Funny parishioners last Sunday at the Saint-André-de-l’Europe church (8th). Three police officers broke in during the recording of the Sunday mass, at 8:30 a.m., which was to be broadcast on social networks at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
As in many parishes in the capital, it has been the practice to maintain the link with the parishioners, despite the confinement, by filming the offices in very small groups and by broadcasting them on the Internet. What remains authorized, in spite of the restrictions related to containment, but under strict conditions. This time, the sequence turned into a bad soap opera involving the parish priest, the police, and the altar servant.
“All sanitary measures were respected”
“Only seven people were present: the organist, an altar servant, a cantor, three parishioners to answer and hold the camera, and myself,” said Father Philippe de Maistre, parish priest of Saint- André-de-l’Europe, in Aleteia, the website for Catholics. “All sanitary measures were respected,” he says.
However, during the homily, three policemen entered the church, with all of their law enforcement equipment, revealed Le Figaro. “I made the choice to continue the mass, but the police ordered us to stop. The police chief demanded that his colleagues Verbal gentleman, speaking of me ”, specifies the abbot. “They also ordered the three parishioners to leave the church,” said the abbot, who continued his homily, however. “After ten to fifteen minutes, the officers finally left, after talking to my altar servant, himself a police officer,” he explains. If they pushed the door to take a look, it would have been enough for them to see that there was no assembly… ”
Mass in camera or clandestine mass?
Seen from the outside and without explanation, confusion is possible. “The problem is that we close the doors of the church to prevent people from entering, which gives the impression to some people that we are doing hidden things”, recognizes Father Philippe de Maistre.
“It is a neighbor who, on hearing the organ, called the police saying that he was carrying out a clandestine mass”, says the mayor Jeanne d’Hauteserre who “denounces both these attitudes of denial and amalgam “
Borough Commissioner apologized
The Archbishop of Paris, Mgr Michel Aupetit, reacted firmly, last Wednesday on Radio Notre Dame: “The police entered the church with weapons, but there is a formal ban on the police entering a church. There were no terrorists! We must keep a cool head and stop this circus. Otherwise we will speak and we will bark very loud! “
This weekend, the Parisian clergy wants to calm the game. At the invitation of Jeanne d’Hauteserre, mayor LR of the eighth, who intervened at the request of father Philippe de Maistre, to the district commissioner, – he apologized. A handrail has been placed to mark the move. However, no complaints have been made.
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A mass was held during the Easter celebrations in the traditionalist church of Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet (Ve). She was sanctioned for “non-compliance with confinement”. According to the videos broadcast, around thirty clergymen, as well as altar boys, none of whom were masked or who respected barrier gestures, were present in the church. Again, a neighbor alerted the police.
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