By Terry
Well, it’s not very often we see priests make the news, but a Filipino priest has managed just that in a spectacular way. The priest whose name has been withheld has been suspended after a video that showed him gliding around the church on a hoverboard during a Christmas mass in Laguna province went viral.
Church goers could be seen applauding as he glided up and down the church aisle.
"That was wrong," the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo said in a statement on its Facebook page.
The statement also said that he greeted people and sang a Christmas song on the hoverboard and he was now out of the parish to "reflect".
"The Eucharist demands utmost respect and reverence. It is the Church's highest form of worship, not a personal celebration where one can capriciously introduce something to get attention," the diocese statement said, which went further to say that the priest saw it as a 「wake up call」.
The video which was widely shared was uploaded by traditionalist Catholic group Novus Ordo onto its Facebook page, but has drawn mixed reaction.
"Complete and total disrespect not only for the Lord but also for the salvation of all those poor souls," said Scott LaLonde. "To top it off he couldn't even sing."
Filipino Catholic Romy Vicente said the incident was "ridiculous". "How can you meditate if you see this happening inside the church where holy mass is going on?"
But not everybody was critical of the priest’s behavior; some users showed support for the priest and applauded his "fun spirit".
"This is actually fun," said Rob Trainor from Canada. "I am Roman Catholic but not a practicing one that attends Mass regularly. If there were more priests like this one, I may be tempted to return to mass. If people keep calling for traditions, you will lose even the most ardent Catholics."
"Doing a sermon from a hoverboard was a great way to show how Catholic Church is making strides in entering the new era," commented another Facebook user Mark Lewis.
The Philippines is the third largest Christian country on earth, with an estimated 80 million Catholics.
With 81% of the population defining themselves as Catholic, the country's culture and society has been closely intertwined with the teaching of the church. Laws in the country are also often framed around traditional Catholic values.
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