Stepping into a place of worship, one expects an atmosphere of peace and reverence. However, a recent event at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in St. Cloud, Florida, has left the community bewildered and sparked heated debate. The incident, which involved a disagreement over communion practices, took an unexpected turn when the presiding priest, Father Fidel Rodriguez, allegedly bit a female parishioner.
A Communion Controversy Unfolds
The incident, captured on police bodycam footage, unfolded during a Sunday morning Mass. According to the unidentified woman, she approached Father Rodriguez for communion but was denied. She claims that he questioned her eligibility to receive the Eucharist, citing a need for confession and regular Mass attendance.
“He said basically I needed to do confession and do all of this, I need to go to Mass every Sunday,” the woman recounted to officers at the St. Cloud Police Department, visibly upset. “I said that doesn’t matter, I’ve done everything I needed to do.”
A heated exchange ensued, during which the woman alleges that Father Rodriguez refused to give her communion and made judgmental remarks.
“He’s like, ‘You just told me you don’t go to Mass, you haven’t been in mass in years.’ And I told him, I said, ‘I did everything already’,” she explained, her voice trembling with emotion.
The situation escalated when the woman attempted to take a communion wafer, prompting a physical altercation. It was during this struggle, she alleges, that Father Rodriguez bit her hand.
Alt: A woman with a shocked expression shows a bite mark on her hand to a police officer.
“And then he’s like, ‘Okay, because you want it.’ And he just like tapped it into my mouth. And I was like, ‘No, you’re not going to do that.’ He’s like, ‘You want the bread, right?’ And I was like, ‘Not this way,'” she recalled, struggling to contain her frustration.
The woman, accompanied by her partner, promptly reported the incident to the police and expressed her desire to press charges.
“We want to press this if we could please,” she asserted, determined to seek justice for the alleged assault.
Father Rodriguez’s Account: A Matter of Faith and Defense
Upon returning to the church for questioning, Father Rodriguez admitted to biting the woman but insisted it was an act of self-defense and a measure to protect the sanctity of communion.
“I am recognize that I bit her. I’m not denying that, okay,” Father Rodriguez conceded. He went on to explain his perspective, emphasizing the sacred nature of communion in the Catholic faith.
According to Father Rodriguez, the woman’s approach to receiving communion was unorthodox and disrespectful. He claimed that she did not follow the customary protocol and that her demeanor was confrontational.
“She want to to receive it in this way…like you are taking a cookie,” he explained, highlighting the significance of adhering to religious customs. “And then she didn’t…the Christian need to say an answer, ‘Amen,’ when you say the body of Christ, ‘Amen.’ Okay, okay, she didn’t give the answer.”
He further stated that the woman’s actions in grabbing at the communion wafers were unacceptable and prompted him to intervene physically.
“She grabbed all the Hostes in the hands because she wants to receive from herself,” he recounted, emphasizing the gravity of the woman’s alleged actions. “She, it’s not permitted. And she break all the…spread in the…in the…well, before spreading in the in the floor, I grab her hand, ‘You cannot do this, this is wrong, this is…’ and said, ‘I don’t care, I am receiving communion.'”
Father Rodriguez maintained that his actions were solely motivated by his duty to protect the Eucharist.
“The only defense that I found to defend the something from us, for all of us in sacred was…but I am recognize that I bit her,” he asserted.
A Community Divided: Seeking Answers and Understanding
The incident has left the St. Cloud community grappling with shock and disbelief. While Father Rodriguez was not immediately arrested, the St. Cloud Police Department has forwarded a report accusing him of misdemeanor battery to the State Attorney’s Office for review.
The case raises questions about religious freedom, appropriate conduct within a place of worship, and the boundaries of personal beliefs. As the investigation unfolds, the community awaits the State Attorney’s decision on how to proceed. The outcome will undoubtedly have lasting implications for both Father Rodriguez and the parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.