Priest called the cops on man without a mask

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Lobster_Johnson

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My diocese has said that masks at Mass are encouraged, but not required.

The other day a priest called the cops on someone who wasn’t wearing a mask (without confronting them first!) and had them removed. If the diocese has said they aren’t required, can a pastor actually require and enforce a rule like this? This is a little over the top.
 
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Wearing a mask is simply being kind to other people. Perhaps your priest is in a high risk group.

Not sure where you are in the world, in this part the police will not remove someone wrt their mask use.
 
You haven’t said what happened before the priest called the police. I have a feeling that there is more to the story, that we are missing some essential background info.
 
Beryllos said:
You haven’t said what happened before the priest called the police
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Nothing happened. The priest delayed Mass, said absolutely nothing to the man, and then approached him once the cops showed up and asked him to leave.
 
Your profile says “Eastern Catholic”, so, I would take a look at your Eparchy web site and your local laws.
 
Wasn’t my parish, but a local Roman parish.

Can a priest really enforce this? I get wearing masks, but withholding the sacraments and calling the cops on someone is disgusting.
 
It depends on the guidance of the Bishop and of your civil laws.
 
The OP, in light of addition comments from the poster seems all over the place. First the OP talks of the rules in his Diocese, then says wasn’t his (Eastern) parish, but a “local Roman parish”, and gives a lot of details without sourcing them…was the OP there…did he hear it somewhere else…if the OP got the info, was it so complete to include the “before and after” elements of the story.

Maybe I’m just suspicious, but I don’t mean any offense.
 
Yes. A pastor can have a rule that people have to wear masks in the Church, unless the bishop has said otherwise. I don’t really believe that this actually happened the way it is reported here.
 
Where I live, this would be within the law to do because masks are currently required in all enclosed public spaces by the local authority.

However, I would expect the priest to speak to the mask-less person first, and only involve the police if (s)he refused to put on a mask or leave.
 
Lobster_Johnson said:
Wasn’t my parish, but a local Roman parish.

Can a priest really enforce this? I get wearing masks, but withholding the sacraments and calling the cops on someone is disgusting.
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Our bishop wrote mid-May: “In a few parishes, the pastor is at high risk because of age or health problems, and he is required to protect his own health by divine law. … If your priest has health problems, it may delay reopening even though the rest of the area is open.”
 
“It’s nothing to get hung about”

The pastor is in charge of his parish and responsible to God for their well being.

What if that parishioner had the flu? Or…
 
Lobster_Johnson said:
Nothing happened. The priest delayed Mass, said absolutely nothing to the man, and then approached him once the cops showed up and asked him to leave.
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Okay, nothing happened while you were there at the church. Maybe the priest was acting that way due to some difficulty with that man on a previous occasion.
 
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Okay, nothing happened while you were there at the church. Maybe the priest was acting that way due to some difficulty with that man on a previous occasion.
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I agree that there was probably some history or backstory.

The thing that I find curious is that it was the priest who called police and who went with the police to remove the man. I have seen a good dozen mentally ill, violent or disobedient people removed from various churches but have never seen a priest involved in the process. it is always an usher, knight of Columbus, parish manager, security detail person, etc. but then again we have armed police at mass at my church so theres that
 
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