In France, vandals destroy altar of RCC church with axe

Catholic Church of Saint-Laurent in the city of Rosny-sous-Bois. Photo: Photo: Wikipedia

On April 2, 2026, in the city of Rosny-sous-Bois, unknown attackers targeted the Catholic church of Saint-Laurent, ramming the building with a car and vandalizing the interior premises, reports Tribune Chrétienne.

As a result of the attack, the gates and heavy doors of the church were broken, lighting was damaged, and the sacristy was vandalized – its door was hacked with an axe by the perpetrators. Serious destruction was recorded inside, while nothing was stolen.

Father Marcel Martinko, the parish priest, discovered the damage when he arrived at the church to prepare for evening Mass. According to him, what he saw testified to the deliberate and brutal nature of the attack.

The diocese notes that this is already the second such case in a short time: earlier, the Church of Saint Theresa in Pierrefitte-sur-Seine was targeted.

As the resource noted, the fact that this attack took place on Holy Thursday cannot be ignored. This day marks the institution of the Eucharist, the gift of the priesthood, the beginning of the Passion. To attack a church at this precise moment is to attack not only the stones, but what these stones house: the presence, the prayer, the living memory of Christ.

A complaint has been filed regarding the incident, an investigation is underway, and the identities of the perpetrators are to be established.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that in Belgium, a statue of Jesus and the Mother of God was broken "as a joke" during a live broadcast.

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