Catholic Priest Sings While Riding On A Hoverboard — Viral Video Invites Strong Rebuke And Suspension [Video]

A Catholic priest recently managed to sing while riding a hoverboard. The feat didn’t invite praise, but instead, he has been suspended.

A Filipino priest was filmed riding a hoverboard in church while celebrating Christmas Eve Mass. The amateur clip having gone viral invited a lot of comments, both appreciating and criticizing the act. The Philippine Catholic Church sided with the criticizers and has issued a public apology for the priest’s stunt. Furthermore, the Filipino Father in question has now been suspended for his hoverboard ride around the church after the local diocese was made aware of the incident, reported Digital Trends.

In a statement, the Diocese of San Pablo, south of Manila, confirmed that the Catholic priest rode the hoverboard inside his Miraculous Medal church in the town of Binan, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Manila. Though it mentioned that the priest only did it “as a way of greeting his parishioners,” it was a very wrong thing to do.

“That was wrong. The Eucharist demands utmost respect and reverence. It is the Memorial of the Lord’s Sacrifice. It is the source and summit of Christian life. It is the Church’s highest form of worship. “

The statement, released by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, named the priest as Father Albert San Jose. The Philippine Roman Catholic Church officials confirmed they have reprimanded the priest for riding a hoverboard and singing a song during Christmas Eve Mass, reported CBS News.

The Diocese of San Pablo added that Rev. Albert San Jose apologized for his action.

“The priest said that it was a wake-up call for him; he acknowledged that his action was not right and promised that it will not happen again. Consequently, it is not a personal celebration where one can capriciously introduce something to get the attention of the people.”

The amateur clip shows the Catholic priest, dressed in a white cassock, effortlessly gliding up and down the church’s aisles on the two-wheeled electric scooter. While expertly controlling the hoverboard, the priest continues to sing a Christmas song. Many in the congregation appeared to be amazed by the ability of the priest to sing so beautifully while controlling the hoverboard so skillfully. Quite a few churchgoers applaud as the priest deftly pivots and moves among his flock without missing a single beat.

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The performance by the Filipino priest came just before the final blessing in the Mass at the church in Binan city in Laguna province. Many have admired the priest for putting in what must have been hours of practice to be able to sing and ride a hoverboard at the same time. If recent streams of the videos on social media sites are any indicator, mastering the hoverboard isn’t easy, let alone singing while controlling the tricky two-wheeled electric contraption.

The Philippine Catholic Church, however, wasn’t impressed or even amused by the priest and have suspended him for riding a hoverboard in the house of God. Adding that the priest apologized for his actions, the statement concluded, “He will be out of the parish and will spend some time to reflect on this past event.”

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Incidentally, the Diocese’s statement seemed to focus on the requirements of celebrating Mass — not the potential safety hazards posed by hoverboard scooters, reported NPR. These battery-powered devices have not only proven to be a fire hazard, they have banned by major U.S. airlines.

Father San Jose has promised he will not ride the hoverboard in church, adding that the rebuke “was a wakeup call for him.” Father Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Public Affairs Committee added that the priest “went overboard” by using the scooter during Mass, saying that gimmicks distract from the solemnity of the occasion, reported the Philippine Star.

“You can innovate, you can be creative, but your creativity and innovation has its limitations.”

As expected, quite a few were upset about the priest’s suspension, with many urging the church to bring him back.

[Photo by YouTube Screen Grab]