Florida Priest Bites Woman During Mass, Says He Was Defending "Myself and the Sacrament"

Florida priest Father Fidel Rodriguez, a priest at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in St. Cloud, was arrested after allegedly biting a woman during Mass.

The incident occurred when the woman, attending her niece's communion, claimed she was denied communion unfairly, leading to a physical altercation.

Altercation During Communion

Florida priest of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church found himself at the center of controversy during a Sunday Mass when an altercation broke out between him and a female parishioner, according to the People.

The incident unfolded around 1:20 p.m., according to reports from local news outlets.

The conflict reportedly began when the woman approached Father Rodriguez to receive communion but was refused on the grounds that she had not completed the necessary steps.

Allegedly, Father Rodriguez instructed her to undergo the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) beforehand, a common requirement in the Catholic tradition to receive Holy Communion.

However, the woman insisted that she had fulfilled these requirements and was thus eligible to partake in communion.

According to witnesses and police reports, Father Rodriguez attempted to place the communion bread forcefully into the woman's mouth, leading to a physical struggle between them.

Eyewitnesses described a tense moment where the woman, attempting to take another piece of bread from Father Rodriguez's hand, was allegedly grabbed and bitten on her arm.

Police body-cam footage obtained later showed Father Rodriguez explaining his actions as self-defense, claiming the woman had pushed him and refused to release the communion tray.

Response from the Diocese

In response to the incident, the Diocese of Orlando issued a statement outlining their perspective on the events, CNN noted.

They affirmed that the Florida priest had advised the woman appropriately according to church protocols but acknowledged that the situation escalated when the woman allegedly disrupted the communion service.

The Diocese emphasized the sanctity of the Eucharist in Catholic belief, describing it as "the source and summit" of worship and faith.

They condemned any actions that might desecrate or disrupt the solemnity of the communion service, stressing the need for reverence and proper preparation.

Following the incident, St. Cloud Police responded to the Florida church and investigated.

They gathered statements from witnesses and reviewed evidence, including the police body-cam footage.

The case was subsequently forwarded to the State Attorney's Office for review to determine if charges would be filed against Father Rodriguez.

The Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office confirmed receipt of the case and stated it was under review to ascertain the appropriate legal steps, ABC News reports.

They indicated that decisions regarding potential charges would be made based on the findings of their investigation into the incident.

The altercation at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church sparked significant attention in the local community and garnered media coverage from several news outlets.

Discussions on social media and public forums reflected a range of opinions, with some supporting Florida priest's actions in defense of religious practices, while others expressed concern over the use of force during a religious ceremony.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ross Key

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