Priest filmed slapping child during baptism – VIDEO
A disturbing video has emerged of a priest slapping a baby across the face as he administers baptism.
In a 40-second clip that has gone viral, the French-speaking clergyman lashes out in frustration during the ceremony as the tiny child is held by a woman thought to be his mother.
The exact date of the incident are unclear, although the video surfaced on the internet on Wednesday.
The footage depicts what looks like a standard christening with the priest trying to perform the religious ceremony on a crying baby.
The priest initially attempts to console the infant by holding its head, but when that fails the priest appears to lose his temper and slaps the baby on the face.
According to a Reddit user, the priest, speaking in French, can be heard saying, “Oh lala lala. I’ll scream louder than you, OK? Calm down. Calm down.”
Onlookers, clearly appalled by what they’ve just seen can be heard saying, “Sir we don’t hit him” and “Isn’t this forbidden?”
However, he soon becomes annoyed with that the boy will not stop crying, grabbing him by the face, raising his voice and telling the infant: “Stop crying, calm down. Calm down.”
He then unleashes a sharp slap against the baby’s cheek, shocking those sat in the church, who can be heard to gasp.
Having seen enough, a man thought to be the child’s father steps in and tries to remove him from the situation – only for the priest to grip the boy by his neck.
The mother pleads with the priest to let go, but he continues to grip the boy by the head.