Church Attacks Rise across France amid Christianophobia Warnings – Milton Quintanilla – Crosswalk.com
Source Link
Excerpt:
An increased number of attacks targeting churches and clergy across France have raised concerns over a surge in what is deemed “Christianophobia.” Recent incidents include physical assaults, threats of arson, and desecration of churches, The Christian Post reported.
Shortly after celebrating evening mass on May 10 at the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Repos church in Montfavet, near Avignon, a group of young men, believed to be between 15 and 20 years old, shouted anti-Christian insults and yelled “Allahu Akbar” before threatening Fr. Laurent Milan that they would burn down the church.
The priest subsequently filed a police report, and authorities stood outside the church the next day to secure the Sunday mass.
Three days prior to the incident, Fr. Milan told the French daily newspaper La Provence that another group interrupted a parish meeting at the church and was banging on the windows. At the same time, however, he says that the attack wasn’t personal but directed against the Catholic faith.
Earlier this month, a church in Saint-Aygulf, southern France, was broken into, including the tabernacle being ripped open, and the Eucharist was removed. Additional recent attacks include the vandalism of the parish hall of Saint-Laurent in Maurepas, south of Paris, and in Rennes at the church of Saint Jean Marie Vianney in separate incidents.