A lectionary was set on fire and the sanctuary vandalised in a Halloween-night attack on a Catholic church in northern Italy.
On the evening of October 31, unknown individuals entered the Oltreponte parish church in Casale Monferrato, Italy, and deliberately set fire to a lectionary and other paper materials, leaving the sacred space vandalised and in disarray.
The Diocese confirmed that “the Book of the Word of God… was deliberately set on fire,” and the church was left “soiled and in disarray,” constituting a profanation of a sacred space.
Bishop Gianni expressed “deep regret and paternal closeness” to parish priest Don Renato Dalla Costa and the local community. Federico Riboldi, regional deputy secretary of Fratelli d’Italia, called the act “unacceptable” and warned that if it stemmed from “hatred of the Christian religion or ideological fanaticism,” it would be “extremely serious.” Political and interfaith leaders, including representatives from the Islamic and Jewish communities, expressed solidarity with the parish.