Thou shall not covet. It appears that a Catholic priest might have failed to comply with this Commandment.
A priest from one of the parishes in Pampanga was stripped of his parish assignment after allegations of an affair with a married woman.
“The Archdiocese has resolved to remove the priest from his parish assignment,” said Archbishop Florentino Lavarias of San Fernando in a circular letter issued today, May 6, 2021.
Removing the priest whom the letter did not identify was a “preliminary move.”
“(The Archdiocese) reserves the right to take appropriate actions as a more thorough investigation progresses, after the receipt of a formal complaint from the concerned party,” Lavarias continued.
The announcement came out days after a five-minute video circulated on the internet showing a furious man confronting a priest. The priest was allegedly caught having an affair with the man’s wife.
The now-viral video showed the confrontation taking place in what appeared to be a conference hall. The videographer seemed to be the accuser’s grown son.
At one point, a family photo was seen in front of the priest, who took a seat behind a round table.
“O ayan, tama, ipalit mo ang mukha nya,” a male voice said off camera.
“Ang saya, o,” the voice said, referring to the family in the frame.
At that point, a fist began pummeling the family portrait. As the camera panned out, it revealed a man wearing a yellow shirt smashing the photo.
Lavarias did not hint at the identity of those involved nor which parish it was. There is speculation, however, that this involved a prominent doctor-couple.
“(We continue) to reach out to the parties concerned to have a better appreciation of the situational canvass, with the ultimate objective of seeking the truth and offering pastoral guidance and support,” Lavarias said.
He appealed for everyone to “respect the privacy, identity, and the rights of the parties concerned.”
This scandal hits the Catholic Church in the Philippines at a time when it’s celebrating its quincentennial anniversary. It will be particularly shocking for some of the faithful since it violates the ninth Commandment if proven true.
If the man’s family in the video were an indication, confidence in the Church and its leaders could take a hit.
“Salamat nasira yung tiwala naming sa taas,” said a voice, presumably the camera operator, as the priest sat and other people looked on.
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