The Diocese of La Paz issued a public alert Monday warning residents and visitors about a fake priest operating in Baja California Sur, identifying the man as Gregorio Díaz Mora and saying he has no authorization to perform Catholic sacraments anywhere in the state.
According to the diocese, Díaz Mora is promoting religious services through internet platforms and social media while fraudulently using photographs of the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in La Paz to appear legitimate.
The imposter has created what appears to be a sanctuary page on social media, identifying himself as a “spiritual father” who offers private consultations via video call.
The announcement stated that Díaz Mora does not belong to the Catholic clergy and has no license to exercise priesthood in any parish under diocesan jurisdiction.
Church officials said the unauthorized use of the Guadalupe Sanctuary’s images has created confusion among faithful residents looking to schedule baptisms, weddings or other sacraments.
Social media users reported that Díaz Mora appears to operate multiple pages and have called for reporting those accounts to platform administrators.
Diocesan authorities said the matter represents the first formal imposter alert of this kind issued in Baja California Sur.
The consequences for those deceived are severe and immediate.
Sacraments performed by unauthorized individuals are considered invalid under Catholic canon law.
Residents who unknowingly hire Díaz Mora for a wedding or baptism would need to repeat the ceremony with a legitimate priest.
The diocese urged anyone planning a Catholic celebration to verify the officiant’s identity directly through parish offices before making arrangements or payments.
Church leaders asked the community to stay informed through official diocesan channels and parish communications, and they also requested that residents verify the authenticity of any person, event or activity presented as Catholic before participating.
The religious institution asked residents to refrain from hiring Gregorio Díaz Mora to avoid the invalidation of baptisms, weddings and private intention masses in local parishes.
The diocese also emphasized direct verification with parishes.
The diocese emphasized that residents should contact parish offices directly to confirm the identity of any minister before contracting services.
In the viral moment authorities unmasked, Díaz Mora had been using photographs and the name of the real Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Paz, leveraging the church’s legitimate reputation to conduct fraudulent religious ceremonies.
The diocese noted that Díaz Mora was promoting religious services through internet platforms and fraudulently using photographs of the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe to appear legitimate.
The imposter had created what appeared to be a sanctuary page on social media, identifying himself as a “spiritual father” who offered private consultations via video call.
Couples seeking wedding ceremonies, parents wanting baptisms for their children, and faithful people seeking spiritual guidance had all been targeted by someone with no actual priestly training or authorization.
The diocese has urged anyone planning a Catholic celebration to verify the officiant’s identity directly through parish offices before making arrangements or payments.