Here’s a Video of a Catholic Priest Smacking Kids Upside Their Heads

I didn’t grow up in the Catholic Church, so maybe I’m just unaware of this ritual. But can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here? Why is a priest shaking kids’ heads, hitting them, and pushing them away?

Is that some attempt at a mass exorcism?

Were they bad kids?

Is that the proper way to help children down their communion wafers?

You can see in the video that the priest kicks some kids when their heads aren’t within an arm’s reach. One girl even blocks her head to avoid the priest’s slap.

Interestingly enough, the image on the altar is one of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Which is exactly what those kids need.

The person who sent me this video added that it’s unclear who took this video since the Facebook poster didn’t say it was his. It’s also not evident where this took place, though the tipster said it appeared to be Central or South America, not Spain, since that country’s churches have a different kind of architecture.

If anyone can shed more light on what we’re watching, I’ll update this post.