Polish Catholic parish in London: Police ‘grossly exceeded powers’ in halting Good Friday service

Apr 4, 2021 by Jill

from Catholic Herald:

A Polish Catholic parish in London, England, said Saturday that it believed that police “grossly exceeded their powers” when they halted a Good Friday service and ordered parishioners to go home.

Police officers interrupted the Good Friday liturgy at Christ the King Church in Balham, south London, on April 2, ordering worshipers to leave or face a fine or possible arrest.

A video posted on YouTube showed a police officer addressing the congregation from a pulpit in the sanctuary of the church, informing them that the gathering was “unlawful” under current coronavirus restrictions.

An April 3 statement on the parish’s website said: “On Good Friday, April 2, during the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, at the moment of the Adoration of the Cross, at about 6 p.m., the police came to the door of our church. We were not allowed to finish the celebration.”

“The police officers, stating that our liturgical assembly was unlawful, ordered everyone to leave our church immediately under the threat of a fine for each of the parishioners present of £200 [around $277] or even arrest. The faithful obeyed this order without objection.”

Read here

Watch here

Latest news (12 April): Police apologise for halting church service on Good Friday, from Christian Today

Earlier news and comment:

London Cops Raid Polish Good Friday Service by Jules Gomes, Church Militant

Now the police are breaking up Good Friday services, by Brendan O’Neill, spiked:

Polish Church Faces Hate Speech on Easter, by Jules Gomes, Church Militant

Archbishop John Wilson’s Pastoral Statement courtesy of Damian Thompson on Twitter

Watch also: Canadian Poles deal with police intrusion rather differently … (via Twitter)

Please right-click links to open in a new window