I admit that there are really annoying parishioners in the parish. Sometimes this parishioners are so demanding as if they are the priest themselves. But do Priests really have the right to slap anyone even if a Parishioner commits or speak the highest form of Blasphemy? I don’t know the answer. Here is a case wherein a Spanish priest slaps a teenage boy after he thought he was commiting desecration to the Eucharist during the communion. What followed next is an effort of the local official to patch things up between the priest and the boy’s family. Here is the news:

“A Catholic priest in Spain’s province of Valencia slapped a young man in a church in the town of Rótova during a local festival on the evening of September 5, 2010. Believing that the young man had discarded a communion wafer, which the Catholic faith teaches is truly the body and blood of Jesus Christ under the mere appearance of bread, Rev. Victor Jimeno then threw him out of the church while denouncing him as a “blasphemer.” The victim, however, returned the blow. A local politician has called upon the priest, as well as the young man and his parents, to meet on September 7 to discuss the matter.

According to statements made by the priest, the young man may actually be innocent and is taking the blame for a friend who actually did commit the deed. The priest spoke to the parents of the young man, who has taken to bed in an apparent fit of pique. Said Rev. Jimeno, “Rótova is a small town, a big family, and we don’t want the news to go further,” while he hopes that the town will not become the butt of jokes. While he recognized that it was indeed members of his own congregation who committed the outrage, the priest says he wants to promote reconciliation and peace.

A friend of the young man who was assaulted by the priest explained that his friend is very upset and unrepentant. The friend explained that the young man threw the communion wafer to the floor during a fit of choking”. – source

Actually, not to sound biased, I know and understand where the Priest is coming from. Probably the priest was so offended by the act. You know Priests are humans too. They have different personalities. They have different modes of operation. They have different ways of reacting to the situation. The Spanish Priest probably got really offended when he saw that the Eucharist was thrown on the floor, the same Eucharist which priests hold in high esteem and is the source of Faith for most of us Catholics, believing that God himself resided in those pieces of bread. He probably felt that the Lord was so offended and desecrated that is why his knee-jerk reaction was to slap the boy.

But then again is it justifiable to slap someone? Of course not. Priests are also taught and trained to promote love, peace and forgiveness. No sins or blasphemy is worth the violence. And I think many priest will agree with me on this, that no matter how big the sin of a person, no amount of disappointment or anger or frustration that one feels can justify violence against his neighbor. You just don’t hurt anyone just to deliver a point. Of course we understand the outburst of the priest and I guess any common Catholic can also have a same feeling of offense when they see the Eucharist being desecrated. But in every reaction we make, it must be rational, well thought of and morally congruent. You cannot correct a mistake by using force or another mistake.You just don’t slap or hit anybody as your knee jerk reaction no matter how wrong they are. Because otherwise, the Father would have slapped the Prodigal son upon his return to his home in today’s Gospel, right?

In this case, no one is really right or wrong. As far as I am concerned, in the eyes of God, what matter’s most is Repentance and forgiveness.

Below is a video of a somewhat similar incident wherein a priest slapped a black woman for the petty reason of being annoyed. Notice that it is very inappropriate and scandalous to see a man in garb slapping people around. That is why we really have to pray for Priests. It’s not easy being a priest. They may be holy and fragile, but they really need our prayers.