We had our son baptised (RC) today. DH is RC, I am not, but I'm supportive - attend Mass every week, have attended bible study in order to understand the faith better, am active in the church community (toddler group, voluntary work etc).
I have always thought the priest at our local church was an arrogant, unfriendly man, but I have tried to give him the benefit of the doubt and be friendly and polite to him.
However, today was the straw that broke the camel's back. He rushed through the baptismal service as if he was doing it by numbers. He was rude to my mother (it was really embarrassing - she was doing a reading and he spoke to her rudely, as if she were a little girl, and corrected her in front of everyone). He was impatient and narky at certain points in the ceremony. It was truly cringe-worthy.
But by far the worst thing - by far - was that he chose to devote half his sermon to ranting about 'people' who baptise their children in order to get them into Catholic schools. I was gobsmacked that he would mention such a thing in a religious service, in front of a small group of family and friends, on such a special day as this. To be honest, I am fuming. Everyone commented afterwards and said how awful he was and how dreadful his sermon was. I was mortified. I felt like crying, and to be perfectly frank, I feel like abandoning that church and going to another one further away. I just cannot face him again without telling him in no uncertain terms what I think of him.
AIBU? What should we do? (My husband is livid,too. Not least because before we had even left the altar the priest accosted my husband who was still carrying our son, and asked for the 'financial donation'. It was done in such a tacky way....honestly, I feel angry just thinking about it...raaaah!)