it is - Fr has never shied away from proclaiming the truth - little justice and scant mercy shown towards priests in this situation.
ReplyDeleteOf course, there are some who would be delighted if such a fearless champion of fidelity to the Magisterium was permanently silenced.
Children must be protected from predators and the guilty punished appropriately, but the 'one policy fits all' approach adopted by (most of) the bishops is truly scandalous and flies in the face of the Church's long-held teaching on mercy and justice.
It is little wonder that priests live in fear of the false accusation, and that the filial relationship between bishops and their priests is fast disintegrating. Sons can so easily be put out of the family these days.
Pax et Bonum!
ReplyDeleteWe should keep several things in mind.
First, a good priest is concerned for the salvation of souls, not for his own hide. As a good father, he will be concerned with the possible harm to the faithful under his care, rather than with the possible harm to himself as the accused.
Second, to avoid any appearance of impropriety, a person of integrity will request without hesitation being placed in administrative leave until an accusation of this nature is properly investigated.
As in ALL these cases, I have always said that if such accusations were ever made against me AND I was innocent, I would challenge my accuser to a polygraph examination alongside myself in a public plaza for everyone to witness. Whenever, I do not see this type of candid and open response, doubts do arise as to the innocence of the accused.
We should pray for a thorough, ethical and fair investigation of the accusations. And we must be prepared to accept the outcome whatever it is.
However, regardless of Fr. Corapi's guilt or innocence, it will always be just to applaud and give him credit for all the good he has done. You don't throw out the baby with the bath water. Neither do you destroy a man because he succumbed to temptation in a moment of weakness. If he did something wrong he "earned" and should accept the punishment, in the exact same way he "earned" our admiration and applause for the good he has done.
Let us never forget that the failings, shortcomings or sins of a member of the Church, be he a Pope or a layman, do not in the least diminish the holiness of the Church’s teachings nor the validity of the Church’s mission.
Above all, let us keep him, and all our clergy, constantly in our prayers. May Almighty God help them to be virtuous and brave!
Octavio Lima, patrianews@aol.com
Thank you Octavio. I am not sure that I would readily propose the polygraph but I would certainly be happy for the accuser to make his/her case. The onus is on him/her to prove the case - innocent until proven guilty. I would also desire that canonical procedures be followed to the letter: that I know of the full reasons for my temporary removal from office, etc. It is when canonical procedures are not followed that injustice can happen. A temporary injustice (i.e. being removed from office) is a cross one must be prepared to bear.
ReplyDeleteHowever, one is worried when one hears about priests who have simply been accused being removed without sufficient assurances that they are still considered innocent and that they will be reinstated unless they are found guilty.