Who could possibly have done this? There are plenty of people who hate the Church in France and elsewhere, but there have been people who have hated the Church in France for centuries without this kind of vandalism and desecration happening so frequently. But there has been a recent influx of people in France who hate the Church and have a culture of violence, as well as a long history of attacking and destroying churches. Hmmm. Might they just possibly have something to do with this?
“Eucharist desecrated, statues smashed in series of French church attacks,” Catholic News Agency, February 15, 2019:
At least 10 incidents of vandalism and desecration of Catholic churches have been reported in France since the beginning of February, according to French news sources and watch groups.
Vandals in Catholic churches throughout the country have smashed statues, knocked down tabernacles, scattered or destroyed the Eucharist, burnt altar cloths and torn down crosses, among other acts of desecration of religious items.
According to La Croix International, one of the earliest incidents occurred February 4 at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Houilles, Yvelines, where a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was found smashed on the ground. The church had experienced earlier incidents of vandalism just weeks prior, when the altar cross was found thrown to the ground and the celebrant’s chair was damaged.
The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe, a Christian watchdog group, documented another attack at St. Nicholas Church on February 10, when the tabernacle was found thrown to the ground. A 35 year-old man later confessed to committing the act to police.
On February 5, an altar cloth was found burnt and crosses and statues torn down or disfigured at Saint-Alain Cathedral in Lavaur, in south-central France. The fire was found early by a parish secretary and did not spread, though the smoke damaged the altar and adjacent walls.
The 800 year-old building had also recently undergone renovations, local sources reported.
“I strongly condemn the vandalism of Lavaur Cathedral and I share the outrage aroused by this intolerable act,” Jean Terlier, a local district deputy, said in a statement following the incident, according to La Croix.
“God will forgive. Not me,” the city’s mayor Bernard Carayon said of the vandalism, La Croix reported.
On February 6, just a day after the Saint-Alain Cathedral incident, vandals at a Catholic Church in Nimes broke into the tabernacle and scattered the hosts on the ground, drew a cross on the wall with excrement and damaged other religious items in the church, according to local reports.
In a statement posted to the Diocesan website, Bishop Robert Wattebled of Nimes denounced the desecration, which “greatly affects our diocesan community. The sign of the cross and the Blessed Sacrament have been the subject of serious injurious actions. This act of profanation hurts us all in our deepest convictions,” he said.
The Bishop also announced that a Mass of reparation must be said in the church before regular Masses can continue, and noted that local religious orders of the diocese had already offered to observe days of fasting and prayer in reparation for the act. He encouraged lay Catholics to join in acts of prayer and reparation.
The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe documented another incident on February 9 at the Church of Notre-Dame de Dijon in Côte-d’Or, about 175 miles to the south and east of Paris.
Again in this incident, the tabernacle was opened and the Eucharist scattered. An altar cloth was also stained and a missle book was torn.
Father Emmanuel Pic from Notre-Dame parish told La Bien Public news that since nothing of great monetary value was damaged, it seems the vandals wanted to attack the “heart of the Catholic faith.”
“Nothing of value has been broken, but it is the intent that is very shocking. This is what characterizes profanation,” Pic said.
The vandals seemed to have known that attacking the altar and the Eucharist would be “a very strong symbol for (parishioners), since the hosts consecrated during the previous Mass are no longer just a piece of bread in the eyes of Christians” but the body of Christ, he added. The priest also posted photos of the desecration to his Twitter account. Mass resumed at the parish after a Mass of reparation was said by the local archbishop….
While it is yet unclear if the incidents are at all related, they recall the series of attacks and vandalism that the Catholic Church in France and Belgium experienced in 2016 by the Islamic State. The worst of those attacks included the murder of Fr. Jacques Hamel, who was killed by jihadists while celebrating Mass at a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy. The assailants entered the church and took the priest and four others hostage. Local law enforcement reported that the priest’s throat was slit in the attack, and that both of the hostage takers were shot dead by police.
Teresa Karcich says
Nobody should be surprised by the destruction of churches in France. New Muslim residents hate all non-believers, especially Christians and Jews. Following the Quran, they feel obligated to convert everyone to Islam or destroy them and their faiths.Unfotunately, Pope Francis has been contributing to the terror by insisting that Muslim migrants be welcomed by Christians in spite of the raping, attacking and killing committed by the migrants. He blames terror on a misreading of the Quran, but that is not true. The terrorists and their supporters know exactly what the Quran teaches… and so does the Pope. Why he is lying and misleading people is a mystery. He either supports Islam or is extremely gullible.
mortimer says
Pope Francis is a dhimmi who is Sharia-compliant. One wonders how much ‘REALITY’ (i.e. murders and vandalization) it will take for him to be aware of Islam’s doctrines of HATRED … the kafir doctrine and the Al Walaa wal Baraa doctrine (Islamic apartheid).
Kay says
Indeed, it seems he should be calling on the church throughout the world to pray.
J D.S says
Muslim migrants, bringing with them their home country’s hate of Christianity, are of course the ones who are doing this .Just a continuation of their “homegrown” hatred and local law enforcement just can’t or won’t clamp down and stop it. afraid it’d too late..unless the whole of Europe brings their military to bare and cleans up their countries by rail my and deportation ..Nobody wants a military government but what else is left.
Michael Copeland says
“Muslims in the West must have an attitude of enmity and hatred of the kaffirs”
“All of kuffaar are the enemies of the Muslims.”
Shaykh Muhammed S. al-Munajjid
Saudi scholar, supervisor, IslamQA
https://www.newenglishreview.org/Miscellaneous/Dispatches_-_Undercover_Mosque/
Frosty Wooldridge says
The Islamic religion-political system: a highly emotionally infectious, contagious, repugnant and debauched ethnic disease masquerading as a religion–added to a diabolical Sharia Law mandate. It warps minds of all adherents and forces them toward brutal, violent, cruel, vicious and insane behavior toward men, women and children. It creates suicidal maniacs and insensate intellectual morons. Humans under its spell lose their sensibilities, rational values, dignity and minds. They resort to wanton acts of murder, cruelty, perversion and barbarism. Because of mass immigration into first world countries, this insane religious disease floods into every corner of the planet—and with it a complete destruction of women’s rights, children’s rights, intellectual rights, gay rights, free speech, free choice of religions, dress, free choice of spouse, killing of gays, honor killings of women and a complete loss of humanity by Islam’s adherents. If not stopped by the willpower and force of first world countries, it will ravage the free world back into the Dark Ages. Frosty Wooldridge, six continent world bicycle traveler
Jack Holan says
After all this time and to avoid blaming the Muslims; it wouldn’t be the first time that my People were the scapegoats. However I’ll point out that when Muslims are shown weakness As demonstrated by Pope Francis they have zero respect there after
ItsReallyQuiteClear says
Attacks on Catholic churches? 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…I hope there’s no backlash against Muslims /s
keith Oades says
Everyone seems to have missed the obvious in this report.
ALL the attacks were against CATHOLIC churches.
Q, How many other Christian religions are in France??
Yes, Towel heads hate churches and I personally detest Musloids, BUT, I thinks this is targeted at the Catholics. And given all the reports about child abuse by priests,,,,well some of you may be able to join the dots.
Terry Gain says
I’ve never heard of rank speculation described as connecting the dots, but good try.
What explains the attacks on Synagogues in France? Is there a Host of Homosexual Hebrew Rabbis Harming Children? Or does that dot connect with the other dot (the attacks on Catholic churches) and the other dot (the number of Muslims in France and the other dot (Islamic doctrine and history).
You might take notice of the biggest dot – the attacks on Christians throughout the Middle East.
Ecosse1314 says
Keith is obviously a wee bit dotty …..amongst other things. A raving bigot i suspect
gravenimage says
Good point, Terry.
Kay says
@kierh Oades
Whoever has done this knows that the tabernacle holds the Body of Christ.
Jews in the Mideast are likewise attacked because they are alive in God, God’s chosen.
gravenimage says
The idea that Muslims are attacking Catholic Churches because the object to pedophilia is absurd.
Lavéritétriomphera says
@keith Oades,
We are mostly Roman Catholics. There is no use, moreover, in pointing the finger at anybody, we must wait for the conclusions of the investigation in order to know exactly under what circumstances those cases of vandalism took place and before laying charges. As far I am concern I have never be able to visit some old churches because they are closed due to risk of theft or damage!
And it seams certain Muslims cannot even bear to look at the cross.
mortimer says
One can understand why atheist GLOBALIST LEFTISTS would be unconcerned about attacks on Christians and church property, but WHY IS THE POPE SO CLUELESS AS WELL?
The pope’s 24/7 Swiss Guards carry Glock 19 pistols and Heckler & Koch MP7 submachine guns, but ordinary church members and priest are unarmed and easily victimized by the pope’s Muslim ‘guests’.
Is no one in the Vatican able to explain the reality of JIHAD to the pope?
THESE ACTS OF VANDALISM ARE ACTS OF JIHAD.
Terry Gain says
The position of the Pope in regard to migration and Islam is a conundrum wrapped up in an enigma. I don’t know if he is ignorant or compromised.
Paul says
The pope knows exactly what he’s doing. No one in his position is that naive.
Max says
They come to the West to be fed, housed, to get welfare money and also to be away from the other Muslims that were killing them because they considered them not Muslim enough.
They pay the West with imported drugs, killing on innocent people, destruction of property and visceral hate to any culture that is not their own.
What could have gone wrong, comrade Merkel?
FYI says
Why islam is the religion of antiChrist..
1.There are no two chief commandments in islam.No “love thy neighbor”:koran 5 v 51 violates that
“Oh ye who believe!Take not the Jews and Christians for friends”
The absence of LOVE {Gospel} leads to the islamic Doctrine of HATE{al walaa wal baraa}
2 the koran CURSES Christians for believing in Jesus Christ k9:30
3 the koran DENIES Jesus was crucified k4:157 and DENIES God’s Holy Spirit{and the source of Biblical prophecy}in k4:171
4 allah’s claim to have given the Gospel to Jesus is obviously FALSE k5:46-47
{Jesus never had the Gospel in His possession and besides,it was written by HUMAN beings guided by God’s Wisdom..and it came AFTER Jesus..}
5 the koranic claim that Jesus is a prophet of allah..is used by the dawa tricksters to fool Christians into thinking Jesus is accepted as a prophet in islam.
“Lo!I am the slave of allah.he hath given me the scripture{Gospel} and appointed me a prophet”
koran 19:30
THIS STATEMENT… COMES FROM A TALKING INFANT IN A CRIB!
Besides,Jesus did not come into the world with the Gospel;it came AFTER Jesus had died…nor would an infant know what a prophet or scripture was:not even baby Jesus!
6 N.B
Guess who is allah “the best of deceivers” k3:54 GREATEST ENEMY?
Sahih Muslim vol 5 hadith # 5611
It is a man called MALIK AL-AMLAK {“The King of Kings”}
That specific title is reserved for only one man…Jesus Christ Revs 19 v 6
allah’s greatest enemy is..JESUS CHRIST
{the term “best of deceivers” in Christianity is associated with …lucifer{baal/satan..}
7 The teachings of the koran are in violation of the Exodus 20 :1-17 laws.
see for yourself..
allah is ok with..
Dishonoring your family{if they leave islam..}k:9:29
Murder of infidels k 2:191
Adultery with an enslaved woman{even if she is a MARRIED WOMAN!}k4:24,k33:50
Stealing from infidels k48:20
Bearing FALSE WITNESS to promote {k3:28} islam{taqqiya,tawriya,kitman,muruna,taysin,daurura}
Coveting infidel’s goods
ALL violations of the 5/6/7/8/9/10 laws.
Let’s not forget that allah is NOT the Biblical God,how muslims often elevate their “prophet” muhammed ABOVE God etc and venerate the kaaba{1/2/3 laws violated}
“If you LOVE Me keep my commandments”
John 14:15
That is the FIRST Chief commandment;if you LOVE GOD you obey those Exodus 20+2 chief commandments…and neither allah nor the koran OBEY God’s Laws!The koran violates both of the two chief commandments.The Bible{=Torah+Gospel}is in FULL agreement with the Commandments of God.
The koran isn’t.
gravenimage says
France: At least 10 incidents of vandalism and desecration of Catholic church in last two weeks
………………….
Almost certainly Jihad. Desecration of churches in Europe is now rife.
CRUSADER says
Certainly, Christians need to revive and defend their Faith and places of worship.
Freedom cannot stand very long without Faith emboldening our practice of it.
We need to become great again as a nation (and as a brethren in Christendom)
through revival; by becoming stronger in our virtues.
Indeed, we must defend our lives where and when we can do so.
Churches are beginning to hold armed assemblies and take security measures.
We mustn’t cower. We must become bolder in our Faith. We need to revive.
+++++++++++++
Meturaf says
The Popes tree bearing bad fruit.
Brian Sklar says
The RCC has long been a supporter of Islam as the popes have been trying to bring all religions under their control. To do so they have willing given up the true gospel of Jesus Christ and replaced it with the gospel of good works. According to the teaching of the RCC you don’t have to become a Christian to go to heaven, just life a good life, do good deeds and follow your God given conscience and God will accept you into heaven, no matter what your religion or even if you are an atheist. Christ must be returning soon because the false prophet is already amongst us, his name is Pope Francis.
gravenimage says
What claptrap. Pope Francis is a fool, but Catholics have stood against Islam for centuries. You would not be free today if they hadn’t.
Salome says
This morning’s news was full of Macron speaking out against recent anti-Semitic chanting heard at yellow vest demonstrations, and the descration of a Jewish cemetery with swastikas. Just so you don’t get the wrong idea–I’m against attacks on Jewish people and their places of worship and cemeteries, too. I’m also against it when Muslims do it. But I’ve heard nothing reported about what Macron has said about this rash of desecrations of Catholic churches. Perhaps to say anything would offend laïcité.