‘Wolves in sheep’s clothing’: California diocese warns about imposter priests

CNA Newsroom, Oct 23, 2023 / 17:05 pm
The Diocese of Stockton, California, has issued a warning about a pair of imposters posing as Catholic clergymen in the city of Modesto and charging high fees for blessings and sacraments.
The diocese said that two unidentified men are falsely using the names of actual clergymen from Mexico, namely Archbishop Raúl Gómez González of Toluca and Father José Adán González Estrada, a priest from the same archdiocese.
The imposters are charging high fees for sacramental blessings and for “conducting unauthorized celebrations” of sacraments like baptism, confirmation, and first Communion, the diocese said in its Friday warning.
Diocesan officials worked with the Archdiocese of Toluca in Mexico to verify the deception. Modesto is located 90 miles north of Fresno in California’s Central Valley.
The imposters are also teaching classes and issuing certificates for a fee, the diocese said. The exact details of those classes and certificates are unclear, …