The priest told children the truth about Santa Claus and provoked a scandal.

In the town of Hampshire, priest Paul Chamberlain told six children that Santa Claus does not exist. As a result, the children cried, and parents are planning to file a complaint. This was reported by the Daily Express.

The priest was speaking to sixth-grade students at the school as a guest, and during his speech, he stated: «Now let’s be honest - Santa doesn’t exist». He also accused parents of «jokingly mishandling the cookies» that children leave for Santa in the evening on Christmas. This statement shocked the students.

When parents learned about this event, they approached the school principal, demanding explanations as to why a priest was allowed to speak this way to children and why teachers did not intervene. Indignant parents stated that Chamberlain's behavior was unacceptable, and his words caused emotional harm to the children.

A group of parents has already filed a complaint with the local diocese, demanding the priest’s removal from duties and official apologies. One parent called Chamberlain's behavior «simply disgusting», and the mother of one of the crying girls noted that the priest had brought the children to tears, and their parents had to calm them down.

The Portsmouth diocese recognized the priest’s serious mistake and officially apologized to the children, their parents, and the school. In the diocese’s statement, it is emphasized that Chamberlain «should not have said this». The school principal also informed parents about the priest’s apology.

Despite the apology, parents stated that they would sue the diocese and the priest himself if the situation was not properly resolved. They are demanding official public apologies and preventive measures to ensure that similar incidents do not happen in the future.

Other cases of revealing Santa's secret

In Italy, Catholic bishop Antonio Stagliano told children that Santa Claus does not exist and that his costume was created by Coca-Cola for advertising. This caused a scandal and forced the diocese to apologize for the incident.

Also, in Switzerland, the church replaced the priest in the confessional with a digital avatar of Jesus for experimental purposes. Using artificial intelligence, it answers people's questions in real Time.