Friday, July 8, 2011

The Father Corapi/SOLT Situation

Does anyone else feel as if this whole Father Corapi debacle just can't get any uglier... until they wake up each morning and read the latest update and then the update response and then the response to the response and realize that that their earlier conclusion (about things not being able to get any uglier than they already were) was horribly wrong? And then you wonder if it can get any worse and you wince a little because it can and, since the whole thing seems to be steaming along at a nice little pace in a downhill direction, it seems that it's likely to.

First there was this from SOLT (Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity). There was also this from the National Catholic Register, confirming that that earlier link was in fact a genuine SOLT statement (wouldn't it have been lovely if it wasn't?).

We all probably could have guessed what would happen then. A portion of the Catholic blogosphere would not be able to refrain from pointing out how they knew he was guilty, how his stupid cult followers were just going to fall apart now, and how anyone with a bit of sense could have seen this coming from a mile away. A reader might be left wondering when perusing these posts, exactly what happened to love and charity and sorrow when confronted with grave evil (because if this is true it's pretty serious). Instead we find a lot of "I told you so's" and comparisons with a certain president who had a strained relationship with the truth.

I'd waited for Father Corapi's response with a sinking heart. You see, I knew after the latest round of bashing, that the truth was buried so far beneath the lies, that we could never really know if he did or didn't do whatever the letter to the Bishops said, unless he came forward and confessed and everyone's stories suddenly fell into line (which seems unlikely). The response came today.

The entire situation is sorrowful and has the fingerprints of Satan all over it. Someone (or multiple people) is lying. Someone (again... or multiple people) is telling the truth (or a closer version of it). And, as we tear each other apart in the comments sections of various blogs and news outlets, and in actual blogs as well, I'm pretty sure Satan is laughing at the discord that has been sown.

We should pray for Father Corapi and the priests of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. We should pray for the Bishops. And we should pray that we, as Catholics can come together rather than being torn apart by this whole horrible situation.

Maybe we also should realize that we don't need to know everything, a hard realization to come to in an age of instant online news, where everyone promises to keep us updated on everything we could possibly want to know.

God will judge those who have caused this scandal (and I really wouldn't want to be trying to explain that at judgement if I hadn't made a really, really good confession...) just as He will judge all of us.

Most of all I hope that the scandal caused by these lies (because, one way or another, someone is lying) doesn't cause any of the faithful to lose faith in the Church that was established by Christ to guide us.

I'll end with a few Saint Quotes. Because... we all could use a little saintly wisdom at the moment...

"Not the goods of the world, but God. Not riches, but God. Not honors, but God. Not distinction, but God. Not dignities, but God. Not advancement, but God. God always and in everything."
-- St. Vincent Pallotti

"Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?"
-- St. Gerard Majella

"Charity unites us to God... There is nothing mean in charity, nothing arrogant. Charity knows no schism, does not rebel, does all things in concord. In charity all the elect of God have been made perfect."
-- Pope St. Clement I

"Those who commit these types of scandals are guility of the spiritual equivalent of murder, but I', here among you to prevent something far worst for you. While those who give scandal are guilty of the spiritual equivalent of murder, those who take scandal- who allow scandals to destroy faith- are guilty of spiritual suicide."
-- St. Francis de Sales

6 comments:

  1. I find the whole thing very sad and leave judgement on the subject in the hands of God and His Church.

    I do though wish that Corapi would be quiet and submit quietly to the Church. Innocent or guilty, he is only causing confusion and division and is not acting like the Saints or Christ with his recent words or actions, which, for me, don't help his credibility.

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  2. After submitting my comment, I said my morning prayer and then read the Office of Readings for the day. The second reading I thought was particularly appropriate. It is from a letter to the Corinthians by Saint Clement, pope:

    We should pray then that we may be granted forgiveness for our sins and for whatever we may have done when led astray by our adversary’s servants. And for those who were the leaders of the schism and the sedition, they too should look to the common hope. For those who live in pious fear and in love are willing to endure torment rather than have their neighbour suffer; and they more willingly suffer their own condemnation than the loss of that harmony that has been so nobly and righteously handed down to us. For it is better for a man to confess his sins than to harden his heart.
    Who then among you is generous, who is compassionate, who is filled with love? He should speak out as follows: If I have been the cause of sedition, conflict and schisms, then I shall depart; I shall go away wherever you wish, and I shall do what the community wants, if only the flock of Christ live in peace with the presbyters who are set over them. Whoever acts thus would win great glory for himself in Christ, and he would be received everywhere, for the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. Thus have they acted in the past and will continue to act in the future who live without regret as citizens in the city of God.

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  3. I find myself wishing the same thing Katherine... And the reading was perfect! Thank you for sharing!

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  4. Ditto, Cam. When there are difficulties within the Church we don't need sides, we need unity.

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  5. Some of the wisest words I've seen on the whole sorry business.

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  6. I am reminded of the good sons of Noah who covered their father's shame rather than ridicule it.

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