Secular Writer Takes on Fr. John Corapi

My Money's on the Priest

A. A. Gill, contributing editor at Vanity Fair, usually writes restaurant reviews. He’s probably pretty good at it. He should stick to the food.

Unfortunately, however, after a recent visit to the Kentucky’s Creation Museum, he could not contain his disdain.

In a mocking article in Vanity Fair, he made fun of the city of Cincinnati as being “Behind the times” and its residents as “Neanderthals lacking technology.” Some Cincinnatians took umbrage. And then Gill took some back.

Going just a bit too far, in my opinion.

In a recent interview with Meghan Fox, Gill hurled a whole new set of insults at Cincinnatians and Christians, going so far as to disparage the upcoming Cincinnati conference scheduled to feature the enormously popular Fr. John Corapi at the Cintas Center July 17.

“This type of conference is one of the plethora of examples proving how ‘these people’ manage to lack the ability in progressing with the ideas and findings of the times. The people behind this event are perfect examples of the neanderthal mindset their city’s decision makers have repeatedly shown, neglecting to acknowledge advancements in modern science,” said Gill. “All this theoretical religious rubbish, it baffles me the amount of money and time invested in a conference with a priest ranting about an age old message that carries no basis or fact. Have these people opened a book in the past decade!? Who cares what message this man pretends to have, while he makes money off of it. The Church has made more money off of humanity than any organization in the world with ‘theories’ like the Creation Museum and Father Corapi.”

But wait, there’s high-brow name-calling too:

“Surely there is nothing ‘Fr. Crappy’ [referencing Fr. John Corapi] could possibly say that would affect me or the rest of humanity who, like me, have more than half a brain. Sure I think God wants us to gather and have conferences, however, He probably prefers they progress our well being with intelligent thought rather than destroy it with a message of rubbish ... Wait, I have a suggestion for ‘Fr. Crappy’ and Cincinnati from what I’ve seen of it. Invest in a conference on how to use electronic devices or how to acquire some style that’s NOT inspired by the Amish of the early 1900’s.”

As the man behind the Corapi event, Catholic businessman Joe Condit of CMG Booking has every reason to be insulted and disgusted by A. A. Gill’s mean-spirited, unprovoked, and personal attack.

But Mr. Condit has responded both professionally and generously.

When I spoke with Condit this morning, he praised Gill as a gifted writer and hoped Gill would give Cincinnati a chance to make a second impression.

“I would love to take this opportunity to pose a proposition to Mr. Gill,” Condit said. “I would like to invite him as my personal guest to the Father Corapi event in Cincinnati.  I would be more than happy to cover all his expenses. Consider this a second chance for the city of Cincinnati to make a different impression, and better yet, see for himself if Father Corapi’s message doesn’t affect him in some way.”

No word yet on whether Gill will accept Condit’s Christian invitation.

Edward Reginald Frampton, “The Voyage of St. Brendan,” 1908, Chazen Museum of Art, Madison, Wisconsin.

Which Way Is Heaven?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s mystic west was inspired by the legendary voyage of St. Brendan, who sailed on a quest for a Paradise in the midst and mists of the ocean.