Spain’s Robin Hood priest prepares to save the world

By Euro Weekly News Media • Published: 20 Dec 2016 • 9:35

A SPANISH priest is planning to bring his hugely successful Robin Hood restaurant concept to the rest of the world, starting with Latin America.

Angel Garcia Rodriguez, a 79-year-old known to his followers as Father Angel, has opened four restaurants across Spain in the run-up to Christmas, offering food to the homeless in a classic dining set-up.

Described as ‘Robin Hood’ restaurants, thousands of people have benefited from the dignity of being offered a proper meal, with a seat, cutlery, quality food and waiting service since the first establishment opened last month.

Now Father Angel and his charity Mensajeros de la Paz (Messengers of Peace) want to take the idea to the next level.

They are hoping to recruit Michelin starred chefs to contribute to the project, cooking fine meals and bringing much needed publicity to the NGO and its aspirations.

The next step is to take Robin Hood to poor communities in Mexico and kick start a wave of similar ideas across Latin America, which could be imitated throughout the world.

Father Angel is certainly capable of changing the world. He helps run charitable endeavours in more than 50 countries across the world and is well-regarded among many of Spain’s poorest.

Making a point of never turning people away, he has been criticised in some conservative quarters for helping gay couples, always doing things a little differently during his 79 years.