Video goes viral
A VIDEO of a priest in the Philippines riding a hoverboard and singing at a Christmas Eve Mass went viral, with millions of shares on Facebook and Buzzfeed, and over 200,000 views on YouTube.
The unnamed priest was reportedly suspended by the Diocese of San Pablo, Laguna on Tuesday, Dec. 29 for the stunt, which many users said was a creative way to engage the congregation, and “put the human face back into the church.”
Some reports have identified the priest as Fr. Albert San Jose of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal parish in Laguna, according to the Philippine Star.
“Last December 24, 2015, before the final blessing of the Christmas Eve Mass, as a way of greeting his parishioners, the priest sang a Christmas song, while going around the nave standing on a hoverboard. That was wrong,” the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo said in a statement posted to Facebook. “The Eucharist demands utmost respect and reverence. It is the Memorial of the Lord’s Sacrifice. It is the source and summit of Christian life. It is the Church’s highest form of worship.”
“Consequently, it is not a personal celebration where one can capriciously introduce something to get the attention of the people.”
Members of the congregation took a handful of videos of the incident, where people appear to clap wildly as the priest begins his journey via hoverboard, rolling down the aisle like an expert.
The diocese said the priest’s actions made the service about him instead of Christ, reported USA Today.
The officially unnamed priest said the incident was a “wake-up call,” and has since apologized for his behavior, according to the diocese. He “will spend some time to reflect on this past event.”
“The act of going around on a hoverboard distracted the faithful, and was not necessary to get the Christmas message across,” commented Fr. Jerome Secillano, public affairs committee executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
Reactions to his suspension were mixed. Many believers said they would pray for him, and others agreed that the hoverboard was a fun way to engage the crowd.
“While maintaining the solemnity and reverence during the Mass is INDEED utmost important and all praise and attention be devoted to our Lord during Mass, NEW and CREATIVE ways are surely encouraged in order to keep the congregation awake and intuned…I see no wrong in the priest’s actions, especially since it allows him to interact and reach out to the congregation efficiently, with the help of the hoverboard,” commented Richmond Fandino on Facebook.
Said Sheila Crisostomo, “While very aware of what happened, and the sanction that was given to the priest, I will try to react as I think any good brother should, and that is to pray for him and wish him well so he doesn’t feel abandoned. Let us be merciful just as the Father is merciful.”
