Priest Caught with Parishioner’s Fiancée Under Bathroom Sink

A Brazilian priest was caught in a scandal after being discovered hiding a parishioner’s fiancée beneath a bathroom sink. The incident took place on October 13, 2023, at the Our Lady of Aparecida Parish in Nova Maringá, a town located in the state of Mato Grosso, approximately 300 miles east of the Bolivian border.

Father Luciano Braga Simplicio was confronted by a group of angry men, including the fiancée’s fiancé, who expressed outrage over the situation. The priest, wearing only gym shorts, attempted to leave the area but was blocked by the group. They demanded he open a door where they believed the woman was hiding. According to the community blog Pelo Bem de São José, Simplicio allegedly brought the woman to his home next to the church early in the morning while her fiancé was out of town.

The confrontation escalated as the priest appeared visibly confused amidst the chaos. In a video that has since gone viral, Simplicio is seen knocking on a door while being yelled at. The situation took a dramatic turn when the fiancé, frustrated with the priest’s evasiveness, grabbed a stool and broke down the locked bedroom door. The group then found the missing 21-year-old woman hiding under the sink in the bathroom.

Upon discovery, the woman was described as wearing only a tank top and shorts. She was reportedly crying on the floor when pulled from her hiding place. Both Simplicio and the woman denied any sexual relations, with the priest claiming she was simply taking a shower after a long day of work at the church, as reported by Brazilian outlet Termômetro da Política.

The viral nature of the incident has caused significant upheaval in the small town, leading to an internal investigation by the Diocese of Diamantino, which oversees both the priest and the parish. In an official statement, the diocese expressed that “all the necessary canonical measures are already being duly taken” in light of the events. They emphasized the importance of considering “the good of the Church and the people of God” in their actions.

This investigation will determine if Father Simplicio violated the 1983 Code of Canon Law, which prohibits priests in the Latin Church from engaging in affective or sexual relations. Meanwhile, the woman involved has filed a police report, asserting that the video of the incident was improperly disseminated following its occurrence.

As the situation unfolds, both the parish community and the diocese are grappling with the implications of this scandal, which has drawn attention far beyond the small town of Nova Maringá.