Białystok. He spat on the cross, threw the missal on the ground. Before the trial begins, an expert will examine his health condition

In February, the parish priest of the archcathedral parish in Białystok reported to the police that since the beginning of the year a man whose behavior offends the religious feelings of other people had been coming to church.

He was supposed to have desecrated objects of religious worship and a place designated for the public performance of religious rites. As the parish priest said at the time, the perpetrator would spread notes with “blasphemous inscriptions” on the pews, pulpit and altar before services.

“Witnesses saw him spit on the cross and throw the missal on the ground,” the police said at the time.

On the day of the report, officers arrested the 41-year-old man red-handed when he was actually spreading notes with inscriptions in the church. The investigation into this case was supervised by the Białystok-Południe District Prosecutor's Office. Ultimately, it filed an indictment with the court, accusing the city resident of repeatedly offending the religious feelings of others in January in the Białystok Archcathedral Basilica and insulting objects of religious worship and a place designated for the public performance of religious rites.

SEE ALSO: Half a year in prison for disrupting a church service. Convicted man explained it as “stupidity”

The man spread notes on the pews, pulpit and altar with messages that were – as the prosecutor put it – of a blasphemous nature. The charges also included spitting on the cross and throwing the missal on the ground.

During the investigation, the 41-year-old pleaded guilty.

– He indicated that he is an atheist, and at the same time emphasized that his behavior was aimed at making amends to God for what had happened to him in life – said the head of the Białystok-Południe District Prosecutor's Office, Marek Winnicki, when the indictment was submitted to the court.

On Thursday (September 12), the trial was to begin in the district court in Białystok. However, before the indictment was read and the trial began, the court decided to appoint an expert (during the investigation, as a suspect, the man was not examined by experts) to examine the health of the accused. Referring to the important private interest of the 41-year-old, the court classified information about the medical specialty of the expert.

He previously closed the hearing to the public while collecting personal data from the accused. Among such data is the health status of the person who is standing trial. The trial was adjourned indefinitely.

The District Prosecutor's Office in Białystok is currently conducting an investigation against the same person, and he has been charged with allegations related to the desecration of roadside crosses and a chapel with a statue of the Virgin Mary in the Choroszcz commune.

– We are a multicultural commune and such incidents have never happened before. There are always fresh flowers by the statue, people gather there during holidays. It is an important place for our community – Urszula Glińska, spokeswoman for the mayor of Choroszcz, said in an interview with tvn24.pl in August.