Brothel-blessing priests facing suspension

Romania’s Orthodox Church plans to suspend 10 Bucharest priests who were filmed while blessing brothels, sex shops and a weapons shop, church officials said today.

The 10 priests were filmed undercover by private television station Prima TV performing the blessings recently in exchange for money and goods. The footage was broadcast late Thursday.

The television station and a newspaper had organised the deals for a series called The Witnesses.

The Bucharest archbishop’s office of the Romanian Orthodox Church issued a statement late on Friday condemning the priests’ actions.

“The church regrets the reprovable deeds of some priests in the capital … they will be investigated and sanctioned,” the statement said.

The priests have been suspended until the church’s Holy Synod meets after Easter, when it will decide on a punishment, the statement said.

Nobody answered phones at the church today.

It is traditional for Orthodox priests to bless homes, offices, cars and gardens to ward off the devil.

But priests are not allowed to bless places deemed unholy, such as brothels and abortion clinics.