"Duty to Protect". Priest Bitten by Parishioner During Communion at Mass in US
When police went to the church, the priest claimed he bit the woman to protect himself and the communion.
!["Duty to Protect". Priest Bitten by Parishioner During Communion at Mass in US](https://media-manager.noticiasaominuto.com/960/naom_6651f567f2a39.jpg)
© Reprodução redes sociais
![Notícias ao Minuto](https://cdn.noticiasaominuto.com/img/equipa/pessoa/naom.png)
Mundo Florida
A Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in St. Cloud, Florida, took a bizarre turn Sunday when the priest, the Rev. Fr. Fidel Rodriguez... bit a parishioner who was trying to receive Communion.
The woman, whose name was redacted from a police report, told authorities that Rodriguez had previously refused to let her take Communion during a different Mass.
This time, however, the priest relented but then tried to put the wafer directly into her mouth, prompting her to grab the host from him to prevent him from doing so. That’s when he grabbed her and bit her arm.
When police arrived at the church, Rodriguez said he bit the woman to protect himself and the Eucharist, adding that the woman had been to a previous Mass but he had not allowed her to take Communion because she did not appear to understand the requirements for receiving it.
Authorities have since forwarded a report to prosecutors recommending that Rodriguez be charged with misdemeanor battery, but no formal charges have been filed and the priest has not been arrested.
“While the Diocese of Orlando does not condone physical altercations such as this, in good faith, Father Rodriguez was simply trying to prevent an act of sacrilege from taking place against the Most Holy Eucharist, which as a priest, Father Rodriguez has a duty to protect,” the diocese said in a statement.
See Also: Population of Angeiras wants to replace priest for canceling 82-year tradition (Portuguese version)
Descarregue a nossa App gratuita.
Oitavo ano consecutivo Escolha do Consumidor para Imprensa Online e eleito o produto do ano 2024.
* Estudo da e Netsonda, nov. e dez. 2023 produtodoano- pt.com