Warning issued vs fake priest

Saint John the Baptist Parish in Bago City in Negros Occidental warned the faithfuls about a fake priest conducting masses and other church-related activities in the city.

In a Facebook advisory, the parish cautioned that a certain Rev. Fr. Mario D. Divina has been presenting himself as a missionary priest of the Chaplaincy of the Holy Trinity in Bogo City.

“[Divina] is not a priest of the Roman Catholic Church, and consequently is not a cleric of the Diocese of Bacolod,” it said.

“The diocese, so far, has not established that the Chaplaincy of the Holy Trinity even exists as an actual physical church, catholic or otherwise,” it added.

The Parish said that while Divina wears the vestments of a Catholic priest, “whatever sacraments he may confer, and the accompanying documents that he issues, may be doubtful in their validity, and are certainly unlawful.”

“The faithful are kindly reminded to avail of the sacraments, blessings, and sacramentals from their proper parish churches, chaplaincies, oratories and duly recognized religious priests in the diocese,” it added.