Saint-Germain-en-Laye: A Series of Profanations of Shrines in a Forest
Seven small religious shrines, little boxes topped by a cross and containing statuettes of saints, have been desecrated for years.
The shrines are located in the 3,532 hectares of the second largest forest in Île-de-France. They have been regularly desecrated for years, according to Krystyna Twardowska, President of the La Défense du patrimoine chrétien (Association for the Defense of Christian Heritage).
The vandals have not been identified. This association provides for the maintenance and restoration of these historical shrines, which not only attract believers for a moment of reflection, but also attract a lot of walkers. There is also a trail of oratories, well known to walkers, through the forest on eighteen kilometers.
The rehabilitation of damaged shrines, some a hundred years old, can cost hundreds of euros to the association.
"These acts are anti-religious, that's certain," said Bernard Mouton, a member of Friends of the Forest of Saint-Germain . He said the damage started in the mid-2000s. "This is the third time the oratory Saint-Anne has been degraded. In 2007, an icon blessed by Pope John Paul II was even stolen from Our Lady of Czestochowa.
Source: 78actu