Catholic priest Ferdinand Santos, who had the internet swooning over his celebrity looks, addressed his viral fame on Friday by preaching about the importance of a person's heart over his looks.
Only Jesus Christ deserves to have a fan club, Santos said in a lengthy Facebook post. "They're Jesus' fans, not ours. And we shouldn't be going around trying to form our own groupies," he said.
Santos said some of his photos that went viral were taken when he was 17 and he's now 50. "I may not look like I'm 50 but does it really matter?" he said.
"What's really sad is not about the photos or the misunderstanding about all that. What really made me sad was the fact that I've seen that we're so hot on appearances. We forget that while appearances are important, they're not the most important. What lies inside a person in fact is far more valuable. What's inside a person's heart is far more important that what a person's face looks like," Santos said.
The viral photo, which was posted by his friend and fellow priest Ranhilio Aquino, showed a young Santos wearing a purple robe alongside a picture of exercise equipment. Aquino said Santos is a licensed fitness instructor aside from holding a PhD in philosophy.
Santos would rather focus the attention of the public to the plight of the poor -- the reason why he came back to the Philippines.
Santos also urged the public to get vaccinated against COVID-19, adding that he, who have comorbidities like asthma and diabetes, could've experienced worse symptoms if he had not been vaccinated while he was in Miami last April.
"I'd like to focus attention on the plight of the poor and the hungry and of the need to wear face mask, to social distance, and most importantly to get vaccinated."
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