Prayers, not Condemnation for Fr. Corapi
Writing this, it should be known that Fr. Corapi has been a pillar of strength to me. During my return to the Catholic Church, the boldness of his messages appealed to me and gave me the moral courage and conviction to help me stand up and be Catholic in a society that often stands against and attacks the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Fr. Corapi's preaching style was one that truly appealed to me and I shared it with others, but what stands out to me the most was his impact on my brother. My brother watch Fr. Corapi frequently on EWTN and eventually came to order DVD sets of his talks for his benefit, as well as to share with his friends, and this was a great evangelism tool.
Over the years, I have seen my family slowly return to being practicing Catholics, and while Fr. Corapi's work is not the sole reason for this, I cannot help but think that his actions helped a great deal. This draws me to my next point, which is the misdoings by Fr. Corapi do not make his message invalid.
It is quite easy to label someone as a sinner and cast them aside when they've done something wrong, but it should be remembered that Fr. Corapi, like each of us, is made in the image and likeness of God. He has the same fallen nature that we all have and is susceptible to the same sins we all are. In a situation like the one presently happening, we must remember not to condemn a man who has devoted over 20 years to the service of God, but instead, pray for him and invite him with loving arms back to us. We must all remember that priests are not immune to sin, nor is any person for that matter.
It has been hurtful to see a person who has been a beacon of the faith fall as he has, but we must remember the message that he preached, and though his actions have gone against his preaching, it does not invalidate the lessons. It is also strong reminder to us that we must all be steeped in prayer and pray for the grace to resist the allurements and temptations of the devil, and I am sure that the evil one has exerted great efforts on this man of God; therefore, let us always be ready.
I just want to leave off with this thought. If we, as Catholics, approach Our Lord in the Sacrament of Penance and seek His boundless forgiveness for our offenses and He forgives us, how ready should we be to extend that same love and forgiveness to someone else? We are called to love as Our Lord loves and forgive as He forgives; therefore, harbor no hatred in your hearts but instead pray for a priest who has slipped to the ground that he may arise again and forgive a man who has fallen but in hindsight has helped many to find the Lord they once cast to the back of their minds. It is our turn to help him.
Dominus Vobiscum.
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