Bits and Bites > Priest Bites woman during Holy Communion

 

Florida priest bites woman during altercation over Holy Communion

By Sarah Do Couto  Global News

Posted May 24, 2024 11:39 am

 3 min read

A Florida priest may face criminal battery charges after he bit a woman during an altercation over Holy Communion at a Sunday mass.

The Diocese of Orlando told ABC News the incident occurred at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in St. Cloud, Fla. on May 19 while Father Fidel Rodriguez was leading a service.

The religious authority said an unnamed woman attended the church’s 10 a.m. mass and joined the congregation’s line to receive Holy Communion. Rodriguez said he did not know the woman.

Church officials alleged the woman “appeared unaware of the proper procedure,” and was told by Father Rodriguez to receive the Sacrament of Penance (also called confession) before she can receive the Eucharist, as is commonly encouraged.

Rodriguez gave the woman a blessing.

She returned for the church’s 12 p.m. mass and again attempted to receive Holy Communion.

When Rodriguez asked the woman if she’d been to confession, the Diocese alleged she responded that it was “not his business.”

“Father Rodriguez offered the woman Holy Communion on the tongue,” the Diocese claimed. “At that point, the woman forcefully placed her hand in the vessel and grabbed some sacred Communion hosts, crushing them.”

Rodriguez allegedly tried to restrain the woman with his free hand. The Diocese said she then pushed Rodriguez.

Believing that he was responding to a “perceived act of aggression,” Rodriguez bit her hand in an attempt to get her to release the Communion hosts, church officials said.

The woman was then asked to leave the church. She later reported the incident to police and said the priest had been forceful in placing the Eucharist on her tongue.

Police told local news station WDBO they’ve recommended the priest be charged with battery. There have yet to be any charges.

The news outlet obtained police body camera footage from the investigation, which featured a live-streamed recording of the incident. In the video, the woman and the priest are seen engaged in a brief scuffle.

The woman can also be heard calling the Eucharist “a cookie” while speaking to police. She said the priest may have refused to give her Holy Communion because of her “sexuality” or how she was dressed. (The woman was wearing a white button up shirt and black trousers. She did not identify her sexuality.)

Rodriguez told police he did not know the woman and does not care about her sexuality. He maintains he was protecting the sanctity of the Eucharist. He did not deny biting the woman.

“While the Diocese of Orlando does not condone physical altercations such as this, in good faith, Father Rodriguez was simply attempting to prevent an act of desecration of the Holy Communion, which, as a priest, Father Rodriguez is bound by duty to protect,” church officials said. “The Diocese of Orlando believes all people of all faiths should be respected and that their religious ceremonies or services should never be disrupted.”

“The priest was trying to protect the Holy Communion from this sacrilegious act,” the Diocese continued. “In the Catholic Tradition, the Eucharist is considered ‘the source and summit’ of worship and faith. The act of participation in Holy Communion therefore calls for a proper understanding, reverence, and devotion. It is not something a person can arbitrarily demand and is certainly not a mere ‘cookie’ as the complainant called it.”

No Consequences for Spanish Priest's Vulgar Behaviour

Playboy priest: Spanish clergyman apologizes for channeling Hugh Hefner in carnival parade

A Spanish priest is seeking forgiveness after exchanging his cloak for a Hugh Hefner ensemble, channeling the Playboy icon during a carnival parade. The clergyman even simulated sex with one of his 'bunnies,' who happened to be a man.

Juan Carlos Martínez typically spends his days leading mass, offering communion, and praying with his congregation. But the 40-year-old clergyman decided to mix things up during last week's carnival celebrations in the Galician town of Cuntis.

Dressed in a red bath robe and captain's cap – the legendary fashion preference of Playboy founder Hefner – Martínez hopped aboard a parade float sandwiched by two men dressed as Playboy Bunnies.

He and his hairy, not-so-feminine bunnies lounged on a trailer made to look like a bed, topped with red satin sheets. They relaxed as they were towed through town by a 4x4.

Martínez and his buddies appeared to be having a good time – so good that he and one of the male bunnies decided to simulate sex while on the float.

Although the encounter likely led to laughs in the crowd, the Catholic Church was less amused, asking Martínez to attend a "spiritual retreat" to reflect on "behavior clearly inappropriate for a priest," La Voz de Galicia reported.

Speaking to his congregation from the pulpit, Martínez said he is genuinely remorseful for his naughty antics, telling the pulpit that he is "so sorry to those who feel offended." He said he had requested an appointment with the Archbishop of Santiago to make a formal apology.

God has a great sense of humour, but is there any way emulating and acting like the most hedonistic man on earth can be called humour, or anything but disgustingly vulgar? It was a parade! There were children watching! What was he thinking? 

Perhaps he should try emulating Christ whose Name he represents and in Who's Name he conducts communion? Did he beg forgiveness from Him? He had better!

However, not everyone seems to share the Catholic Church's disapproving sentiment – many in the town have spoken up to defend Martínez. Dozens gathered to support him when senior priest Calixto Covo arrived to admonish the clergyman.

“Such things happen at carnival, it’s just a bit of fun,” one resident told local broadcaster Antena 3. “He’s a great priest and everyone loves him.”

Martínez's popularity hasn't gone unnoticed by Covo – despite the senior priest making a special trip to give the 40-year-old a dressing-down.

“It’s great that he is well loved by the people he served,” Covo told La Voz de Galicia, adding that there would be no lasting consequences for the priest.

I think you may be wrong there. In fact, I think you ought to be concerned about consequences for there not being any consequences for his appalling behaviour. If this is acceptable behaviour in the Catholic Church, it speaks volumes about the church itself. Congregants, and bishops alike, obviously expect very little in terms of holiness or oneness with Christ from their priests.

Is it even possible to be a church without the fear of God? 

Cuntis, Spain