ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 66

search

Archdiocese of Bucharest replaces priest spokesman said to equate Jews and virus

Statement doesn’t give reason for the change; Francisc Dobos criticized for sermon saying Christians fear both Jews and the coronavirus, sparking allegations of anti-Semitism

Romanian Catholic priest Francisc Dobos, the spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Bucharest, in 2019. (Screenshot: YouTube)
Romanian Catholic priest Francisc Dobos, the spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Bucharest, in 2019. (Screenshot: YouTube)

JTA — The Archdiocese of Bucharest replaced a former senior spokesperson who was accused of equating Jews to a virus.

Tarcizio-Hristofor Șerban on Thursday replaced Francisc Dobos as spokesman for the archdiocese, the spokesperson’s department said in a statement.

The statement did not say why Dobos, who had been spokesperson since 2011, was replaced. On Facebook, Dobos said only that his “assignment has ended.”

On April 9, in a filmed greeting ahead of Easter, Dobos spoke about how the disciples of Jesus “feared the Jews,” adding: “And here in the bracket we should read: feared the virus.”

Dobos rejected criticism from the MCA Romania Center for Monitoring and Combatting Antisemitism, which said in a statement that his reference to the virus risked equating it with Jews.

“Someone interpreted my words as equating Jews with a virus. I was shocked that some made such an association. Then a wave of virulent reactions broke out against me,” Dobos wrote on April 13 on Facebook.

The archbishop of Bucharest, to whom the spokesperson answers, was replaced in January when Aurel Percă took over from Ioan Robu.

read more:
Never miss breaking news on Israel
Get notifications to stay updated
You're subscribed
image
Register for free
and continue reading
Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. It takes just a few seconds.
Already registered? Enter your email to sign in.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Or Continue with
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Once registered, you’ll receive our Daily Edition email for free.
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Register
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.