Although I have nothing unique to add to the Corapi Controversy, I found this YouTube video fascinating, and it took some thought to figure out why. [For those who don't want to take the time, it films the heartfelt pleas of four men, fervently begging Fr Corapi to maintain and prioritise his priestly stature.] Eventually, I deduced the reasons it was so intriguing:
- The first is the very male admonition to 'man up.' while I find this sort of talk regularly on the military blogs I follow, it was refreshing to hear it in a Christian sense. If vows mean something, then abandoning them also means something. I wonder how many more men in our pews would take their faith seriously with language more suited to their way of life.
- This leads to another refreshing point: Fr Corapi convinced them to man up to their own responsibilities, and now they're returning the favour. Previously, they were the ones failing (as they humbly recount); now they've regained their footing and find it only natural to turn around to urge him during his rough patch. It's like a foxhole, where each soldier may go batty for a moment, and the rest pull him back into shape, knowing they'll all need help at one point or another.
- Finally, on a personal note, I realise I've been 12-stepping it for so long that I've not offered unsolicited personal advice for years. And yet, theirs is deeply touching, incredibly straightforward, and carries tremendous weight. While I hold firm opinions on many things (most?) I'm a firm believer in free will, and know that prayer works more than words in most instances. (This may seem to feed into the collective shrug offered by our culture, which refuses to believe that there is a universal truth, it is clearly distinct--and those familiar with the program understand why.)
I really hope this 15-minute clip gets the audience it deserves--and by that I mean all priests who need to know how to minister to men. They obviously appreciate a firm word, black and white options, and brick walls when necessary. Their admirable words are no doubt backed up with prayer and sacrifice, and thus I bless them for their effort!
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