Police arrest five people defending ‘La Pietà’ statue removed from beloved church in Chicago

Former parishioners of St. Adalbert’s fear that the removal of the Pietà sculpture marks the beginning of the church’s devastation.

Five people were arrested Tuesday morning after peacefully attempting to block the removal of a Pietà statue from the grounds of Chicago’s St. Adalbert’s Catholic Church, which has been slated for sale to the owner of the profane “Temple House” event venue.

Catholic activist Richard Smaglick told LifeSiteNews that the five protesters were arrested after blocking a truck carrying away the Pietà statue, “Tiananmen Square” style.

The beloved statue is a faithful replica of Michelangelo’s famous “La Pietà” sculpture, which depicts the body of Christ held in the arms of his mother after the crucifixion. Its removal is understood by many locals to pave the way for the end of St. Adalbert’s as a church.

Anina Jakubowski, who attended St. Adalbert’s since she was a child, shared with LifeSiteNews that Tuesday’s human “blockade” began when she walked toward the flatbed truck carrying the Pietà sculpture, and was about five feet from the vehicle when it stopped. The driver tried to “wave her away,” but she stood her ground.

“The police came right away because they saw the truck had stopped. They wanted me to move. I just kind of stood there and the rest of the protesters came and started standing there,” said Jakubowski, adding that they delayed the truck’s departure for anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.

Jakubowski had already left to speak with Archdiocese of Chicago employees by the time police intervened, giving three warnings and then handcuffing the few remaining protesters: Władysława Domaradzka, Andrzej Bobak, Judy Vazquez, Roman Waksmundzki, and Rosa Ibanez, according to Smaglick… (Excerpt from Lifesitenews.com)