Filipino priest faces disciplinary action for denouncing single mother at Baptism
July 09, 2014
A Catholic priest in the Philippines faces disciplinary action for denouncing a single mother during the Baptism of her child.
A video that circulated widely on the internet showed Father Romeo Obach, a Redemptorist priest serving in Cebu, scolding the woman whose child he was baptizing, repeatedly saying that the child had been conceived in sin. In the face of public outrage, Father Obach issued an apology for his remarks.
A spokesman for the Filipino bishops’ conference said that the priest’s remarks were “uncalled for” in the context of a Baptism. And the Redemptorist order said that an investigation will be made, and “appropriate sanctions” applied.
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Posted by: koinonia -
Jul. 10, 2014 10:25 AM ET USA
The might have proven painful and offensive, and the occasion was not the best for reprimand, it is unsettling that according to reports the family was interested in pursuing legal action against the priest. "There but for the grace of God go I..." is all well and good, but the tremendous challenges of unwed, teen pregnancy are long-term and most serious. Perhaps it was a bit humiliating and over-the-top, but reflection, not retaliation, might have proven a more appropriate response.
