Controversial healing priest passes away

February 4, 2020

Controversial healing priest, Fr Fernando Suarez, died Tuesday at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City. 

Suarez's friend, Fr Melvin Castro, said he confirmed Suarez had died at the Asian Hospital after playing tennis. 

"I called someone close to him and said he died at the Asian Hospital due to massive heart attack," said Castro. 

Castro said the 52-year-old Suarez collapsed during the third set of his match. 

"I was in shock. I didn't want to believe it at first," said Castro. 

Suarez became famous through healing sessions around the country, which drew hundreds of sick persons.

Some accused Suarez of breaking the Church’s Doctrine of Faith for Healing by bypassing a head of a diocese. 

Last month,  Suarez was found not guilty of allegations of sexual abuse of minors.

In a notification on January 6, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines - National Tribunal Appeals Judicial Vicar Bishop Antonio Tobias told Suarez that he was found to be not guilty. 

"By order of the Most Rev. Giacomo Morandi, Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Titular Archbishop of Cerveteri, in his letter of December 13, 2019---I was instructed to notify the Rev. Fr. Fernando M. Suarez of the Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose de Occidental Mindoro of the decree of 'not guilty' of the accusation lodged against him of sexual abuse of minors which this National Tribunal of Appeals submitted to Rome on May 8, 2019," read the notification. DMS