Bust of Pope John XXIII vandalised in Venetico
According to reports from 15 July 2026, a bust of Pope John XXIII in Venetico was deliberately vandalised and defaced by unknown perpetrators. The attack damaged the public monument dedicated to the Catholic saint and prompted condemnation from local authorities.
The incident was reported on 15 July 2026 at Piazza Giovanni XXIII in Venetico where unknown individuals defaced the bust of Pope John XXIII. According to the report, the monument was scratched, visibly damaged, and pushed off its stone edifice. The vandalism was discovered in the town square where the bust commemorates the canonised pope.
The reports state that although the damage was limited to the monument itself, it affected a public memorial dedicated to a Catholic saint and an important religious figure. The mayor condemned the act, describing it as an attack on a symbol of the town's historical, cultural, and spiritual heritage, which aroused "indignation and profound disappointment." The local parish priest echoed the sentiment that he was "sorrowful for what happened" according to reports, and further stating that everyone ought to consider the "every act of contempt offends the entire human community in its civil and Christian conscience."
The mayor stated that the town would aim to restore it in the future.
Source: gazzettadelsud, tcftv