Shocking moment priest pulls baby's head back while pouring holy water at baptism
A priest has gone viral in Brazil after he was seen in a video pulling a one-year-old baby's head while baptizing him.
The bizarre scene took place at the Parish of São Sabestião on Saturday while families gathered to celebrate the Christian rite.
In the video, Juliane, the mother, can see seen holding her daughter Jhullie, who was feeling ill, over the baptismal font as Father Ricardo Pinheiro attempted to pour holy water over the child's head while placing his hand on her neck.
However, Jhullie puts up a struggle and moves before Juliane placed her over the sink again.
Father Pinheiro subsequently pours the holy water over the Jhullie head before she let out a loud cry.
Brazilian priest Ricardo Pinheiro (left) upset a family when he was seen on a video grabbing a one-year-old girl's head to pour water over her head during a baptism ceremony on Saturday
Juliane told Brazilian news outlet G1 that her one-year-old daughter was crying throughout the Christian rite because she was not feeling well
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Jhullie continues to cry and moves in the arms of Juliane, who is pulled away from the priest when he poured the holy water.
The priest appears to be bothered by the baby's reaction and the girl's head before the mother admonishes him.
Jhullie continues to cry as her mother brings her toward her in an attempt to get her to calm down.
Juliane and her family were angered by Father Pinheiro's behavior and called on the church to open an investigation, according to Brazilian news outlet G1.
'We are angry, we feel powerless,' she said. 'We don't understand how someone who was supposed to be the representative of the word can act like this towards such an innocent being. I want justice! This cannot go unpunished.'
Despite the incident, Juliane granted the priest's request for a photo.
Father Ricardo Pinheiro (left) apologized for pulling the head of Jhullie, a one-year-old girl, during a baptism on Saturday at the Parish of São Sabestião in São Sabestião, Brazil
Father Ricardo Pinheiro (left), one-year-old Jhullie and her mother Juliane after the baptism
Her sister and the baby's godmother, Symone, accused the priest of showing less compassion toward Jhullie in comparison with the other children who were baptized.
'At that moment we did not have the attitude to take measures and contain him right there because there were other children being baptized,' she said. 'Ant their baptisms were carried out with all the care and patience, totally different from baptism of our little Jhullie. If we can call it a baptism.'
Father Pinheiro apologized to the family in a statement posted on the church's social media.
'I want to ask forgiveness from all who felt saddened by my attitude yesterday,' he said. 'I recognize my lack of charity towards the family, the child and the guests. At the end of the baptism, the family contacted me in the sacristy.
'I was able to ask for forgiveness for what happened, even though it was not intentional... Life is a learning experience and at all times God wants to sanctify and purify us.'