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Catholic Priest Bites Woman While Giving Holy Communion During Mass[PHOTOS]

Published

2 years ago

May 25, 2024

Editor

A priest in Florida bit a woman’s hand during a physical altercation while he was administering Holy Communion to the congregants of his church, officials said.

The incident between the priest and a female parishioner began at approximately 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 19, during Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in St. Cloud, Florida.

The woman “came through Father Fidel Rodriguez’s Holy Communion line and appeared unaware of the proper procedure,” according to a statement released by the Diocese of Orlando.

The woman makes a statement at the police station

“After a brief exchange with the woman, it was determined that she was neither prepared nor disposed to participate in Communion,” the statement said.

“Father Rodriguez gave the woman a blessing and advised her to receive the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) before coming back to receive Holy Communion (Eucharist).”

The same woman is said to have arrived at 12 p.m. for another Mass on Sunday and stood in Father Rodriguez’s Communion line when he asked her if she had been to the Sacrament of the Penance (Confession) to which she replied that “it was not his business,” according to the Diocese of Orlando.

“Father Rodriguez offered the woman Holy Communion on the tongue,” church officials said.

“At that point, the woman forcefully placed her hand in the vessel and grabbed some sacred Communion hosts, crushing them.

Having only one hand free, Father Rodriguez struggled to restrain the woman as she refused to let go of the hosts.

Then the woman pushed him and, reacting to a perceived act of aggression, Father Rodriguez bit her hand so she would let go of the hosts she grabbed.

The woman was immediately asked to leave, according to the Diocese of Orlando’s statement.

“It should be noted Father Rodriguez had no prior knowledge of the woman’s background,” officials said.

“Further, 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.”

The Priest being questioned by police

Authorities have not yet charged the priest with any crimes though it is possible he could be charged pending the investigation.

Officials have not given any details on injuries the woman may have suffered during the altercation.

In the Catholic tradition, the Eucharist is considered “the source and summit” of worship and faith, said the Diocese of Orlando.

“The act of participation in Holy Communion therefore calls for a proper understanding, reverence, and devotion.”

“The Diocese of Orlando believes all people of all faiths should be respected and that their religious ceremonies or services should never be disrupted,” officials said.

The Diocese of Orlando has said they will not comment any further on the incident and the investigation is currently ongoing.

Headline

12 Die, 30 Missing In Peru Landslide

Published

7 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

At least 12 people, including three children, died in a landslide at a river port in central Peru on Monday, and 30 were reported missing, officials said.

The landslide submerged a boat with about 50 passengers on board, and another with none, as they were docked at the port of Iparia in the Amazon jungle region of Ucayali, according to a police report cited by the Andina news agency.

Six people were injured, it added, and a search and rescue operation was underway at the start of the Peruvian rainy season.

Without giving a toll, Peru’s COEN national emergency operations centre said on X that tragedy struck at dawn due to “erosion” of the bank of the Ucayali river.

It said the navy has been called in to help.

AFP

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Nigeria Grants Asylum To Guinea-Bissau Opposition Candidate

Published

8 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian embassy in Guinea-Bissau has granted asylum to Fernando Dias da Costa, the country’s opposition presidential candidate, following alleged threats to his life after last week’s military coup, The Cable Reports.

The coup was announced by military officers on Wednesday, just days after Guinea-Bissau’s presidential election in which both incumbent President Umaro Embaló and his main challenger, da Costa, claimed victory before official results were released.

Nigeria condemned the takeover and urged an immediate return to constitutional order.

In a letter to the President of the Economic Community of West African States Commission, Omar Touray, dated November 30, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said President Bola Tinubu had approved asylum and protection for da Costa inside the Nigerian embassy in Bissau.

Tuggar wrote that the decision was made “in response to threats made against da Costa’s life.”

“In this regard, it would be appreciated if you would kindly mandate the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau to provide him protection and security while in the premises of the Nigerian embassy,” the letter stated.

The foreign affairs minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, confirmed the letter’s authenticity to The Cable on Monday.

He said, “The decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to grant asylum and provide protection to Fernando Dia Da Costa falls squarely within Nigeria’s sovereign responsibility and longstanding commitment to regional peace, stability, and democratic governance.”

He added that Nigeria acted “in the broader interest of de-escalation,” saying the government had exercised its discretion “to prevent further deterioration of tensions and to promote social cohesion in Guinea-Bissau and the wider West African sub-region.”

According to Abdulkadir, the intervention aligns with ECOWAS principles and reflects Nigeria’s role as a stabilising force in West Africa.

Following the coup, ECOWAS held an emergency virtual summit of heads of state and subsequently suspended Guinea-Bissau from the regional bloc until constitutional order is restored.

Headline

Trump To Attend FIFA World Cup Finals Draw On Friday

Published

8 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The White House on Monday confirmed US President Donald Trump would attend the draw for the FIFA World Cup finals in Washington later this week.

The United States will co-host the 2026 tournament alongside Canada and Mexico.

“On Friday, President Trump will attend the FIFA World Cup final draw at the Kennedy Centre,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Trump has made the World Cup a centrepiece event of both his second presidency and the 250th anniversary of US independence next year.

But the giant sporting extravaganza has not escaped the political turmoil caused by Trump’s hardline stance on a host of issues.

Trump, a Republican, has raised the possibility of moving games from some US host cities amid a crackdown on what he says is crime and illegal migration in some Democratic-run areas.

AFP