Cyprus mum to sue priest for injuring baby during baptism ceremony

A Greek Cypriot mum was left furious after her baby was left “red all over” and “in shock” after being forcefully plunged into water during a baptism ceremony.

A mum was left furious after her baby was left “red all over” and “in shock” after being forcefully plunged into water during an unusual baptism ceremony in Greece.

Mum Ntina Shitta shared a video of her screaming baby being plunged into the baptismal font during the ceremony on Saturday in Limassol in Cyprus.

During the short baptism, the baby, who was squirming and crying, was plunged underwater twice as its legs hit the side of the basin.

Mum Ntina accused the priest of “hitting” her baby, and said the group shouted at him to stop. But she said he responded he was “responsible” for the baby’s baptism.

The mum said the priest had ‘ruined our most beautiful day’. Picture: Ntina ShittaSource:Facebook

The mum said her baby was “in shock” and the priest’s behaviour “ruined our most beautiful day”. She added, “as for his way he was generally horrible!!”.

The parents filed a complaint over the incident, according to Greek Reporter.

During a television interview the following day, the priest apologised to the family for the incident, but said the baby had slipped from his hands, and any harm was not intentional.

The truth is that the baby at some point almost slipped from my hands and as you can see in the video I placed my arm under his hip to protect it, he said.

There was no intention on my part to hit or injure the baby. I have baptised many children. When I realised that the baby was in stress, I tried to complete the ritual as soon as possible.