Chicago, Ill., Feb 18, 2010 / 02:32 am
A Catholic man could face prison after violating a temporary court order that forbade him from taking his toddler to Mass. Joesph Reyes of Chicago is in the midst of a bitter divorce suit with his estranged wife, Rebecca Shapiro, who is Jewish.
Shapiro was awarded custody of their three year old girl when the couple split and has raised the child in the Jewish faith. Reyes pleaded “not guilty” in a hearing on Tuesday.
The arraignment comes after Reyes had previously received a 30-day restraining order forbidding him from “exposing his daughter to any other religion that the Jewish religion” after he had his daughter baptized a Catholic and sent pictures of the occasion to his soon to be ex-wife.
Rebecca Shapiro responded to the photos by filing for a temporary restraining order, which was granted. According to Shapiro's lawyer, Rebecca was shocked by Reyes' actions and believes they were motivated out of spite.