Vandalism of Catholic Academy and Church ahead of Award to Bishop Barron
In the days leading up to the Josef‑Pieper Prize ceremony in Münster, vandals sprayed slogans on the Franz‑Hitze‑Haus academy and local church and defaced several Christian statues with red paint. State security has since launched an investigation.
Unknown individuals spray-painted slogans such as 'F**K USA', 'F**K TRUMP' and 'JUDAS, F**K TRUMP' on the façade of the Catholic Academy's Franz-Hitze-Haus and the Liebfrauen-Überwasser church. The kneeling Christ statue outside the academy and the statues outside the church were splashed with red paint. The state security authorities are now leading the investigation, and formal complaints have been filed against the perpetrators, who remain unidentified.
Johannes Sabel, director of the Franz‑Hitze‑Haus, described the vandalism as the “most violent form of an outrage culture that recognises only friend or foe,” expressing deep concern about society’s capacity for constructive dialogue. André Sühling, canon of the parish added that he cannot understand how anyone could use vandalism as a form of expression. These incidents coincided with the award ceremony on July 26–27, where Bishop Robert Barron was set to accept the Josef‑Pieper Prize amid broader protests and debates over his theological and political stances.
Sources: Kirche und Leben, Westfälische Nachrichten
Image: Twitter Oskurier