This verdict is a great scandal, interrupting prayer is exceptional rudeness – Education and Science Minister Przemysław Czarnek said on Wednesday. On Monday, the court in Poznań acquitted 32 people who led to the interruption of mass at Poznań Cathedral in 2020.
On Monday, the Poznań District Court – Nowe Miasto and Wilda in Poznań acquitted 32 people who went before the altar in October 2020, during mass in Poznań Cathedral, with banners with content related to the right to abortion. The pastor of the cathedral parish, Fr. Ireneusz Szwarc interrupted her celebration.
It’s one big scandal. Now I will ask the court (what would happen) if I entered the courtroom and gave some opinions on various subjects; said I found a great place to express my opinion
– said Przemysław Czarnek in Poznań on Wednesday.
Czarnek: If the court promotes rudeness, it’s a big scandal
The church is a place of prayer, interfering with prayer is above all extreme rudeness and if the court tolerates and even promotes rudeness in its judgments, it is one big scandal
– added the Minister of Education and Science.
The trial before the Poznań District Court – Nowe Miasto and Wilda in Poznań concerned the events of October 2020, when the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that the provision allowing the permissibility of abortion in case of a high probability of serious and irreversible fetal damage or an incurable illness that threatens his life violates the Polish constitution.
After the verdict was announced, demonstrations against the decision of the Constitutional Tribunal took place in many Polish cities. Participants in the Poznań Cathedral incident went to the altar after reading the Gospel. They chanted, “We’ve had enough!” They held banners with slogans: “Catholic women need abortion too”, “Catholic you are not alone” and with anti-clerical content. They threw out flyers and started clapping.
The public prosecutor’s office has charged 32 people with “joint and concerted malicious obstruction of the public performance of a religious act”. This act is punishable by a fine, restriction of freedom or imprisonment up to 2 years. The defendants pleaded not guilty.
In its grounds for the verdict, the court ruled that the evidence did not demonstrate the “maliciousness” of the protesters who wanted to express their dissatisfaction with the Constitutional Tribunal’s verdict. According to the court, the defendants protested, but while maintaining “seriousness and respect” for the place where they were staying, additionally chose the moment of the sermon for the duration of the protest; the slogans on the banners “did not incite hatred or attack religion in an offensive manner”.
The verdict is invalid.
tkwl/PAP
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Source: wPolityce