Story By:  Gheorghi Caraseni, Sub Editor:  Joseph Golder,  Agency: Central European News

A gypsy man has been fined over a prayer made in a local church where the asks God to protect his people from the coronavirus, and to give it to the non-gypsies instead.

The unchristian prayer was reportedly made at a church in Cetate village located in the southern Romanian Dolj County, where the young man filmed himself in a church as he seems a prayer to God to save the tzigane – who are historically Hungarian gypsies – people from COVID-19.

The video show as the young man, holding a religious book in his hand, is singing a text where he says: “Lord our God, we beg you, our king, to protect us, the Romas, from this virus.

“And give it to the Romanians.

“Saw the Romanians die and the tziganes live.”

He then makes the sign of the cross and adds: “Glory to you, my God, Glory to you.”

Romanian media reported the man was from the community around the church and was 28 years old, and said they had tracked him down and questioned him over the sacrilegious behaviour.

He was unable to provide an exact reason his actions and later made a public apology saying: “Please forgive me, all the Romanians and rest of the world. I admit my guilt. We all make mistakes.”

A spokesman for the local police force confirmed that the man had been fined 200 RON (36 GBP) for ‘uttering insults, offensive or vulgar expressions, likely to provoke the indignation of citizens or to harm their dignity and honour’.

The video caused widespread outrage online with online commentators like ‘ML Florina’ saying: “Good God, how could he sink so low? I am a gypsy too but I wish no harm to anyone.”

Another internet user named ‘Tonita Lucaci’ wondered: “How did this blackhearted Satan even get into the church?!”