Man Insults Congregation and Attacks Liturgical Servant During Mass

Case information
Incident date
Country
Poland
Place
Jastrzębie-Zdrój
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Private
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Desecration
  • Physical Violence
Place of Incident
  • Church
Bias Indicators
  • Comments/Written Statements/Gestures/Graffiti
  • Lack of Other Motive
  • Significance of Property/Structure/Location to religious community
  • Time/Place/Location
Reported to Police
  • Yes
Response of Local Authorities
  • Investigated
Image credit: YouTube (tujastrzebie.pl)

A 38-year-old disrupted the Holy Saturday celebrations at the All Saints parish in Jastrzębie-Zdrój. Entering the altar area, he loudly shouted vulgar words from the pulpit. When being asked to leave the altar stage, he attacked one of the liturgical servants as well as a police officer during arrest.

The man, a local resident, was intoxicated and posed a danger to himself and others. Halina Semik, local police press officer, said that the man was detained in connection with disrupting a church ceremony and violating the bodily integrity of intervening officers.

Sources