For reasons I will never understand,<\/strong> when it comes to this ongoing issue<\/strong><\/a> with Father John Corapi<\/strong><\/a>, my encouraging a \u201cwait and see\u201d attitude<\/strong><\/a> has translated (for some) as meaning \u201cMean Lizzie hates Fr. Corapi and cannot wait to see him destroyed, bwwwaaaahahahaha!\u201d<\/p>\n Which, as I have said before, is crap<\/strong><\/a>. But people believe what they want, and that\u2019s human nature, I guess.<\/p>\n So, a couple of hours ago,<\/strong> I get one of those \u201cyou hate Fr. Corapi\u201d emails out of the blue, this one from a woman named Gloria: \u201cAnchoress, EWTN is airing Father Corapi again, what do you think of that? I wonder if you\u2019ll be so quick to put that up on your blog and admit you\u2019ve been wrong\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n That was the nice<\/em> part of the email. The rest of is was an odd combination of nasty suspicion, weird smugness and proclamations of love for some, and hopes for vengeance upon others.<\/p>\n I confess, \u201cSinner, fry in hell\u201d<\/em> rhetoric sometimes comes my way from Protestant visitors \u2014 I always take the time to look up the chapters and verses they cite in their condemnations too, because I like to learn things \u2014 but I\u2019m not used to seeing it from Catholics; there have been more than a few of those sorts of missives this year, so that\u2019s an interesting development in Ecumenism, perhaps.<\/p>\n We are living in very anxious times<\/strong> politically, spiritually, materially, and the world seems upside down \u2014 I almost dare to call it \u201cdiabolical disorientation\u201d \u2014 and I think it has contributed to what has been a challenging and distressing Lent for all of us. I\u2019m going to assume that\u2019s why the emails are so umm . . . frothy<\/em>! :-)<\/p>\n Which reminds me, for some reason, of a scene from one of the Marx Brothers films, where Zeppo (playing Groucho\u2019s secretary) comes into the office exclaiming, \u201cSir, Mr. Jennings has been waiting to see you for an hour, and is waxing wroth!\u201d<\/p>\n To which Groucho responded, \u201cWell, let Roth wax Jennings for a while.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Oh, laugh<\/em>, for crying out loud; life is short.<\/p>\n Anyhow, I then noticed folks on Facebook saying that EWTN is \u201cback to airing\u201d Corapi, along with some speculation about it. Knowing that EWTN does not mandate what its affiliates air \u2014 it simply provides them with free content \u2014 I suspected this was about individual affiliate programming<\/strong><\/a>, more than anything.<\/p>\n Information is better than speculation<\/strong> (and it seems like the Corapi story has had aspects of opaqueness and obfuscation from the start) so I wrote to EWTN for clarification<\/em>.<\/p>\n EWTN\u2019s Director of Communications, Michelle Johnson was kind enough to respond:<\/p>\n \u201cEWTN is not airing Father\u2019s programs. If local EWTN radio affiliates wish to air programs to which they have the rights, they certainly may.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n For those who are still stymied<\/strong> about why EWTN or other outlets may not be airing Corapi\u2019s work, this statement from Relevant Radio<\/strong><\/a> is really very helpful \u2013 here is an excerpt:<\/p>\n 1) No cleric carries out the sacred ministry in his own name. He ministers at the will of his proper ecclesiastical authority, the bishop or religious superior as the case may be. The mission of the priest is to assist in teaching, sanctifying and governing<\/em>. He has no right to do this on his own.<\/p>\n While the principle \u201cinnocent until proven guilty\u201d still holds in canon law, it would be a mistake to hold that any cleric ever has a right to exercise the public ministry without his Bishop\/Superior\u2019s express permission, which can be withdrawn for prudential reasons. I get the sense, from my email<\/strong>, and from comments left here, at facebook and elsewhere, that EWTN, Relevant Radio and other outlets are taking a financial hit for being obedient to the process, and consistent<\/em> in their response to these sorts of investigations<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n It seems very odd to me that people who have always appreciated and supported Catholic media that has demonstrated fidelity to orthodoxy and ecclesiastic authority<\/em> are suddenly deciding to close their wallets on the issue of this one priest. If you are one of those folks, ask yourself this: what happens when Catholic media outlets have to close their doors<\/em> and shut down operations because you\u2019ve stopped donating to them, in a fit of pique? Where do you go, then, for your orthodox and faithful programming?<\/p>\n Catholic media has an obligation to help the church be clear and credible<\/strong>, and its consumers need to be able to rely<\/em> on Catholic broadcasters \u2014 to know that when they flip the dial to their station or their channel that they\u2019re getting the truth delivered by priests, sisters and layfolk who are in \u201cgood standing\u201d within the scope of their offices. It is not really reasonable<\/em> to expect them to broadcasts priests who are currently without faculties or embroiled in controversies as priest-in-good-standing and authoritative \u2014 or for that matter, nuns who are outside of their vows as \u201csisters\u201d in good standing.<\/p>\n Would you really, for instance,<\/strong> want to turn on EWTN and find them replaying old tapes of Fr. Francis Mary, who has since left the order? He spoke the truth, that\u2019s true. But since he is no longer a Franciscan priest, don\u2019t you think that would be confusing to viewers, and a misrepresentation of who he is?<\/p>\n I expect I\u2019ll be accused of malice and hate, some more, but this all just seems reasonable to me<\/p>\n Let this investigation come to its conclusion;<\/strong> if all is well, Corapi will be back. If all is not well, well\u2026that bridge gets crossed if it is encountered, and it may never get that far, but for heavens sake, don\u2019t deprive the Catholic media outlets you love \u2014 and that you know bring you the reliability you crave \u2014 because you don\u2019t like the fact that a favorite priest is undergoing investigation. That seems like cutting off the nose to spite the face.<\/p>\n And again, it seems to me the devil is having a great old time turning Catholics against each other<\/strong><\/a>. So much more fun and effective than just turning the press against the pope.<\/p>\n UPDATED:<\/strong> I see this is in comments already but as Deacon Greg notes it\u2019s Friday<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, and every Friday brings further heat but no more light. I think I will resist answering this particular pavlovian bell.<\/p>\n
\n Canon 822 \u00a73 addresses the special duty of those involved with the media in this regard:
\n a. \u201cAll Christ\u2019s faithful, especially those who in any way take part in the management or use of the media, are to be diligent in assisting pastoral action, so that the Church can more effectively exercise its office through these means.\u201d
\n \u201cTo assist in pastoral action\u201d means to cooperate with the proper ecclesiastical authorities. In the case of Fr. Corapi, Catholic media outlets will assist the process by supporting the indications and intentions of his superiors with respect to his temporary suspension from the public ministry of teaching, sanctifying, and governing. By continuing to air his programs claiming that he is \u201cinnocent until proven guilty,\u201d a Catholic media outlet may unintentionally undermine the authority of [Fr. Corapi\u2019s] superior by leading the faithful to conclude that the superior unjustly put him on \u201cadministrative leave\u201d because the allegations were not credible. It is entirely up to the proper ecclesiastical authority (bishop\/superior) to determine if the complaint has merit, or the allegations are credible. Any dereliction in this duty would either harm the community or the defendant.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n