The Archdiocese of León, in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, has issued a serious warning to the faithful after discovering that a man expelled from the clerical state was publicly presenting himself as a Catholic priest and officiating religious celebrations, even in a funeral home in the city.

The case has revived a point little known to many Catholics: simply dressing as a priest or pretending to celebrate Mass is not enough to act legitimately in the name of the Church. The Archbishop of León, Monsignor Jaime Calderón, stated in a press release that Francisco Isaías Rodríguez Núñez does not belong to the archdiocesan presbytery, lacks any ecclesiastical appointment, and is not authorized to exercise any ministry in that jurisdiction (or in any other of the Catholic Church).

The clarification was necessary after several parishioners reported the presence of a man known as “Father Paco,” who presided over religious services and falsely claimed to be a member of the archdiocese’s clergy. Investigations by ecclesiastical authorities completely refuted this claim.

The story of Rodríguez Núñez began years ago in the state of Nayarit. He initially entered the seminary of the Diocese of Tepic, but was dismissed before completing his formation. He later received a second opportunity in the Territorial Prelature of Jesús María del Nayar, where he was ordained a deacon in 2018. However, he never received priestly ordination. In February 2022, he was dismissed from the clerical state after various irregularities were detected in his personal situation, according to Church officials. This decision resulted in the loss of all the ministerial faculties he had received as a deacon and prevented him from legitimately exercising any ministry in the name of the Catholic Church.

Despite this, in the following years he continued to present himself as a Catholic minister in various communities in Nayarit, which repeatedly forced the Diocese of Tepic to issue public warnings to priests and parishioners. Now the problem has spread to the state of Guanajuato. The incident that triggered the new warning occurred after the death of a person whose family went to a funeral home near Hidalgo Park in León. There, they were advised to hire the supposed priest to preside over the religious service. It was the family themselves who became suspicious when the ceremony seemed strange to them and later found information indicating that the celebrant had already been defrocked by the Church.

In light of this situation, Monsignor Calderón recalled an essential aspect of canon law and the sacramental life of the Church: the legitimate celebration of the Eucharist and the sacraments requires not only having validly received holy orders, but also remaining in full communion with the Church and having the faculties that ecclesiastical authority grants to exercise the ministry.

In the specific case of Rodríguez Núñez, there is an additional determining factor: he was never ordained a priest. Therefore, he not only lacks the authorization to celebrate Mass, but he also does not possess the sacrament of Holy Orders in its priestly degree, which is essential for consecrating the Eucharist or absolving sins in confession. The archdiocese has asked the faithful to always verify the identity and ecclesiastical affiliation of ministers they do not know before organizing baptisms, funerals, weddings, or other religious celebrations. It also urged them not to promote or participate in events presided over by individuals who lack the corresponding authorization from the Church.

Finally, the archbishop expressed his gratitude to those who promptly reported the situation. He noted that their actions had protected the sacramental life of the local Church and prevented more people from being deceived during particularly sensitive times, such as when grieving the loss of a loved one.

This case highlights the importance of pastoral care and informing the faithful. Although such incidents are rare, the Church insists that the authenticity of the priestly ministry depends not only on outward appearance or words spoken during a celebration, but also on communion with the Church and the legitimate mission received to exercise that service.