Following accusations of drug trafficking, including the sale of Viagra, a Spanish priest from Don Benito in the western Extremadura region has been temporarily suspended by the Roman Catholic Church.
The diocese of Plasencia, responsible for the priest's community, revealed that he was detained on Monday (Feb 19) under suspicion of "trafficking narcotic substances," prompting his provisional release by the investigating judge.
Expressing pain and dismay at the suffering and scandal caused by the events, the diocese has decided to temporarily remove the priest from public ministry and his role as parish priest while awaiting clarification on the situation.
The clergyman, whose identity remains undisclosed, is receiving psychological and spiritual accompaniment following his arrest.
Spanish media reports indicate that the priest, accompanied by a second arrested man alleged to be his lover, was engaged in the trafficking of Viagra, aphrodisiacs, and narcotics.
The two individuals, under police surveillance for several months, reportedly utilised a residence rented by the priest for storing the illicit products. El Espanol, an online newspaper, highlighted the news, causing disbelief among the parish's faithful.
However, numerous incidents involving the priest community have been reported in recent years. A recent case highlighted the arrest of a Roman Catholic priest near the US-Mexico border facing criminal charges related to the alleged sexual molestation of a child.
The arrest of Fernando Gonzalez Ortega on charges of sexually abusing a minor and human trafficking emphasis the argument made by abuse victims and their advocates that not all molesters within the jurisdiction of US Catholic bishops have been eliminated, despite reforms initiated in response to the global church's decades-old clergy molestation scandal.
In other news, a probe conducted last year by the Spanish Catholic Church into such cases revealed grim details. The investigation identified 728 alleged abusers, including clergy and non-clerical staff, and 927 victims over eight decades since the 1940s.
Spain's Catholic Church faced criticism after El Pais newspaper uncovered disturbing details of the institution's abuse of hundreds of children by members of the clergy.