The Corapi cataclysm

Thankless task dept.: Mark Shea and the Anchoress try to make sense out of the Corapi fiasco. Good luck with that. The bizarre events swirling around Father Corapi’s spectacular fall from grace inspired despair and soul searching among some, self-righteous rants among others, and all-out looniness from some Corapi cultists not able to deal with the obvious. Shea’s experience appears to have been particularly harrowing. 

From Shea’s blog (“Catholic and Enjoying it“):

Bottom line: if you still trust Fr. Corapi, open your eyes. If you are still mad at the whistleblowers who tried to warn you, open your eyes. If you have opened your eyes given up trusting him, forgive him and pray for him. If you have been among those kicking whistleblowers, for my part I forgive you, as I am confident the rest of them do. If you are feeling guilty for kicking the whistleblowers, forgive yourself, receive the mercy of Christ and move on. Perhaps it might be a good idea to go to confession with a priest you have regarded as “liberal” or otherwise not up to snuff as a member of the “real Catholic” tribe.

From the Anchoress:

The author of chaos is loving this story — the sower of all confusion and discord has been having a ball with it, setting Catholics against each other, encouraging paranoia, conspiracy theories, all manner of uncharitable behavior and hysteria. Christ is not in hysteria, and that should be the first clue that this is the devil’s own operation, regardless of where the sin began. I tried to stop writing about it after spending a little time in the muck of it and feeling spiritual oppression that was only lifted by going to Adoration, and praying before the Blessed Sacrament.

The story is not over, clearly. Pray for John Corapi. Pray for Bishop Mulvey. Pray for all priests. Pray for each other. Pray, pray, pray.

Here’s the CNS story if you need some background, but this story is as old as the hills really. My grandma used to say beware the man whose eyebrows meet. I’d add beware the guy whose grey beard suddenly sprouts black in a look reminiscent of him whose name we do not speak. And I don’t mean Voldemort.