Canadian Minister Arrested for Holding Church Service

Calgary, Alberta — Rev. Artur Pawlowski, a Canadian pastor, was arrested on Saturday by the Calgary Police for holding a worship service. The church service allegedly violated local health orders that stem from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Calgary police said the “service organizer (Pawlowski) acknowledged the injunction, but chose to ignore requirements for social distancing, mask-wearing and reduced capacity limits for attendees, and continued the event.”

Rev. Pawlowski was charged with organizing an “illegal in-person gathering.” He was also charged with “inciting” others to attend.

Freedom of religion is supposedly protected as a Constitutional right in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This not only lists the Canadian right to practice their religion freely but also to assemble. Calgary Police must have left their pocket Constitutions at home.

Saturday’s incident is not the first time Rev. Pawlowski has had a run-in with police this year.

In April, Calgary Police attempted to halt a Passover service in Pawlowski’s church. The Reverend was smart enough to record the incident in what is now a viral video, where he throws out the police saying, “I don’t care what you have to say, out!” Pawlowski can be heard saying at the time. “Out of this property, you Nazis. Out! Gestapo is not allowed here. Do not come back, you Nazi psychopaths. Unbelievably sick, evil people. Intimidating people in the church during the Passover. You Gestapo! Nazi! Communist fascists!”

You can watch the full video below

It is worth noting that Pawlowski is a Polish immigrant and his family was around in the country during the rise and fall of Nazi Germany.

The concept of pastors getting arrested for holding worship services is certainly frightening, and while we like to believe that this sort of thing doesn’t happen in the United States, it’s simply not the case.

Last Easter, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) ordered police to record the license plates of churchgoers suspected of violating health orders. He threatened to arrest and prosecute those who broke quarantines to attend church.

In May of last year, a Florida pastor was arrested for holding an in-person service in Tampa. This also happened to a pastor in Louisiana around the same time.