A priest officiating in a parish in western Spain was temporarily laid off by the Church after being implicated by the courts in a Viagra trafficking case.
This priest, stationed in a church in Don Benito, a town of 35,000 inhabitants located in Extremadura, was arrested on Monday
"for alleged drug trafficking"
, recognized Thursday February 22 in a press release the diocese of Plasencia, on which this parish depends. .
At the end of his police custody, he was
“released on parole”
by the investigating judge in charge of the investigation, specifies the diocese, which expresses its
“pain”
and its
“dismay in the face of the suffering and the 'indignation'
aroused by the affair.
Pending the
“clarifications”
which will be provided by the investigation,
“it was deemed appropriate”
to “temporarily withdraw him
from the public exercise of his ministry”
, adds the press release, which nevertheless calls for
“caution”
and
“ respect for those involved
.
Viagra, aphrodisiac products, narcotics
According to several Spanish media, the priest in question would have participated in trafficking Viagra, aphrodisiac products and narcotics in the company of a man presented as his lover, who was also arrested during the police operation and since placed in pre-trial detention.
The two men, placed under surveillance for several months, used accommodation rented by the priest to store these products, specifies the online media
El Español
, which assures that the news caused
“disbelief”
among the faithful of the parish.
In its press release, the diocese of Plasencia said it was
“desirous of collaborating with justice”
to shed light on the matter.
The implicated priest will be able to benefit from
“relevant psychological and spiritual support”
, he adds.