Archbishop Orders Closure of Parish Church After Vlogger Desecrates Holy Water Font

The power of social media as a tool for good, but also for harm, was underscored by a controversy involving a female vlogger who posted a video of herself spitting on the holy water font inside St. John the Baptist Parish Church in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental, on August 3.

St. John the Baptist Church in Jimenez is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. Built in the mid-19th century by the Augustinian Recollects, the town was named in honor of Recollect priest Fr. Francisco Jimenez.

The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Ozamiz.

The clip posted by the 28-year-old vlogger, who reportedly has 115,000 followers, quickly went viral and triggered strong backlash from netizens, who condemned the act. Although the video was later deleted, it had already caused a firestorm online, with many calling for legal action against the vlogger.

In media interviews with both local and national outlets, the vlogger apologized but denied spitting on the holy water font. Ozamiz-based radio station DXDD reported that she had requested to speak with the parish priest, but he declined.

On August 5, Archbishop Martin Jumoad of Ozamiz ordered the temporary closure of the parish church and suspended all liturgical celebrations until further notice.

In the meantime, Masses will be held at the Divine Mercy Shrine in Jimenez.

Archbishop Jumoad said the desecration was not just the act of one individual but a "corporate sin." He pointed out that others may have witnessed the act but failed to stop it.

He urged the faithful to do penance and reflect deeply on how such an incident could happen in a predominantly Christian community. A Holy Hour of Adoration will be held throughout the archdiocese on August 7 at 3 p.m., and parish priests will be available to hear confessions.