3 April 2021, 12:31 | Updated: 3 April 2021, 13:44
A police officer stood on the entrance of the sanctuary to clarify why the service was being ended.
Picture:
YouTube – Andrzej Fryzicki
Police broke up a Good Friday church service in south-west London final night time for breaching coronavirus laws.
Footage that emerged on social media on Friday reveals two Metropolitan Police officers suspending the pre-Easter service on the Christ the King Polish Roman Catholic Church in Balham.
One of the members of the church invited the officer to the sanctuary to clarify to the congregation why the service was being disrupted.
The Met officer outlined that gatherings “with this many individuals” are illegal underneath the federal government’s coronavirus restrictions.
Currently, the rules say companies must be saved as brief as attainable, worshippers ought to hold two metres aside (or one metre if carrying a face protecting) from individuals exterior their family and folks mustn’t mingle with individuals exterior their family or assist bubble.
The officer additionally directed individuals to return house or danger both being fined £200 or arrested in the event that they refuse to offer their particulars.
He added that despite the fact that it was Good Friday, one of the crucial essential days of the yr in the Christian calendar, and he understood individuals wish to worship, they needed to depart as a consequence of Covid laws.
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He stated: “Ladies and gents, this gathering is sadly illegal underneath the coronavirus laws now we have at present.
“You should not allowed to fulfill inside with this many individuals underneath regulation.
“At this second in time, it’s worthwhile to go house.
“Failure to adjust to this path to depart and go to your private home handle finally could lead on you to be fined £200 or, for those who fail to offer your particulars, to being arrested.
“I recommend, women and gents, that although it’s Good Friday, and I admire you wish to worship, that this gathering is illegal so please might you permit the constructing now. Thank you.”
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Absolutely disgraceful. Police shut down Good Friday service in Polish Church, Balham yesterday.
“I admire that it’s Good Friday, and also you’d prefer to worship, however this gathering is illegal” pic.twitter.com/cEVuZamVdi
— Luke de Pulford 裴倫德 (@lukedepulford) April 3, 2021
A message posted on the church’s web site on Saturday says: “On Good Friday, 2 April 2021, through the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, on the time of the Adoration of the Cross, the police arrived on the door of our church at round 6pm.
“We weren’t allowed to complete the celebration. The cops discovered our liturgical meeting unlawful, ordering everybody to depart our temple instantly or face a £200 tremendous for every parishioner current, and even arrest.
“The devoted obeyed this order with out objection.
“We imagine, nonetheless, that the police brutally exceeded their powers by issuing their warrant for no good purpose, as all authorities necessities have been met.
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“We imagine municipal police officers have been misinformed in regards to the present place of worship tips, claiming that the explanation for their intervention is the continued ban on public celebration in locations of worship in London because of the lockdown on 4 January 2021.
“We remorse that the rights of the devoted have been wronged on such an essential day for each believer and that our worship has been profaned.
“We knowledgeable the superiors of the Polish Catholic Mission in England and Wales about this incident. We requested the police authorities to clarify the incident and we’re ready for their response.”
It added: “All scheduled rites for Dedication of Easter, Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday will happen in the order indicated.
“We ask everybody to watch the present sanitary necessities in the church and the house of social life and to hope that such conditions is not going to be repeated.”
The Metropolitan Police stated in an announcement: “At round 1700hrs on Friday, 2 April, officers have been known as to a report of crowds of individuals queuing exterior a church in Balham High Road.
“Officers attended and located a lot of individuals contained in the church. Some individuals weren’t carrying masks and people current have been clearly not socially distanced.
“We are significantly involved in regards to the danger of transmission of the Covid-19 virus on account of giant indoor gatherings at which persons are not socially distanced and a few should not carrying masks. As such, officers made the choice that it was not secure for that individual service to proceed.
“Understanding the sensitivity of the state of affairs, officers engaged with the priest exterior the church and have been invited inside to handle the congregation. No mounted penalty notices have been issued.
“This was one in all a collection of quite a few occasions happening on the church over the Easter interval. We are partaking with church authorities at present and can proceed to take action in the approaching days.”
