Aussie Police Barge into Church and Stop Mass to Enforce COVID Mask Mandate

(by Sarah Taylor | The Blaze) – Churchgoers found themselves stunned after Perth, Australia, police stopped mass to see whether parishioners were wearing masks during a recent church service.

What are the details?

The Daily Mail reported that a photo uploaded to social media showed at least one police officer standing near a dais alongside a priest at St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church at Mount Hawthorn in Perth on Thursday night.

Authorities were said to have arrived at the church after receiving a tip that worshippers were not following mask mandates.

One churchgoer named Matthew said that everyone in the church was “pretty surprised” and that it was “troubling to see the liturgy that you love being stopped by police.”

“It was pretty confronting,” he recalled. “Everyone was sort of pretty stunned, I suppose. Then as soon as it started it was sort of over as he left.”

The outlet reported that leaders believe the incident was a massive overreach.

In a statement on the interruption, authorities said that at least four people were found to be non-compliant with the region’s mask mandate.

“Police responded to a report from a member of the public of people not wearing masks inside a church in Mount Hawthorn,” the statement read. “Upon attendance, five people were spoken to by police and complied in wearing a mask. One person provided proof of an exemption.”

CHURCH PAPERS CHECK: Patrick Horneman reported that in Perth, Australia a policeman entered a church “demanding correct mask behavior and checking exemptions.” pic.twitter.com/zs0Wl5W2iQ

— Apex World News (@apexworldnews) February 4, 2022

According to a Friday report from news.com.au, the church took to its social media pages to announce that masks are required inside the building. Read Full Article >