Coronavirus: ‘Priest fined in Paris after leading mass’ during lockdown

Residents alerted police after hearing music coming from church, reports say

A priest has been fined for breaking lockdown rules by going ahead with an Easter mass in central Paris, according to local media.

Residents reportedly raised the alarm after they heard music coming from the Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet church late on Saturday night.

Police discovered a mass was taking place and were told by a worshipper on their way out around 40 people were inside, according to a French magazine.

The priest has since been fined for ignoring restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus in the country, Le Point reported.

Meanwhile, no churchgoers were sanctioned by police, reports in local media said.

"Last night in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, a service took place in a church despite the lockdown measures," the Prefecture de Police tweeted.

"Officers found the doors shut when they arrived to do checks, but have fined the ecclesiastical authority who officiated after the mass."

Public gatherings have been banned in France and people told to stay at home unless it is essential - for example, to buy groceries or go to work - in a bid to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

People found outside without a certificate explaining their reason risk a fine of €135 (£118), which increases if caught flouting rules a second or third time, the French government has said.

Christians around the world followed virtual services over the Internet or their televisions during the Easter weekend as the coronavirus outbreak put a stop to large gatherings.

The Notre-Dame cathedral ran a scaled-back Good Friday service that was closed to the public and broadcast on TV.

It was the second service to have been held in the Gothic church since it was damaged in a fire last year.

France has been in lockdown for nearly a month over the pandemic, which has seen more than 95,000 people infected with Covid-19 in the country to date.

The death toll for coronavirus patients stood at around 14,400 on Monday.

Additional reporting by Reuters