A priest has gone viral in Brazil after being seen on video pulling a one-year-old baby by the head while baptizing him.
The strange scene took place on Saturday in the parish of São Sabestião, while families gathered to celebrate the Christian rite.
In the video, Juliane, the mother, can be seen holding her daughter Jhullie, who was feeling sick, over the baptismal font while father Ricardo Pinheiro tried to pour holy water on the girl’s head while placing his hand on her neck. .
However, Jhullie resists and moves before Juliane places her back on the sink.
Afterwards, Father Pinheiro pours the holy water over Jhullie’s head before she lets out a loud scream.
Brazilian priest Ricardo Pinheiro (left) upset a family when he was seen on video grabbing the head of a one-year-old girl to pour water on her during a baptism ceremony on Saturday.
Juliane told Brazilian media G1 that her one-year-old daughter was crying during the Christian rite because she was not feeling well.
Jhullie continues to cry and moves in Juliane’s arms, who is pulled away from the priest as he pours the holy water.
The priest seems upset by the baby’s reaction and the girl’s head before the mother admonishes him.
Jhullie continues to cry as her mother pulls her close in an attempt to calm her down.
Juliane and her family were angry at Father Pinheiro’s behavior and asked the church to open an investigation, according to a Brazilian media outlet. G1.
“We are angry, we feel helpless,” he said. ‘We do not understand how someone who was supposed to be the representative of the word can act like this with such an innocent being. I want justice! This can not go unpunished.”
Despite the incident, Juliane agreed to the priest’s request to take a photo.
Father Ricardo Pinheiro (left) apologized for knocking the head of one-year-old Jhullie during a baptism Saturday at São Sabestião Parish in São Sabestião, Brazil.
Father Ricardo Pinheiro (left), one-year-old Jhullie, and their mother Juliane, after the baptism.
Her sister and the baby’s godmother, Symone, accused the priest of showing less compassion towards Jhullie compared to the other children who were baptized.
“At that time we did not have the attitude to take measures and contain it right there because there were other children being baptized,” he said. ‘And their baptisms were carried out with all the care and patience, totally different to the baptism of our little Jhullie. If we can call it baptism.
Father Pinheiro apologized to the family in a statement posted on the church’s social media.
“I want to apologize to everyone who felt sad because of my attitude yesterday,” he said. ‘I recognize my lack of charity towards the family, the child and the guests. At the end of the baptism, the family contacted me in the sacristy.
‘I was able to ask for forgiveness for what happened, although it was not intentional… Life is a learning experience and at all times God wants to sanctify and purify us.’