Florida priest is arrested after BITING woman in bizarre fight over communion

A Florida priest has been arrested after he allegedly bit a woman while arguing with her during Communion at Mass. 

Father Fidel Rodriguez, a parochial vicar at the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in St. Cloud was charged with battery after an unidentified woman told police she had been assaulted on May 19. 

The woman can be heard detailing the incident in body camera footage released St. Cloud Police Department. 

She told deputies that the accused would not give her 'the cookie' and could not understand whether it was because of her 'sexuality or attire'. 

'He wouldn’t give me the cookie. I don’t know if it was the way I was dressed, or if it is what I like,' the woman said. 

According to the report, Father Fidel allegedly became upset with her claims and tried to ram a 'cookie' into her mouth

The victim told deputies that the accused would not give her 'the cookie' and could not understand whether it was because of her 'sexuality or attire'

Father Fidel Rodriguez, a parochial vicar at the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in St. Cloud has been arrested after he allegedly bit a woman while arguing with her during Communion at Mass

A witness, who is named as Santibanez in the arrest report further told officials that she believed that the victim was singled out due to her sexuality and attire. 

'He tried to forcefully shove it in her mouth. She backed up and said, "No, don’t do that." She tried to get it, and that’s when he went crazy,' Santibanez said. 

But when Father Fidel was questioned, he told deputies a different story. 

The priest said that the victim allegedly first came to 10am Mass on the same day but did not do the prior steps necessary to be given the communion wafer and was denied.

The religious leader said that she later came again and explained that she had in fact done the necessary steps and is now accepted by God.

According to the report, Father Fidel allegedly became upset with her claims and tried to ram a 'cookie' into her mouth. 

Father Fidel has been serving as parochial vicar at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in St. Cloud since 2015

In response, the woman tried to grab another Communion wafer that he was holding, but he grabbed her and bit her arm, police said. 

Father Fidel told officials that she had not followed the rules, despite him explaining and had given her the benefit of doubt before attacking her. 

'I gave her the benefit of the doubt. 'Did you confess between the Mass before and this?" Because she can do it. 

'No, I don’t need to explain to you. I don’t need to have an explanation. You don’t have authority to judge me.’ I’m not judging you; I am asking: "Did you confess?", he can be heard saying on footage. 

The affidavit states that Father Fidel was trying to protect the communion wafers as it is considered the the body of Christ in Catholicism. 

'Father Fidel advised that the woman pushed him and would not let go of the communion tray and the only way he thought to extract her from it was to bite her arm.'

The priest also told officers that he did not know the woman or what her sexual orientation is and does not care about it. 

Father Fidel has been serving as parochial vicar at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in St. Cloud since 2015.