A.M. Costa Rica: "Priest says 10 supporters of Virgin beat him up"

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A priest who is the spokesman for the Roman Catholic Episcopal conference said he was attacked by about 10 men at his Escazú home Wednesday night.

The cleric blamed the attack on the Roman Catholic Church’s position on a reported series of visitations by the Virgin Mary at a dwelling in San Isidro de Grecia.

The priest said that his brother also was beaten by the men and showed a television audience his bruised neck where men grabbed him. The priest is the most visible person for the church in the controversy.

A spokesman for the group known as the Santuario de la Virgen Reina y Señora de Todo lo Creado denied any responsibility for the attack.

The sanctuary came into the news this week because a priest there, U.S. citizen Alfredo Prado, 73, was singled out by Casa Alianza as a man who had been let go by a Texas parish. Casa Alainza is a
child welfare organization. Prado denied allegations of improper behavior Thursday.
The allegations are not supported by independent evidence, but the Catholic church here immediately disavowed the activities at the sanctuary, and immigration officials called in the priest for an interview Thursday.

An official explained to the priest that he was not allowed to work because he was here as a tourist. If the priest chooses to seek an immigration status so he can stay here, he will have to provide a police record. Officials are believed to be checking his U.S. police record anyway.

The allegations against the priest blurred when the church got into the act. They said he was not authorized to conduct his priestly duties. The sanctuary has long been an embarrassment for the Catholic Church here and its history goes back at least three years, long before the priest arrived six months ago. Traditionally the church is uncomfortable with miracles, particularly those that intrude on the miracles the church has verified.