Church outrage at raid on Good Friday service
THE Met was embroiled in a fresh row last night after officers halted a Good Friday church service and threatened to arrest worshippers for breaching coronavirus rules.
A video posted online shows two officers telling the congregation at the Christ the King Polish Roman Catholic Church in Balham, South London, that the service is unlawful and ordering them to go home.
After interrupting the service – one of the most important in the Christian calendar – a male officer stands behind a lectern near the altar and tells worshippers: ‘Failure to comply with this direction to leave and go to your home address ultimately could lead you to be fined £200 or, if you fail to give your details, to being arrested.’
Under lockdown rules, churches and other places of worship can remain open for communal worship as long as a risk assessment is carried out and there is social distancing. Church officials last night insisted that Christ the King was big enough to safely accommodate the 133 people who were there. The event was fully booked in two hours after a website was used to limit numbers.
A statement on the church’s website said: ‘We believe… that the police grossly exceeded their powers by issuing their order without adequate reason, as all Government requirements were met.’
Father Aleksander Dasik, a priest at the church, told The Mail on Sunday of his shock at the police action. ‘We know we are in difficult times with this pandemic outbreak but we did everything necessary to avoid the transmission of the virus,’ he said.
‘We limited numbers because if we didn’t then a thousand people would come. So we made a big sacrifice and we are really shocked that the police came into the church without any respect for the people.’
The Met, which was criticised for its policing of a vigil in Clapham on March 13 for murder victim Sarah Everard, said it had been called to the church at 5pm after reports of people queuing to get inside. Officers intervened around an hour later during a key part of the service called the Adoration of the Cross. One of the members of the church invited an officer to explain to the congregation why the service was being halted.
The officer told them: ‘This gathering is unfortunately unlawful under the coronavirus regulations … you are not allowed to meet inside with this many people under law… you need to go home.’
One worshipper, Jakub Vcinski, 20, who has been involved with the church since he was 12, said: ‘We felt very offended. It’s Good Friday, Jesus died on the cross for us Christians. It is probably the most significant day of the year.’
Covid guidelines advise services should be kept as short as possible, worshippers should stay two metres apart – or one metre if wearing a face covering – from people outside their household and should not mingle with those outside their bubble.
Last night, the Met said: ‘Some people were not wearing masks and those present were clearly not socially distanced.
‘Understanding the sensitivity of the situation, officers engaged with the priest outside the church and were invited inside to address the congregation. No fixed penalty notices were issued.’