Catholic Priest Arrested After Biting Off Ear Of Fellow Priest

220px-Plastic_roman_collarAustralian Catholic priest Thomas Byrne, 80, pleaded guilty in court this week to a rather shocking case of laying hands (and teeth) on another priest. Byrne bit off the ear of fellow priest, Father Thomas Smith, 81, in a parking space dispute.

The two priests were in the parking lot at their retirement home in Perth. What is particularly bizarre is that, after the fight subsided, Bryne asked Smith to pick up something he thought he dropped during the fight. Bryne did so and Smith put the object in his pocket only to discover later that it was part of the ear of Smith.

Byrne is out on bail but under a 30 ft restraining order to stay away from Smith. That could be difficult since they both live at the same retirement home.

Smith did appear to follow the advice of Matthew 5:38-39 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” He may have concluded that, if he did, he would be righteous but short two ears.

Source: IBTimes

20 thoughts on “Catholic Priest Arrested After Biting Off Ear Of Fellow Priest”

  1. id707:

    I am with you, when I first saw the headline, I figured it was done in the heat of passion.

  2. I pick on Catolics too much on this blog. I apologize. Priests are people too. So are nuns. So are kids who go to those Catolic schools. In the scale of things what is one ear?

  3. “Take, eat, this is my body. Do this in remembrance of me”

    perhaps they took it a bit further than the scriptures intended.

  4. EBLB,

    The consensual sodomy was consumated. It was the throes of you know what when the ear was taken of. The earless didn’t notice. He also had throes.
    Are such throes between prayer sessions or instead of them.?

  5. Both priests need HIV status tests.
    Both priests need anger management courses (or they can read “Anger Management for Dummies”)
    Both priests need to give up driving so they can give up parking

  6. It is sad to see priests stooping to the level of being a..human being! I am amazed that this bit of news wasn’t hidden by the church.

  7. Remember the Arkansas church thingy where the legislature there was thinking of allowing guns in church, when down the street the cops shot the fire chief in court because he was dissing them because of a speed trap? (Pop a Cap For Jesus /n Justice). Texans are still miffed that they seem civil by comparison.

  8. None dare call them Catolics. Once they get religion they dont just stop at licking. I tell that to HumpinDog everyday.

  9. Imagine you went to church and a rugby match broke out.

    In Australia, you don’t have to imagine.

  10. The Vatican blamed the rape of children by Catholic priests on the lack of morals displayed by hippies in the seventies. I suggest that Father Byrne blame Mike Tyson. Or perhaps Cicero.

  11. mespo,

    or perhaps he misinterpreted:

    If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

    The parking spot epiphany was to change it to:

    If thy brother’s ear cannot hear you saying this is my fricking spot and offendeth theyy, bite it off.

  12. I think the battering priest was simply trying to protect his fellow. He’s why:

    “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches. He that overcommeth, shall not be hurt of the second death.
    ~Revelation 2:11 (King James Version)

    No ear; no hear.

    Or maybe he thought Smith was a servant of the High Priest:

    “When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, ‘Lord, should we strike with our swords?’ And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched the man’s ear and healed him”

    ~Lk. 22:49-51

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