A Catholic priest in Tlanalapa, Hidalgo, refused to give his blessing this week to a deceased man on the grounds that his body was “corrupted,” causing concern among parishioners, who called for his removal.

Friends and family members of Alejandro Carbajal had arranged a burial ceremony on Sunday, but when they arrived at the church, the parish priest refused to receive the man’s body.

“His body is corrupted, and it’s dangerous,” said the priest, who was later denounced on social media. A video of the cleric shows him surrounded by angry relatives and neighbors, one of whom shoves him off-camera and shouts, “He says my uncle’s body is corrupted. It’s [the priest’s] heart that’s corrupted.”

After much arguing, parishioners began shouting, “You can’t do this!” They pressured him until he finally agreed to bless the body.

After the incident, parishioners gathered signatures to petition the bishop to remove the priest, whom they claim has a bad attitude toward them in general and runs the parish in a despotic manner.

Source: El Universal (sp)