Filipino priest in trouble over camera in Oregon church bathroom

[Monseratto]

SAN FRANCISCO – The Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon has placed a Filipino priest on administrative leave after he waited more than three weeks to tell police about a hidden camera found in a church bathroom, while falsely assuring parishioners that police was investigating the matter.

Father Ysrael Bien was placed on leave for his failure to follow church protocol and immediately report the camera.

A 35-year-old who was born in the Philippines, he has been outspoken against same-*** marriage ever since he was ordained in the Catholic Church in 2010.

In the past he has spoken against same-*** couples marrying and has told remarried women they have to choose between renouncing their Catholic faith or ‘living as brother and sister’ with their new spouse.

In April a teenage boy found the camera disguised as a wall outlet, inside a single-toilet men’s bathroom at St. Francis Catholic Church in Sherwood. According to court records, the boy pulled it from to wall to show Bien.

The priest told the boy and his father that he would report the matter to police, but he did not. Instead, he hid the camera.
Bien sent emails and messages to the boy’s parents with details of the supposed police investigation, also saying that the police didn’t need to interview their son. The boy’s parents grew increasingly suspicious in the absence of a police report.

Bien contacted Sherwood Police about the camera only on May 20 to report it stolen. Though police have yet to find the camera, which they said had no memory card when it was initially brought to Bien.

At the time of discovery it was not recording people, according to a Sherwood police spokesman. Police are still investigating and do not have a suspect.

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