Posted on 05/11/2006 7:09:07 PM PDT by sionnsar
LATVIAN police are investigating an attack by skinheads on worshippers at the Church of England parish in Riga on April 9.
St Saviours was hosting a service for an Open Evangelical Congregation of the Lutheran Church when two men entered the service and began to cause a disturbance.
Asked to leave, the two assaulted one worshipper, injuring him slightly. Founded by Maris Sants, former minister of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church (LELC) who was dismissed from the ministry after he announced he was gay, the Open congregation meets at St Saviours with the support of Rigas Anglican vicar, Dr Juris Calitis. On July 23, St Saviours became a political flashpoint in the Baltic nation, hosting Riga Pride 2005, the nations first gay rights parade.
After the parade, LELC leaders dismissed Dr Calitis from the ministry of the Lutheran Church for his involvement with the Open congregation. Dr Calitis remains a priest of the Church of England in good standing, however. According to a press release, the assault at St Saviours is part of a campaign of intimidation waged against supporters and members of the Open congregation dating back to last summers gay pride march, when neo-nazis and skinheads pelted the marchers at St Saviours with eggs and filth. Latvias State Police are continuing their investigation.
Neo-nazi Latvian Skinheads vs. Gay Latvian Anglicans....
hmmmmmm....who to cheer for...
Gay Latvian Lutherans, who just happened to be meeting in an Anglican church.
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