Corapi corrupted part V: an orthodox Catholic schools a modern Lutheran

Fighting Irish Thomas ^ | 7-21-11 | Tom O'Toole

[mlizzy]

More on The Black Sheep Dog / Martin Luther.

[CitizenUSA]

I hope this doesn’t turn into yet another Catholic versus Protestant thread. Christ’s church is one, united and indivisible. He knows His own.

[HiTech RedNeck]

If even half of what’s alleged about His Harleyness is true, then shame on any “Lutheran” organization that deigned to touch Corapi with a ten foot pole in any capacity other than a common parishioner. In any role of authority he would spell Trouble with a capital T. Too easily temptable an ego.

What this has to do with Martin Luther himself is very, very unclear.

[johngrace]

He sounds spooky with The Black Sheepdog title then with the two eyes pic graphic looking at us. He sounds like he will leave the church as a believer too. He is off the mark. Just sad. His whole look screams out for help.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I guess this is the jalapeno/horseradish version of Catholic evangelism, tying two dissimilar hot matters up into one dish?

[johngrace]

I meant Catholic Church.

[mlizzy]

I hope this doesn’t turn into yet another Catholic versus Protestant thread.

Yes, me too! I've come to the conclusion those type threads shine little Light (on *any* faith), and as such, are pretty much a waste of time ...

[HiTech RedNeck]

Sounds like he has some integrity issues to get straight, no matter what Christian worship body he ends up frequenting. Not to say he has brought all his suffering upon himself, but some of it he apparently has.

Ironically, maybe a biker ministry may end up setting His Harleyness straight.

[mlizzy]

"His Harleyness" is *very* funny ... that being said, this link might help with the tie-in with Luther ...

http://www.fightingirishthomas.com/2011/07/corapi-corrupted-part-iv-black-sheep.html

[mlizzy]

Supposedly (according to online scuttlebutt), he may be soon affiliated with The Skull Church, a non-denom group out of Kalispell, MT. Age demographic of 18-24. One of the young men affiliated with the Church was answering phones at Santa Cruz Media recently, and we've put in calls to them and to The Skull Church to question them in this regard, and we've received no answers. That doesn't make it so (that Corapi will be joining them), but it seems to go along with his new "youthful" image.

Crying for Corapi

[HiTech RedNeck]

This ain’t right. It’s weird.

[sayuncledave]

HiTech, I believe you’ve hit the nail on the head. The general feelings for the former Father seem largely to revolve around a strong masculine voice, from which orthodox (as opposed to heterodox) teachings were coming.

Then, the issues came. But where one might expect the to-be-investigated to cooperate in providing of testimony and await judgement of that testimony in humility and patience, Corapi took another, unorthodox, path.

In his leaving the priesthood and creation of the Black Sheep Dog thing, one might say that he has done the opposite of that which was expected and appropriate. At the least it is curious, but not necessarily in the best of ways. So while it is good to pray for him, as he appears to have lost his way, it is not so good a thing to follow him. And it is always sad to see someone lose their way.

But I guess the primary point is that rather than running off on his own, the exact path he should have followed was to return to his order’s house and to cooperate with the investigation and it’s conclusions.

I am not as familiar with S.O.L.T. as with others, but most in religious life take vows of chastity, obediance, and poverty. If Corapi’s accuser is in anyway correct (and I truly have no inkling one way or the other), the first might have had transgressions. In his refusal to return, he violates the second. I believe these alone make for not enough reason to convict in the court of public opinion, but enough that any former fans in the Catholic world should keep a distance. Perhaps a good comparison of how one expects a Catholic priest to deal with accusations, historically, might be found in St. Padre Pio.

[daniel1212]

It diverts attention, as if Protestants must and do follow Luther like a pope, while mischaracterizations of him abound: http://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com (see Favorite Entries on Martin Luther” on right sidebar)

[HiTech RedNeck]

This sort of mischaracterization of Martin Luther arises from viewing him through the model of the Catholic church, which automatically assumes there has to be a pope or pope figure in the faith somewhere.

[mlizzy]

In his leaving the priesthood and creation of the Black Sheep Dog thing, one might say that he has done the opposite of that which was expected and appropriate. At the least it is curious, but not necessarily in the best of ways. So while it is good to pray for him, as he appears to have lost his way, it is not so good a thing to follow him. And it is always sad to see someone lose their way. [emphasis;mine]

IMO, you've hit the nail on the head as well, Uncle Dave. Also, I've read (directly from the BS-Dog), that this "name change" was in the works long before the accuser came forward, which leaves open all sorts of speculation, but since it is only that, I'll leave it to the former Father to fill us all in; his book should be out soon. I think the most painful part of all of this is that Catholics (not just weak ones) originally (and even still now) are following his BS, and supporting his new venture. The author of this article feels that group is quickly dwindling down, and Father will have to make a new core group, something that should not be too difficult as he is a charismatic preacher, but as far as Our Blessed Mother, this picture tells it all.

[Tax-chick]

Part V?

Perhaps the blogger needs a vacation in the Real World Out There. Intensive focus on any media figure - building up or tearing down - is not very healthy.

[Campion]

Mr. O'Toole doesn't speak for the Catholic Church any more than I do, so I don't think it makes much sense to draw some sweeping characterization of the Church's position on Luther or Protestantism from Mr. O'Toole's piece.

From a historical POV, it's hard to argue with the evidence that Luther had very little patience with anyone who disagreed with him, whether Protestant or Catholic.

[mware]

But I guess the primary point is that rather than running off on his own, the exact path he should have followed was to return to his order’s house and to cooperate with the investigation and it’s conclusions.

This is what I keep on thinking he should have done.

My parish priest who is from Malta, related to me, a case he was very aware of from his homeland.

He recalls as a child in Malta,listening personally to George Preka (later to become Saint George Preka)

At one point during his priesthood, he too was basically restricted to what amounted to House Arrest by his Bishop.

Preka,submitted to his Bishop for 10 years before,the bishop called him into his office and asked his pardon for what he finally believed were false accusations.

Saint George Preka, was tested, and accepted his cross.

Corapi, should have done the same.

[annalex]

Luther's "reformed" life of drunken vulgarity and venomous prejudice is about as far from virtuous as one can get. I guess you can forgive Luther's work "Against the Roman Papacy; an Institution of the Devil," as part of the "potty humor" of the day

Good riff on Luther.

I don't think Fr. Corapi, with all his failings, intends to replace Catholicism with a religion of his own making, or even has a theological argument of his own, so the comparison has no basis. But to kick Luther a couple of times is always a wholesome thing, if only to remind us what an ugly thing the so-caleld reformation was.

[annalex]

cooperate in providing of testimony and await judgement of that testimony in humility and patience

The process is to bar the priest from ministry and never conclude anything on the subject of the investigation. While generally your advice is correct, in the post-scandal American church it leads to mushrooming allegations becomeing a virtual reality fior too many priests. I think it is good for the accused priests in general to demand a conclusive investigation, and do so with vigor, just like Fr. Corapi did.

I am not as familiar with S.O.L.T. as with others, but most in religious life take vows of chastity, obediance, and poverty.

SOLT is an unusual order in that respect; moreover it had a special dispensation for Fr. Corapi allowing him to do his ministry and derive income from it for SOLT and himself.

SOLT should have, likewise, given Fr. Corapi a dispensation to fight his slanderer in a civil court. Instead it turned against him, and Fr. Corapi left.

At this point all we know are slanders of the accuser and slander or at least detraction coming from SOLT, while Fr. Corapi took on a difficult task to prove the accuser wrong and to prove that her lies were intended to hurt his reputation, in a court of law.