SAN Fernando Archbishop Florentino Lavarias yesterday ordered the removal of a priest, allegedly involved in an affair with a married woman, from his parish in Pampanga.
In his Circular Letter No. 25-2021, Lavarias said he has ordered preliminary action on the unidentified priest after a five-minute video showing the latter being confronted by the husband of the woman went viral on social media.
“Given the sensitive nature of the matter, and as a preliminary move, the Archdiocese has resolved to remove the priest from his parish assignment,” Lavarias said, adding this decision does not prevent him from taking further action against the priest in the event that it becomes necessary.
“The Archdiocese reserves the right to take appropriate actions as a more thorough investigation progresses, after the receipt of a formal complaint from the concerned party,” said Lavarias.
Last Monday, a video of a priest being confronted by the family of the woman he supposedly had an affair with went viral. The priest was speechless for almost the entire video clip, with the confrontation witnessed by several people.
The prelate said the Archdiocese of San Fernando has already reached out to the family involved in the controversy.
“We continue to reach out to the parties concerned to have a better appreciation of the situational canvass, with the ultimate objective of seeking the truth and offering pastoral guidance and support,” said Lavarias.
He also appealed to the general public to respect the privacy of all parties involved in the scandal.
“Please respect the privacy, identity, and rights of the parties concerned, especially as they seek to deal with this sensitive and complex issue with divine guidance and in the most Christian way possible,” said Lavarias.
