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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Celebrities devider Viral Filipino priest Fr. Ferdinand Santos emerges, says photos not edited

Viral Filipino priest Fr. Ferdinand Santos emerges, says photos not edited

Published Aug 31, 2021 07:09 pm
Fr. Ferdinand Santos (right) with Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Diocese of Cubao, after lunch today, Aug. 31. (Facebook)

Filipino priest Fr. Ferdinand Santos disputed reports that his viral pictures were altered or fake, saying that the photos which made the rounds of social media on Aug. 30 were taken 17 years ago.


"The photos people have drawn from my FB page span 17 years! But no, they were not edited," said Fr. Ferdie on Facebook on Aug. 31.


He added: "I don't have the sophistication or the time to waste to do that kind of work. So please don't expect to see or meet my 30+ year old self."

For the last time, Fr. Ferdie said that he will post his present real self on social media.


"I promise this will be the last selfie I will ever post of myself," he said.

The hunk priest added: "I've been a Roman Catholic priest for 22 amazing years, and I've been happy and fulfilled in every single one of them."


"It's a truly blessed life, because one is able to help people, to bring them to God, and to be a reminder to them, and to the whole world, that there's so much more to life than constantly running after things that will never fully satisfy us no matter how much of them we amass for ourselves."


His full post on Facebook:

Fr. Ferdie 17 years ago


"I do not have much comprehension of the craziness that my good friend Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino's FB post about me started, and I'm pretty sure he's just proud of our many years of friendship. (Fr. Rany, we'll get together when this pandemic is over.)


"But there's all sorts of things going on out there, including people talking about how there's this "young" priest who's come home. Heavens! That would be great! Young at heart, hopefully forever, yes. But chronologically, sorry to disappoint you folks.


"And so to once and for all end the ridiculousness all around, I'm posting a selfie I took before lunch with the bishop today. (I promise this will be the last selfie I will ever post of myself).


"Ladies and gentlemen, yours truly is old! And dang proud of it!!! The photos people have drawn from my FB page span 17 years! But no, they were not edited. I don't have the sophistication or the time to waste to do that kind of work. So please don't expect to see or meet my 30+ year old self.


"I've been a Roman Catholic priest for 22 amazing years, and I've been happy and fulfilled in every single one of them. It's a truly blessed life, because one is able to help people, to bring them to God, and to be a reminder to them, and to the whole world, that there's so much more to life than constantly running after things that will never fully satisfy us no matter how much of them we amass for ourselves."

Dad of Fr. Ferdie (Facebook)

Fr. Santos said he got his good looks from his father, who he describes as a Pinoy heartthrob.

On Facebook, Fr. Santos wrote: "Ok, just to show everybody how totally ridiculous the whole thing has been about the Facebook photos people have taken from my page, photos that span 17 long years. This, folks, is my dad, circa. late 1950's. The man was a friggin Pinoy heartthrob, no question about it.

"But if I were to post a photo of my dad now that he's 70+... there lies the ridiculousness of the superficiality of social media's love for image and appearance. If people want to meet the man in the photo below, they'd have to invent a time machine that would get them to 1957 (or perhaps 58). Sorry dad. Didn't mean to use you. Just trying to make a point and teach a lesson here."

On Aug. 30, the younger photos of Fr. Santos went viral. Netizens were also impressed when the priest decided to give up a prestigious post in the US to serve the depressed parishes in the Philippines.

A former Rector of St. John Vianney Seminary in Florida, USA and now back here in the Philippines, the priest was tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in July. He underwent quarantine procedures until he recovered.

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