Unholy bite: Florida priest accused of biting woman in church service over Communion bread

NEW DELHI: A church priest in Florida is facing allegations of biting a woman during Communion at a Mass in St. Cloud, purportedly in an attempt to "defend the Communion bread," according to the charging affidavit quoted by CNN.

The priest, Father Fidel Rodriguez, initially refused to give the woman Communion on May 19, stating she had not completed the necessary steps to receive it when they met earlier that day at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, as per police records.

The Diocese of Orlando’s statement notes Rodriguez gave the woman a blessing at the 10am. The woman reportedly came back for the noon Mass, claiming she had fulfilled the required steps and “is now accepted by God, thus, granting her the ability to participate in communion,”.

The priest reportedly asked the woman if she had been to the Sacrament of Penance (Confession), to which she replied saying, "it was not his business.”

During a police interview, Rodriguez in his defense claimed the woman pushed him and refused to let go of the communion tray, leading him to bite her arm.

“In the Catholic Tradition, the Eucharist is considered ‘the source and summit’ of worship and faith. The act of participation in Holy Communion therefore calls for a proper understanding, reverence, and devotion,” the statement from the Diocese reads.

“It is not something a person can arbitrarily demand and is certainly not a mere ‘cookie’ as the complainant called it,” the statement adds.

The Diocese emphasized that in Catholic tradition, the Eucharist is a central element of worship and faith, requiring proper understanding and reverence, not something to be demanded or treated as a mere "cookie."

The woman declined medical attention, and police documented the bite mark.

St. Cloud Police have forwarded the case to the State Attorney’s Office for review. The Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office confirmed the case is under review to determine the appropriate action.