Philippine parish closed after ‘grave act of sacrilege’

A historic Catholic church in the southern Philippines has been closed indefinitely after its holy water font was allegedly desecrated by a social media influencer.

On Monday, 4 August 2025, Archbishop Martin Sarmiento Jumoad of Ozamiz ordered the temporary closure of Saint John the Baptist Parish in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental, condemning what he called a “grave act of sacrilege committed by an individual who spat at the holy water font.”

The incident, which reportedly involved 28-year-old vlogger Christine Medalla, went viral online. In an interview with the government-run Philippine News Agency, Medalla denied spitting into the font: “I just took an envelope and then returned it immediately. I looked at the holy water because I made a wish. That’s all.”

The parish, built in 1862 and declared a National Cultural Treasure in 2001, will remain closed “until further notice as a sign of penance and reparation,” the archbishop said. Citing Canon 1211 of the Code of Canon Law, he stressed that gravely injurious acts in sacred places require a penitential rite before worship can resume. “This is to invoke conversion of heart and communal purification as guided by Catholic teaching,” he added.

Archbishop Jumoad also warned that “profaning sacred objects… constitutes grave sin and desecration (cf. CCC 2139)” and could incur ecclesiastical penalties under Canon 1369. He required the faithful to undertake acts of penance, including a Holy Hour of Adoration and confessions before the church’s reopening.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines published his statement, in which he wrote: “Immediate confession and sincere repentance are required to restore one’s standing in the community of faith… Sacred objects and places are vessels of God’s grace and deserve our utmost respect and reverence.”

Local officials have expressed sorrow over the closure. “I am deeply saddened by the immediate closure of our beloved National Historical Treasure… due to an irresponsible act of sacrilege,” said Marie Elaine Unchuan, Department of Tourism Director for Northern Mindanao, in remarks to PNA.

In a country of 86 million Catholics, the archbishop’s decree serves as a pointed reminder: “Let us all renew our commitment to holiness, reverence, and communal harmony.”

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