A Catholic priest in Florida allegedly bit a woman on the hand after she attempted to take Communion without his permission, The New York Post reports.
Last Sunday, at about 10 a.m. during Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in St. Cloud, Florida, a woman reportedly "came through Father Fidel Rodriguez's Holy Communion line and appeared unaware of the proper procedure," the Diocese of Orlando said in a statement.
"After a brief exchange with the woman, it was determined that she was neither prepared nor disposed to participate in Communion," the statement continued. "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)."
Communion is the Catholic practice of eating bread and drinking wine that has been consecrated. Catholics believe that this embodies the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
This woman, who has not been publicly identified, reportedly returned to the church two hours later and stood in line again, but refused to answer when asked if she had been to confession as she had previously been directed.
According to church officials, Rodriguez "offered the woman Holy Communion on the tongue," as is typical, when the woman allegedly "forcefully placed her hand in the vessel" in an attempt to take "some sacred Communion hosts, crushing them."
Rodriguez attempted "to restrain the woman" when she refused to let go and eventually "bit her hand so she would let go of the hosts she grabbed" after she pushed him, according to the statement.
In bodycam footage from police officers who responded to the incident, which was obtained by WFTV, the unidentified woman claims that the priest "wouldn't give me the cookie," and added, "I don't know if it was the way I dressed or it is what I like."
A witness told police that the priest "tried to forcefully shove it in her mouth, she backed up," and claimed that Rodriguez "went crazy."
This witness also speculated that the woman's sexuality or style of dress may have caused the priest to reject her attempt to receive Communion, a claim that Rodriguez rejected to officers saying, "I don't judge nobody."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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