The Corapi case: the other shoe drops

For a while, it seemed there was going to be a pause in the case of Father John Corapi, but it only lasted until the holiday was over.

The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity has released more information about the charges against the once-popular priest in a press release quoted here by the NC Register:

SOLT’s fact-finding team has acquired information from Father Corapi’s emails, various witnesses and public sources that, together, state that, during his years of public ministry:

He did have sexual relations and years of cohabitation (in California and Montana) with a woman known to him, when the relationship began, as a prostitute.

• He repeatedly abused alcohol and drugs.
• He has recently engaged in “sexting” activity with one or more women in Montana.
• He holds legal title to over $1 million in real estate, numerous luxury
  vehicles, motorcycles, an ATV, a boat dock, and several motor boats,
  which is a serious violation of his promise of poverty as a perpetually
  professed member of the society.

SOLT has contemporaneously, with the issuance of this press release,
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.

SOLT’s prior direction to Father John Corapi not to engage in any
preaching or teaching, the celebration of the sacraments or other public
ministry continues. Catholics should understand that SOLT does not
consider Father John Corapi as fit for ministry.

The last of the three points above is easy to confirm from public sources, at least with regard to the fact that he is listed as the owner of several pieces of real estate, because land ownership records for Flathead County, Montana are accessible via the Internet: he is listed with ten acres of land; three commercial condo units, numbered side by side; another 2.5 acres, and some boat slips. If he made a promise of poverty, that does seem a bit much. At least the boat slips! :-)

Maybe he’s earned his title of “black sheep” after all. 

Oh, and a memo to bishops and religious superiors: don’t ordain guys with this much of a history of wild living.  Old habits die hard, and usually they don’t die.