At least a dozen French churches have been vandalised across the country in a spate of attacks over the past week and police and ecclesiastical leaders have maintained a code of silence surrounding the incidents.
On St. Patrick’s Day the church of Saint-Sulpice, one of Paris’ largest and most important churches, was damaged in an arson attack following Midday Mass.
The Church which was built in the 19th century will cost hundreds of millions of euros to repair it is estimated.
In the east of the country the church of Notre-Dame in Dijon was also attacked with the altar being destroyed and the Communion Host being trampled on the ground.
The most disgusting desecration, however, took place in the church of Notre-Dame des Enfants in Nimes, near the Spanish border.
The attackers painted a cross with human excrement, looted the altar and tabernacle, then stole the Communion hosts, which were discovered later among piles of rubbish.
In the rural town of Lavaur two men attacked the villages small church and twisted the arm of the Crucified Christ to make it appear the lord was making an obscene gesture.
In the diversity rich suburbs of Paris, several churches have suffered attacks of varying significance, in Maisons-Laffitte and in Houilles.
Authorities have remained silent and Catholic leaders in the country have simply said they trust the police will deal with the situation.
It remains a baffling mystery as to who would carry out such attacks, but it is speculated that it may be linked to attacks on Jewish graveyards in France last year.
In France Christians are by far the most likely faith group to face religiously motivated violence with the Country’s Ministry of the Interior recording 541 anti-Semitic acts, 100 anti-Muslim acts, and 1063 anti-Christian acts in 2018.
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