A priest in Florida, Father Fidel Rodriguez of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in St. Cloud, has been arrested for allegedly biting a woman during an argument over Communion.
The incident occurred on May 19, and Father Rodriguez has been charged with battery.
The victim, an unidentified woman, reported to police that Father Rodriguez refused to give her Communion, which she referred to as “the cookie,” and she speculated it was due to her attire or sexuality.
A witness supported her account, suggesting the woman was targeted for those reasons.
Father Rodriguez, however, told deputies a different story. He claimed the woman had not followed proper procedures earlier in the day to receive Communion, which led to the dispute.
He asserted that he was protecting the sanctity of the Communion wafers, which Catholics believe to be the body of Christ.
During the argument, Father Rodriguez allegedly tried to place a Communion wafer in the woman’s mouth forcefully, and when she resisted, he bit her arm.
He stated that he did not know the woman’s sexual orientation and insisted that his actions were to safeguard the Communion wafers.
Father Rodriguez has been serving as a parochial vicar at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in St. Cloud since 2015.
