Biting the hand that feeds the many.
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EWTN is a rare commodity in media - the network offers good Catholic programming, yet some Catholics in this country like to paint the network as utterly given over to Modernism. There is nothing wrong with critiquing a network and its programming, but to condemn and attack it as they do many of the more non-Traditional bishops, priests and various liturgical abuse seen in the Church, seems to me to be like biting the hand that feeds many Catholics who are otherwise not exposed to sound Catholic teaching.
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Currently it appears most of the attacks are coming from the devoted fans of Fr. Corapi, based upon the fact the network has seen fit to cancel Corapi's programs for the duration of the investigation into the allegations leveled against the popular preacher. The network is acting out of deference to Church authority.
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“A priest, has no right to public ministry in the Church on his own. He cannot function publicly without the express permission of his bishop or religious superior. That is the discipline of the Church.” - Michael Warsaw
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The Eternal Word Television Network said its decision to halt programming by the popular speaker Fr. John Corapi followed the lead of legitimate Church authority.
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“EWTN has an obligation to uphold the discipline and teachings of the Church,” president Michael Warsaw said on April 1. “In the network’s thirty years of existence, our practice has always been to discontinue airing programs featuring any cleric whose priestly faculties have been suspended, even if temporarily,” Warsaw said.
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EWTN pulled Fr. Corapi’s programs following the priest’s announcement on Ash Wednesday that he has been publicly accused of drug abuse and sexual relationships with several women. Fr. Corapi has denied the allegations.
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In the weeks since then, EWTN has come under intense criticism for its decision.
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In his statement, Warsaw said that much of that criticism has been “shrill and uncharitable.” He said that many people have threatened to withhold donations and have made personal remarks attacking the network’s employees.
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“When I see messages and web postings that malign the character and intentions of people who have served this mission for years, often at great personal sacrifice, I cannot allow those assertions to stand unanswered,” he said. - Finish reading here.
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In the end, 'all will be well' - good will come from this.
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Perhaps one more good reason for the interruption of the Fr. Corapi business - regardless of his guilt or innocence - may be the opportunity to call into question the personality cult which appears to have developed around him over the years.
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(I wonder if the same thinking was behind the HLI decision to pull Fr. Euteneuer's book?)
The action by EWTN is appropriate as is Relevant Radio who I believe also stopped airing Fr's show until investigation is over.
ReplyDeleteWho exactly is critcizing EWTN? I haven't seen anything in print yet.
ReplyDeleteI like EWTN. I've been watching them for years now. I think their cautionary approach to Fr. Corapi's program may have been justified, but if they had kept it on--since it's still an on-going investigation--would have been ok with me as well. What doesn't sit with me is Fr. Corapi's ego. Something about that just isn't right. This doesn't mean he's guilty, but it does seem to indicate that something other than faith is leading him (or has led him) in the wrong direction.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxgRUyzgs0
ReplyDeleteTom, it would be confusing to continue Fr. Corapi's programming at a time he is without priestly faculties.
EWTN did exactly what I expected them to do. This is not the 1st time a situation like this has come up. Those who think that EWTN should have kept him on are wrong.
ReplyDeleteI hope & pray this turns out to be a false accusation like those against St. Gerard. But no matter what I will continue to support EWTN for doing exactly what it should have.
I think this is wholly appropriate.
ReplyDeleteI am tired of hearing about this story (to clarify, not just on this blog - all over the Catholisphere.) I am tired of the anger, ill-feeling and fighting it has generated. I am tired of people on every "side" who say things that make it sound like they think they can see souls (of corse, I can't see their souls, so maybe I am misinterpreting.)
My personal opinion is that unless you're actually one of the people appointed to the official investigation, you should stay quiet and pray until the investigators have investigated and they can tell us about their investigation.
But now I am talking about it. "Thank God I am not like that tax collector..."
Oh dear.
*takes own advice and wanders off*
Interesting article from my archdiocese on how allegations are handled.
ReplyDeletehttp://thecatholicspirit.com/spotlight/how-does-archdiocese-handle-reports-of-sexual-misconduct/
I followed a link to an article about Fr. Corapi's situation and people are nuts. I was left with the impression that unless there was criminal wrongdoing, he had done nothing wrong, ignoring that as a priest he is bound to chastity, thus, any sexual conduct would be a problem; consensual sexual relationships with employees are a problem as well, for anyone who owns a company, priest or not, simply because while it may not be overt, there could be an element of coercion. The allegation of drug abuse could mean anything from using illegal drugs to arguably relying too heavily on prescriptions, in which case there are programs for that.
Al - me too - I'm praying God's will may be done.
ReplyDeleteNan - I read that too. As for the drugs - it could be steroid use too - from the personal trainer - it happened to an athlete in California - his coach gave him steroids and told him it was something else. The guy had no idea he was ingesting drugs.
I'm sure it was the steroids. That would be a surprise to anyone and explains his response to the Koran burning.
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