Charente-Maritime: Desecration at the Church of Tonnay-Charente
The church of Saint-Etienne in Tonnay-Charente was desecrated on November 11th. According to the Bishopric of La Rochelle, the cross of Christ was overturned, the tabernacle was broken, the hosts were scattered on the ground, the lunula containing a host for worship was stolen. The Bishop denounced "the deliberate desire to undermine the integrity of the consecrated hosts."
Monsignor Georges Colomb, Bishop of La Rochelle and Saintes, denounced with the greatest vigour the violence of such an aggression, "an expression of hatred against Christ and his Church, a manifestation of violence, cowardice and stupidity."
The Bishop of La Rochelle pointed out that this was not the first time that desecration had taken place in Charente-Maritime.
"We have been witnessing this for some years now, our churches are beautiful, they are open to Christians," explained Monsignor Georges Colomb.
The parishioners are shocked, for the whole Christian community, it is an affront, it is worse than a robbery because it is an attack on the Blessed Sacrament, it is the presence of the Lord, said Monsignor Georges Colomb.
A mass of reparation will be celebrated on Thursday 14 November at 6 p.m. in the church of Tonnay-Charente.
The mayor of the commune has also announced that he is going to lodge a complaint because "objects registered with the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs have been damaged.
Sources: France 3 and France Bleu
Photo: Serge Lacotte, CC BY-SA 3.0