A shocking video shows the moment when a brawl broke out in a Catholic church during mass. The priest had ordered the troublemaker to leave, and the fight that followed almost toppled the altar.
The October 24 footage was taken from one the pews. It has been viewed almost 170,000 times. The man can be seen kneeling in front of the church as Father Paul Brunet stops reading the psalm. Brunet points at the man and tells him that he is in trespass.
He then exhorts the members of St. Frances Cabrini Parish Lakewood, Washington State to “get the security guards.”
The man climbs onto the pulpit and approaches the priest. He then turns his back to the congregation, saying, “Keep your hands off of me.”
He had been previously forbidden from entering the church. He was also going naked in violation of county and state rules that require people to wear masks in indoor public spaces.
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The man climbs onto the pulpit and approaches the priest. He then turns his back to the congregation, saying “Keep your hands off of me.”
The intruder’s first man approaches him and speaks unintelligibly with him, pointing towards the door. Before he delivers his first push, the pair start throwing punches at each other.
The priest asks the congregation to call 911 as about 20 churchgoers rush to the front of church to join in the unseemly brawl. As the scuffle unfolds the priest and other churchgoers hold onto the lurching Altar.
The congregation moves to do the opposite. The man insists that he’s not trespassing and points at the priest. The intruder’s first approach is unintelligible. He points at the priest and speaks with him before he gives the first push.
As 20 churchgoers stream towards the church’s front to engage in the unseemly brawl the priest asks: “Can someone please call 911?” As the scuffle unfolds, the priest and other churchgoers keep the lurching altar in its place.
The group drags the man from the stage to the front door of the church. Children cry and a woman repeatedly asks, ‘What happened to him? The video abruptly ends.
The group drags the man from the stage to the front door of the church. Children cry, and a woman repeatedly asked ‘what’s the matter with him? The video abruptly ends.
According to the Lakewood Police Department, the incident occurred at noon. The unidentified man had received a notice on Oct 13 for trespassing in church grounds two days prior.
Both Pierce County, Washington State, and Washington State have indoor mask usage requirements. The man in the video appears to be the only one who isn’t wearing PPE. However, it seems that ask usage wasn’t the issue that prompted the confrontation.
A Public Information Officer from the department stated that the man was’making disturbances’, but didn’t provide any context.
‘The church began having issues with a parishioner, whose son went to school there. He began acting irrationally and creating disturbances,’ Lieutenant Chris Lawler told DailyMail.com.
‘At church’s request, we served the male with a criminal notice… the male returned to Church and created another disturbance.
After the incident caught on video, police arrived at the scene, arrested the man and charged him with first-degree criminal trespass. He was then booked in jail and released on bail.
Father Brunet wrote to his congregation members in a letter titled “The events leading to this unfortunate incident started last month,” which Kiro 7 obtained.
The Priest stated that the man had threatened and abused him, the priest and members of the parish as well as staff at the school. He said that the priest and school obtained a No Trespass Order from the Lakewood Police Department. It was delivered to the man on Oct 13.
“He chose to disregard that order when he arrived at Mass yesterday,” the Priest wrote.
“Please join us in praying for all those involved or witnesses to this incident. You can be sure of my prayers for you all.
DailyMail.com could not reach Father Brunet and his parish to comment.
Yesterday, Parishioners were dissuaded from sharing the viral video, or from talking about the incident, on the church’s Facebook page with a message including an excerpt from Ephesians 4:29-32: ‘Never let evil pass your lips; say only the good things men need to hear, things that will really help them.’
“In light of this holy instruction, please remove any videos or sharing of the disturbance of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass yesterday,” reads the post. ‘People outside of the parish like the man on the east coast don’t need to be involved.’
Yesterday, parish-goers were discouraged from sharing the viral clip or discussing the incident on the church’s facebook page. A message included an excerpt from Ephesians 4:19-32: “Never let evil pass you lips; only say the good things men require to hear, things which will really help them.”
A number of members of the congregation responded with ‘Amen. Others commented on the post and said that it was ‘too soon’ and that they needed to give an explanation.
‘It’s already gone viral and a lot of Catholics would like an answer as to the atrocious mob behavior of your congregation!’ Hannah Louise Carter wrote.
‘Your priest and congregation should repent. Facebook user sad to say that evil was brought into the light.
“All he did was to kneel down and begin praying, and your priest pointed towards him and said that he was trespassing. Your church is full of evil. Your members, instead of peacefully communicating with him, violently removed and swarmed the man.