Good-Bye, Good Priest! Father John Corapi's Kafkaesque Catch-22

"A rolling stone gathers no moss, but administrative leave required Father John Corapi to be more like a sitting duck than a rolling stone."
There is a perspective on the story of Father John Corapi that few people have considered. It's the point of view of a priest sitting in prison for a crime that never took place because sanctions imposed on him kept him from defending himself. Before drawing any conclusions from the Father Corapi saga, please have a look at "Good-Bye, Good Priest! Father John Corapi's Kafkaesque Catch-22" by Fr. Gordon MacRae this week at These Stone Walls.

A Lesson for Catholics from a Duke University Sex Scandal.

The day is long past in which most people can feel insulated from the tyranny of false witness. It could happen to you or someone you love just as easily as it happened four years ago to three Duke University lacrosse players. Three young men were indicted and faced trial - and nearly lost their freedom - when an accuser's false accusations set in motion a trial-by-media that condemned them.
Catholics especially have a lesson to learn from the Duke case. For too long, Catholics have abdicated the well being and rights of accused priests to groups with an agenda, like S.N.A.P. and Voice of the Faithful. It's time to reclaim the rights and dignity of the falsely accused in our own Church. Click here to arm yourself with the truth - a truth told powerfully by Father Gordon J. MacRae, the voice in the wilderness behind These Stone Walls.

Fr. John Corapi and the State of Due Process for Accused Priests

Unlike many cases of accused Catholic priests, accusations against Father John Corapi have focused a spotlight on due process in the Catholic Church. I am deeply troubled, like Father Corapi himself, by a zero tolerance policy that treats accused priests as though they are guilty unless they can manage to prove their innocence. As Father pointed out in his statement, "The damage to the accused is immediate, irreparable, and serious," and the procedure for addressing it "has little regard for any form of meaningful due process."

This must not be the last word in a Church built upon the truth of the Gospel. Read more by Ryan A. MacDonald writing for Catholic Lane.