Did Goan catholic priest convert to Hinduism?
Social media users are sharing a photo of a man clad in a priest's dress to claim that a Goan catholic priest Fr Anthony Fernandeshas converted to Hindusim at an ancient Ram Krishna temple.
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 27 Sep 2022 3:01 AM GMT
Hyderabad: Social media users are sharing a photo of a man clad in a priest's dress to claim that a Goan catholic priest Fr Anthony Fernandes, who comes from a Christianity lineage of 400 years, has converted to Hindusim at an ancient Ram Krishna temple.
A Twitter user shared the photo with the caption, "A Goan Catholic priest from a family of 400 years in Xianity, Fr Anthony Fernandes, became a Hindu. The Jesuit priest was converted at a public ceremony at Ram Krishna Temple in d ancient Hindu city. Today is a day of great joy for me, as I'm no more attached to any church." he said."
Click here to view the post and click here to access the archive.
Another Twitter user also made the same claim. Click here to access the archive.
Fact Check
NewsMeter ran a keyword search about priest Fr Anthony Fernandes converting to Hinduism but did not come across any such news report.
We then performed a reverse image search of the viral photo and found it used in a polish article published on 5 August 2022. The image is described as a still from the series Father Matthew. The article stated that Father Mathew is inspired by the Italian TV series Don Matteo and polish viewers are enjoying it since 2008. Artur Żmijewski, the polish actor has played the lead role of Father Mateusz in the series.
It also stated that the 28th season of Father Mathew will air every Friday from 9 September. This time first seven episodes of the series were directed by the actor Artur Żmijewski.
Further, we again ran the keyword search and found the viral photo on the website of ATM Grupa — the production company of the crime series. The website stated: "The Polish version of don Matteo, father Matthew (ojciec Mateusz in Polish), is played by Artur Żmijewski, who gives his character a kind smile and cheerful eyes."
We also found a 2.8-minute video of the series uploaded by the TVP VOD on YouTube on 3 December 2008. At the 1.23-minute mark, the viral image of the polish actor playing the role of a priest can be seen in the video.
The viral image is from the series Father Mathew. Hence, the claim of Goan priest Fr Anthony Fernandes in the viral image converting to Hindusim is false.
