A priest and his partner have been arrested in the town of Don Benito in the Spanish Province of Extremadura as part of an investigation into the illegal sale of Viagra and other powerful aphrodisiacs.
The parish priest, well-known to the parish of San Sebastián, has been released on charges of trafficking harmful substances. He will appear in court on the 1st and 15th of each month.
The arrests were carried out on Monday at the priest's home, which he shares with his partner.
During the arrest and subsequent search of the home, Civil Guard agents seized a number of substances that were ready for sale.
His partner is in prison without bail.
Investigations into the matter began months ago, when the Civil Guard became aware of the alleged sales of Viagra and other substances by both the priest and the other man.
According to sources quoted by El País – Spain's second-most circulated daily newspaper – the priest is extremely popular within the San Sebastián parish, and is well-liked by the community.
The diocese of Plasencia, which the parishes of Don Benito belong to, released a statement saying it regrets the priest's actions "due to the pain, suffering and scandal that these events entail".
It said it will wait for more information to be uncovered before commenting further on the case.
