CATHOLIC priest Libby Daños of the Order of the Discalced Augustinians has been suspended for allegedly participating in blessing a Masonic marker in Ormoc City, Leyte.
“Father Daños has expressed deep remorse for his action and is cooperating fully with the canonical investigation that has been initiated according to Church law and the OAD constitutions,” said Fr. Luigi Kerschbamer, Prior Provincial of the OAD, Provincial Council of the Province of St. Nicholas of Tolentino.
“During this process, he has been temporarily suspended from public ministry to allow for proper discernment and resolution of this matter. We are committed to following established ecclesiastical procedures that ensure both accountability and pastoral care,” added Kerschbamer in a public statement dated September 1, 2025.
OAD identified Daños as “one of our pioneering religious who has served faithfully in our Asian mission for almost thirty years.”
“While Father Daños has indicated that he was initially unaware of the full nature of the ceremony, we acknowledge that this action, regardless of intent, contradicts the clear and consistent teaching of the Catholic Church regarding Freemasonry and has caused scandal among the faithful,” Kerschbamer said.
As the incident allegedly took place on August 30, Fr. Daños has yet to release a public statement after photos of the ceremony went viral on social media.
SunStar Philippines tried to reach out for his comments but to no avail.
The OAD said the incident is “a matter of grave concern.”
It added that the Catholic Church has maintained for centuries that Freemasonry is fundamentally incompatible with Catholic doctrine.
As recently as November 2023, the Holy See's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, with the approval of His Holiness Pope Francis, reaffirmed that Catholics are strictly forbidden from joining Masonic associations because their principles remain “irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church,” according to OAD.
“This incident serves as a sobering reminder of our constant need for vigilance in preserving authentic Catholic identity and the importance of thorough preparation before participating in any public ceremony,” it said.
As this developed, a former Catholic priest and college seminary classmate of Fr. Daños came to the defense of the beleaguered priest, describing him as a “kind person” and capable of change despite the mistake.
“He also admits them, which means he feels remorse for what he has done,” the former priest said.
"Ongoing formation is normal in the Roman Catholic Church when there is a case like this," he added.
The former priest, however, hoped that the Catholic faithful can forgive because there is already acceptance that he sinned.
Meanwhile, an active Catholic priest in Eastern Visayas who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to give official comment on the issue maintained that “there was no actual need for the marker to be blessed for it to be inaugurated, considering the nature and identity of the organization concerned.”
“I believe that he [Fr. Daños] is good and dedicated. It was a lapse of good pastoral judgment, which could happen even to the best of us,” said the priest in a report from Catholic news site UCA News.
OAD, with its benefactors and supporters of its mission in Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India since its foundation in 1994, maintained that it “deeply regret any disappointment or confusion this incident may have caused.” (Ronald O. Reyes/SunStar Philippines)