Catholic churches continue to be vandalized in several French cities. The most recent case took place last week in Angers, where two churches were vandalized: dozens of statues destroyed, many with beheaded saints. The damage was estimated in the tens of thousands of euros and it will take several months to repair the damage.
Father Magloire Djaba Tossou discovered the damage after lunch. The Church of Santa Madalena, in Angers, had just been vandalized, 12 statues were decapitated, according to what he tells us; “We have a magnificent Pieta next to this cross, which has been completely destroyed and decapitated. On this side, we have the altar of the Virgin Mary. We can imagine that the vandals had all the material they needed”.
On the ground, the remains testify to the acts of violence. The perpetrators acted quickly as the church was open, unattended, between 11am and 2pm.
“It is scary to see that the statues have been destroyed, beheaded. We cannot imagine the violence of these people. We would like to know the motivations that led these people to do this. Enter a church, a place of worship. For us these are not just stones, they are symbols of our faith”, described Father Magloire Djaba Tossou.
The members of the parish have been warned by the priest and are concerned. “The most serious thing is that our faith has been damaged. The damage is very serious,” says a resident of Angers.
The inhabitants deplore an attack against the city’s heritage. The mayor of Angers, Jean-Marc Verchère, “condemned this heinous act with the utmost firmness.” “.I express my support to the parishioners, and more broadly to the Catholic community, very affected by these degradations that take place after the Holy Week celebrations,” he said in a press release.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin also condemned the acts of violence. “I express my full support to French Catholics,” the minister wrote, guaranteeing that “everything possible will be done to challenge the perpetrators of these attacks on heritage.”
Source: TSF
