15th Century Image of Saint Paul Destroyed by Vandals
Unknown vandals tore down and destroyed the image of Saint Paul from the Gothic doorway of the parish of Andra Mari in Gernika (Guernica), Spain on August 18, 2017. The image, dated from the 15th century, was found broken to pieces. The parish filed a complaint.
The parish priest Iñaki Jauregi showed his great regret and indignation at the vandalism attack. "This morning we found the image of St. Paul on the ground and broken. The head is split in two and we do not know if it can be restored."
The Bishop of Bilbao Mons. Iceta, a native of Gernika, was informed immediately. Along with his regret for what he has considered "a serious act of vandalism," he asked the Diocesan Patrimony Services to evaluate in detail the damage caused, to notify the competent authorities, to begin the restoration of the image, and to analyze possible measures to prevent similar acts in the future.
Source: Diócesis de Bilbao