Vandalism of statue during Rosary service at Sacred Heart Church
A man disrupted a Rosary service at the Sacred Heart Church in Bologna, entered shouting, and later returned to destroy a statue of St Anthony of Padua. Police are investigating the incident.
An incident of vandalism occurred during a Rosary service at the Church of the Sacred Heart on Via Matteotti in Bologna, where a man entered the church shouting and causing disruption among parishioners.
According to the parish priest, Don Piergiorgio Placci, the individual entered during the prayer service and was shouting while demanding money. He was initially escorted out after a member of the clergy attempted to calm him down.
Shortly afterwards, the man returned to the church and targeted a statue of St Anthony of Padua positioned at the entrance. He pushed the statue from its pedestal, causing it to fall and break on impact, with the damage described as severe and likely difficult to repair.
The priest stated that the man “went towards the statue of St Anthony, knocking it off its pedestal and destroying it”, before fleeing the scene prior to the arrival of the Carabinieri.
Police have since opened an investigation and are reviewing possible CCTV footage from the area in an effort to identify the suspect.
Source and photo: ilrestodelcarlino