The Deacon's Bench
A priest who was caught on video shaming a single mother before the baptism of her baby in Cebu last Sunday now faces an investigation and sanctions from his own religious order.
In a statement, the Congregatio Redemptoris said it was deeply saddened over the incident at the Sacred Heart Chaplaincy in Mandaue City involving Fr. Romeo Obach.
The order, speaking through media liaison Fr. Alfonso Suico Jr., also noted the video of the incident had gone viral over social media.
“An INTERNAL INVESTIGATION is underway. Rest assured that appropriate SANCTIONS on the part of the involved will be applied once the investigation is complete so that justice may prevail,” the order said.
It added that as a religious community, it does not condone such an act, which it branded “unacceptable.”
Such an act is “contrary to the Charism and Mission for which our Congregation was founded – compassion especially to the poor and the most abandoned,” it added.
Obach himself had issued an apology over the matter, while Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ commission on family and life executive secretary Fr. Melvin Castro was quoted on GMA News TV’s “News to Go” as saying that “if this really happened, it is uncalled for.”
The order also extended its “heartfelt apology” to the single mother and her family.
“We will reach out the aggrieved family at the appropriate and most opportune time to address this particular matter. We respect their situation at the moment and sympathize with their hurt and anger over this matter,” it said.
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