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 on Saturday in the parish of São Sabestião, as families gathered to celebrate the Christian rite.

The video shows Juliane, the mother, 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 resists and moves before Juliane places her back over the sink.

Father Pinheiro then poured the holy water over Jhullie’s head before she let out a loud cry.

Juliane told Brazilian news channel G1 that her one-year-old daughter cried during the Christian rite because she didn’t feel well.

Jhullie continues to cry and moves into Juliane’s arms, who is pulled away from the priest as he poured the holy water.

The priest seems troubled by the reaction of the baby and the girl’s mind before the mother admonishes him.

Jhullie continues to cry as her mother brings her to her in an attempt to calm her down.

Juliane and her family were angry about Father Pinheiro’s behavior and called on the church to open an investigation, the Brazilian news outlet said. G1.

“We are angry, we feel powerless,” she said. ‘We do not understand how someone who should be the representative of the word can behave this way 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 Saturday in the parish of São Sabestião in São Sabestião, Brazil

Father Ricardo Pinheiro (left), one-year-old Jhullie and her mother Juliane after baptism

Her sister and the baby’s godmother, Symone, accused the priest of showing less compassion for Jhullie compared to the other children who had been baptized.

“At that time we didn’t have the attitude to take action and immediately restrain him there because there were other children being baptized,” she said. ‘And their baptisms were performed with all care and patience, completely different from the baptism of our little Jhullie. If we can call it a baptism.’

Father Pinheiro apologized to the family in a statement on the church’s social media.

“I would like to ask forgiveness from everyone 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 God wants to sanctify and purify us at all times.”