Since then, Figueroa, who was not present at the confrontation with Romo, has engaged in an escalating war of words with other priests and the church hierarchy, which is weighing whether to suspend him. One Tijuana priest on a radio show accused him of taking money from drug traffickers. Figueroa suggested he might reveal the names of alcoholic and womanizing priests.
After Mass one Sunday afternoon, Figueroa made what seemed to be a startling admission about simony. "I wish I was the only one doing it. There's too much competition out there," Figueroa said during an interview in his cluttered sacristy.
A clutch of aides and parishioners burst into laughter. Moments later, he appeared to back away from his statement, saying his cross-border activity ended years ago.
He said he used to celebrate the sacraments for people he knew from his days as a seminarian at the San Fernando Mission but stopped after church officials complained. He said he doesn't even have a U.S. visa anymore.
Figueroa kept talking while people crowded into the sacristy. He blessed a few babies, stamped some catechism cards and shook hands with friends.
The people simply want a church that's responsive to their needs, he said. He bristled at accusations of shady accounting and underground ceremonies.
His door -- and books -- are always open, he said.
"In the eyes of God," Figueroa said, "nothing is secret."
richard.marosi@latimes.com
