A parish in Rome has reported a series of incidents involving vandalism, blasphemy, and the disruption of church activities, culminating in the racist harassment of a priest. The church has now restricted access to the premises.
The most serious incident occurred on 2 March 2025 at the Parish of Santa Maria Regina dei Martiri, where a group of around twenty youths surrounded, mocked, and insulted the vice-parish priest, who is originally from Tanzania. The act was described in the report as racist and left the priest deeply shaken.
This episode followed a series of incidents affecting the parish over several months, including acts of vandalism to the oratory structures, shouting and disturbances during prayer, and the use of blasphemous language inside the church. According to the parish, these behaviours repeatedly disrupted religious activities and affected the church environment.
In response, the parish introduced stricter access rules for minors using the oratory facilities. Parish priest Don Daniele stated that such behaviour would no longer be tolerated and emphasised the need to address the situation, while also indicating a preference for pastoral rather than legal responses.