Filipino Catholic groups issue false nuncio warnings

0

Philippines

Members tricked into paying for pastoral services by someone claiming to be Archbishop Charles Brown

The actual Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles Brown. (Photo provided)

Posted: May 23, 2022 08:56 GMT

Updated: May 23, 2022 at 4:32 p.m. GMT

Two religious groups have issued warnings telling Catholics to beware of at least one fraudster seeking money posing as the Apostolic Nuncio – the Pope’s representative in the Philippines.

The reports came as the bishops’ conference issued a warning about fake email messages circulating that claim to be from the nuncio, Archbishop Charles Brown.

The San Lorenzo de Manila group in the Cagayan de Oro Archdiocese in Mindanao said a white man in his 50s solicited donations from its members claiming he was Archbishop Brown.

He wore a white barong shirt with a pectoral cross, the normal attire for bishops in the Philippines, the group said.

One of the group claimed the man had even offered to officiate at their summer retreat.

“He claimed to be Archbishop Brown. It was quite believable because he really looked like him and he was with a secretary and a driver who claimed to be from the Manila nunciature,” Cagayan de Oro parishioner Ted Rabuyo told UCA News.

“He blessed one of the stores in town. He was in bishop’s garb and introduced himself as the papal nuncio. The way he behaved, he must have deceived everyone present”

He says he met the false bishop during a blessing of a department store in the province.

“He blessed one of the stores in town. He was in bishop’s garb and introduced himself as the papal nuncio. The way he conducted himself, he must have deceived everyone present,” Rabuyo added.

Another group called the Santa Rafaela Women’s Group in the central Iloilo province said they also encountered a fake Bishop Brown on one of their summer excursions.

The group said they were approached and asked if they wanted the nuncio to celebrate mass for them.

“Of course, we were all delighted to hear the Pope’s representative mass. There were only 15 of us, so we went to a private chapel to hear it,” Iloilo resident Bien Magao told UCA News.

He advised people not to respond to suspicious messages as the Apostolic Nunciature would not communicate with people in this way.

Afterwards, when the money changed hands, he immediately apologized and left. “He didn’t even want us to have a picture with him,” he said.

Both groups said they had already reported the incidents to their local dioceses.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Catholic Bishops‘ Conference has issued a notice warning the public of an online scam involving fraudsters claiming to be the papal nuncio.

“The scam targets Yahoo Mail users by asking them to enter their login credentials to receive confidential messages. This is a phishing attempt to obtain their account details,” the company secretary said. the conference, Bishop Bernardo Pantin told reporters May 20.

He advised people not to respond to suspicious messages as the Apostolic Nunciature would not communicate with people in this way.

The conference of bishops is currently studying the question, Msgr. Patina added.

Recent news

Share.

Comments are closed.