PHOENIX (AZ)
OSV News [Huntington IN]
July 20, 2025
By Gina Christian
(OSV News) — A Byzantine Catholic bishop has prohibited Catholic social media influencer and apologist Alex Jurado from eparchy events pending an investigation, after allegations emerged online accusing Jurado of inappropriate conduct toward a minor teenage girl several years ago. Jurado has publicly denied the allegation and affirmed he is cooperating with an investigation.
Bishop Artur Bubnevych of the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix issued a July 16 statement to that eparchy’s clergy — a copy of which OSV News has obtained — advising that Jurado, “a regular attendee at one of our parishes” known for his “Voice of Reason” social media channel, was prohibited from “activity or involvement … occurring in any facilities of, or events being sponsored by the Eparchy of Phoenix until further notice.”
“We will cooperate fully with any authorized investigations which may occur in this matter,” wrote the bishop. “We wish also to stress that our Safe Environment policies, which address the safeguarding and dignity of all persons, are taken most seriously and, with that in mind, I believe the action being taken is therefore warranted.”
Jurado, who claimed in a February appearance on The Lila Rose Show that he is Byzantine Catholic, has filmed several videos at one of the eparchy’s parishes, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Catholic Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Allegations of inappropriate texting with minor
The accusations against Jurado — who along with his multiplatform channel has spoken at numerous online and in-person Catholic events — recently emerged through several social media accounts.
According to a July 14 article by Protestia — a self-described “polemical news site that is dedicated to providing Christian news and discernment in an age of widespread censorship” — screenshots showing a text exchange between a person alleged to be Jurado and at least one unidentified female, alleged to be a minor at the time, were leaked online.
According to the purported text exchange, the person identified as “Alex” in the exchange calls the girl “very sexy” and “my queen,” talks about seeing her as a “grown woman” and not a child, tells her “I just really want you” but indicates nothing could happen between them until after her confirmation. The person additionally identifies the girl as younger and a “catechumen,” mentioning that Life Teen girls — participants in a worldwide Roman Catholic youth ministry — are 15-16 years old. The person states that he will be the girl’s direct teacher next year as a catechist.
Protestia said the messages and pictures in the exchange dated to when Jurado “was 19-20.” Jurado, in a July 5 appearance on The Salt, an Australia-based Christian podcast, said he is now 30.
Protestia’s article also published other alleged text exchanges — not involving a minor — with sexual content between a person purported to be Jurado and women presumed to be adults.
OSV News cannot verify independently the authenticity of the alleged messages purported to involve Jurado that appear to have originated with an anonymous account that began posting on the social media platform X around July 13.
OSV News examined the article on Protestia.com July 17, and then observed both the site and article were no longer accessible on July 18, yielding a 421 error as a misdirected request to the host server.
Jurado calls accusations ‘a complete fabrication’
In a statement posted July 15 to Voice of Reason’s Instagram account, Jurado — who shot to fame after a July 2024 debate with Protestant pastor and theologian James White — said that “the accusation that I was having an inappropriate relationship with a 14 year old girl is a complete fabrication.”
Jurado said he was “treating an accusation of this magnitude with the seriousness that it deserves.” He added, “I have made my church aware of what is being said about me online and we have contacted the authorities.”
“I am voluntarily cooperating in an investigation that will allow the truth to come to light and that will dispel this awful and vicious rumor,” said Jurado in his statement.
Jurado also noted he was “also prepared to undergo legal action against those who have defamed me.”
OSV News observed that some of the social media accounts involved in amplifying the anonymous account have backed off some of their claims, restricted public access to their accounts, or downplayed their roles.
Jurado added he felt it was “of great importance that I also acknowledge all of my mistakes, failures and sins,” writing he was “a wretched sinner who is in desperate need of God’s mercy as well as in need of the forgiveness of those whom I have offended and sinned against.”
OSV News reached out to Jurado through Instagram, but has not yet received a response to a request for additional comment and clarification on the matter.
Catholic ministries distance themselves
Following the allegations leveled at Jurado, several Catholic media ministries have distanced themselves from him.
Catholic Answers, the San Diego-based apologetics nonprofit that produces the Catholic Answers Live radio show, posted a July 15 statement on X that Jurado “has never been a staff member.”
Speaking to OSV News July 16, Catholic Answers CEO Christopher Check said Jurado had been on the Catholic Answers Live radio show “four times in the last 12 months” and was “not a frequent guest.”
In its online statement, Catholic Answers said that “like all our radio guests, he (Jurado) had a profile page on Catholic.com. In light of the recent serious allegations about Alex, we have removed this profile from Catholic.com. We pray that the full truth may come to light, we pray for Alex, and we pray for everyone who may have been victimized, scandalized, or disedified by these reported events.”
The Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, also appeared to have pulled down a former biography webpage for Jurado, who seemed to have been a scheduled speaker for a youth conference held at one of its parishes.
The Catholic Speakers Organization appeared to have removed its biography webpage for Jurado as well.
Elusive biography
According to an archived version of the page OSV News accessed via the Wayback Machine (part of the Internet Archive), the CSO biography listed Jurado as “a teenage prodigy in his local community after becoming a catechist and apologist at age 16,” and having “a teaching position at his local catholic parish” that saw him “teaching not only other teenagers but also adults in parochial faith formation.”
However, specific information that could substantiate these claims in Jurado’s biography remain elusive. Social media sites, interviews and online biographies provide scant details on the aforementioned catechetical position or the parish he taught at; what seminary he attended and when; and other qualifications in catechesis or apologetics prior to his debut as the “Voice of Reason” and becoming an in-demand Catholic speaker.
Several outlets have retained their posted interviews with Jurado. He told The Salt Podcast in an early July episode that prior to his current career, “I did sales, then I went to seminary, then I left the seminary, became an actor, was acting full time, and then had to go back to sales, and then started Voice of Reason,” his multiplatform media channel.
In his February appearance on The Lila Rose Show, Jurado told Rose that his time in the seminary — the “best time” in his life — was “very, very brief.”
“I got kicked out,” he said, quickly adding, “not kicked out. What it was, my spiritual director, he said, ‘You know what? … I think there’s something else for you that you need to do. I think God is calling you to something else, but I don’t think it’s this.’”
On The Salt Podcast, Jurado — responding to a question from the hosts about his “lowest moment spiritually” — spoke of “a series of events that happened not too long ago.”
“They were kind of recent, where through my own carelessness, I hurt people that were really close to me,” he said.
“I really damaged the relationship to the point where the relationship could have been completely, irrevocably damaged. … And it was my fault, and I had to ask these people for forgiveness, because I messed up big time. I had to humble myself, admit that I was wrong, ask them for forgiveness, and they forgave me,” he said.
Jurado relayed the story as an example of what it means to experience God’s infinite mercy. He did not get into the specific nature of what took place.
Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.