The first time I encountered José Álvarez Franco, better known as Padre Patillas, or “Father Sideburns,” was during a baptismal service in his church in Tateposco when he referred to me as a “gringo” during the mass, prompting laughter throughout the congregation.
He had got facts wrong, I’m actually a limey; but it didn’t really matter, the impression had been made: this was a priest with an unconventional style.
This impression was strengthened by the setting of the Catholic church, an elegant red brick building perched high in the hills of Tateposco, Jalisco; there were a collection of animals, chickens, and cats living behind the building, with dogs wandering in and out during the service.
It also became clear that Padre Patillas’ renegade approach extended into his politics. Before the service, a speaker was invited to the altar to protest the reforms of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. The priest himself announced: “This is the church of the poor, not of the rats working in government!”
This confrontational style contributed to his suspension from the church in 1983. Following this, he continued organizing and protesting with the people of his district, and even came into conflict with local authorities. “The police came here once 20 years back and they wanted to take me away, so we gave them a few smacks and sent them on their way,” he boasted.
The years have certainly not tamed him. Padre Patillas remains as fiery as ever. In an expletive laden video of a visit between the priest and the local National Action Party (PAN) deputy, Héctor Álvarez Contreras, he was asked by the politician about his choice of language: “Father, why do you speak like that?”