By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A priest in Dumaguete City is being criticized after his arrogant behavior was captured on video and went viral on social media.
In a post by Facebook user Nikki Gonzales, she narrated how a priest belonging to a parish church in Bacong town, Negros Oriental acted arrogantly to a churchgoer, who was attending a burial mass for her late grandfather.
She said the priest forced those who attended the mass to kneel, including non-Catholics and persons with disabilities.
Gonzales recounted one case in which the priest announced he will not start the mass until everyone kneeled and even gazed at her uncle who is disabled due to diabetes and arthritis.
The priest also shouted, those who cannot kneel should get out of the church.
Gonzales’ cousin then tried to reason with the priest, telling him of their uncle’s disability, to which the priest asked why did they bring him.
According to Gonzales, after the mass, the family approached the priest to ask for an apology, but the priest refused and declared, “I am a shepherd of this flock and I want you to respect this Church,” to which the cousin replied, “No, Father, what you did was wrong.”
“You knew of my uncle’s condition,” he added. “You are a wolf of the Church and [we] don’t see you as a priest anymore.”
Following the incident, Diocese of Dumaguete spokesperson, Father Nathaniel Gomez, said the priest, identified as Father Jose Abellar, will be investigated.
Gomez said Abellar may have been misinterpreted.
He also confirmed Abellar has been transferred to the province of Siquijor, while he is being investigated by the local diocese.
The Vendiola family, the immediate family of Gonzales’ deceased grandfather, meanwhile, said they will not file a formal complaint to Dumaguete Bishop Julito Buhisan Cortes, but are hoping the incident does not happen again./WDJ