Pietà Stolen in Repeated Targeting of Church in Gütersloh
A historic Pietà depicting the Virgin Mary and Christ was stolen from a church in Gütersloh, directly targeting a central Christian devotional object. The theft is part of repeated incidents affecting the same parish.
As reported on February 10, the incident occurred at the St. Pankratius Church, where unknown perpetrators entered the church and removed a Pietà dating back approximately 500 years. The sculpture, about 60 centimetres high, depicts Mary holding the body of Christ and is of significant religious and historical importance.
According to the parish priest, the perpetrators appear to have used a Nativity scene placed in front of the statue as cover to prepare the theft. The figure was reportedly thrown over a barrier in the altar area, where a fragment of it was later found.
This is not the first incident targeting the parish. Around two years earlier, a valuable cross reliquary was stolen from the same church. More broadly, the article notes that Marian statues have repeatedly been targeted in similar acts, including a recent case in which a Madonna figure was decapitated.
Source: NW, Kirche und Leben