Parish priest faces aggression during break-in at his presbytery in Levie
On 27 June 2026, Fr Pierre Pio reported that three young men forced entry into the presbytery in Levie while he was present inside. The incident involved damage to the building and a direct confrontation with the priest, who described the event as an aggression. The case follows previous acts of vandalism affecting parish property and raised concerns about local safety of both clergy and the faithful.
On 27 June, three young men broke into a presbytery in Levie, Alta Rocca, gaining forced entry through the front door. According to the parish priest, Fr Pierre Pio, the trespassers, who did not live in the village, entered the building while he was present. They caused damage to his front door by kicking it down and returned three times. He stated that he had tried to intervene before they left the premises.
Reportedly, the incident was not isolated and Fr. Pio stated that there had been other acts of vandalism affecting parish property, including the church and presbytery. In a social media post, Fr. Pio voiced his concerns about the perceived lack of response to these incidents, highlighting that they had occurred in a general climate of indifference and with attitude that has wider consequences for the community, writing "we are taking on a priest tonight, tomorrow it will be the turn of the faithful."
The Church and local authorities later responded, confirming Fr. Pio's assertion that he was the victim of this particularly aggressive and persistent attack. On 28 June, the Church in Corsica published a bulletin stating that, "it was particularly painful to see a priest targeted in his place of life and mission." Furthermore, the town hall of Levie expressed deep regret and expressed "with the greatest firmness the acts of degredation that targeted our parish priest in the presbytery."
Reports indicate that the three young individuals responsible for the incident have been identified and would be held responsible for the damage they caused.
Source: corsematin, france3-region, Facebook
Image: Social Media