A priest, who was conceived in rape has forgiven his father. He was penitent and years later came to the Faith and goes to confession with his son.Loja (kath.net/CNA) A priest who was conceived in rape has forgiven his father. He did penance and returned to the Faith years later and goes to confession with his son.
“I could have ended up in the dustbin, but I lived”, said P. Luis Alfredo Leon Armijos from Ecuador. His mother was raped by her employer. She was 13 years old and worked in his house as a maid in order to supper her family financially. Her family wanted to abort the child. She flew to another city where she succeeded in bearing the child.
Later she was able to return with the help of the rapist. He recognized the child and supported P. Leon’s mother The relationship to his father was distant, but it was stamped with respect. At the age of 16 he encountered the Charismatic renewal. There he deepened his faith. At 18 he felt called to the vocation of the priesthood and entered, against his father’s wishes, into the seminary. At 23 he was ordained a priest. Two years later he entered into the Neocatechumenal Way. At this time he learned how he came into existence. P. Leon helped his mother to lay aside her hatred against his father and to forgive him. And also he learned with the help of the Gospels to forgive his father.
After many years he received a message from his father, who shortly before a surgical intervention was very afraid. He asked his son, to hear his confession and returned to his Faith after 30 years. “I said to him: you have earned heaven, eternal life”, recalled P. Leon. His father broke into tears after hearing this.
“If you are a child or single mother, look how God our Father has cared for you in your life”, recommends P. Leon, when he talks about his life.
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