Vatican condemns attack on Rome church during protest (worldwide Global Day of Rage)

VIOLENT ROME PROTEST Policemen stand in front of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran during a demonstration in Rome on Saturday, October 15, 2011, as part of a global day of protests inspired by the "Occupy Wall Street" and "Indignant" movements, with the Italian capital under a security lockdown. The Vatican has condemned Saturday's violent clashes including an attack by protesters on a church in which a crucifix and a statue of the Virgin Mary were destroyed. AFP PHOTO/ALBERTO PIZZOLI

VATICAN CITY—The Vatican has condemned Saturday’s violent clashes in central Rome including an attack by protesters on a church in which a crucifix and a statue of the Virgin Mary were destroyed.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said he “condemned the violence and the fact that a church was desecrated by some protesters who broke in and destroyed some images.” He referred to the clashes in Rome as “horrific.”

The 18th-century church of Santi Marcellino and Pietro is near St John Lateran square where much of Saturday’s violence occurred.

“When I came down, I saw the entrance door had been smashed in,” the church’s parish priest, Father Giuseppe Ciucci, was quoted by Italian media as saying.

“The Virgin Mary’s statue, which was at the entrance, had been taken away and I saw it had been thrown into the street and smashed,” he said.

“I went into the sacristy and I saw the door there was also destroyed. The large crucifix at the entrance had been vandalized,” he added.

Hundreds of protesters torched cars, smashed banks and hurled rocks at police during the clashes. Tens of thousands of people had been protesting against government cutbacks and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The Communist Party is still pretty strong in Italy. No question they’ve sent their activists into the streets to take advantage of this moment. Their hatred of the Church is of long standing.

Good point! I spent many years visiting relatives in Italy. On one such visit, my 8 y/o niece asked me to accompany her to the "Festa de l'Unita". It didn't take long to realize this was a communist sponsored event intended to indoctrinate the next generation into their mindset. My niece is now a neurosurgeon, married with 2 girls of her own and, fortunately, none the worse for the exposure.

“One thing it tells me is they know Protestants aren’t a threat. Protestants are either cowering on the sidelines collecting “Precious Moments” trinkets while patting themselves on the back for having a queer as their Pastor, or they have their noses in books about how the big extraction will snatch them all out of harms way before the battle gets much worse.”

Thank you! I will keep this in mind the next time I get bashed by a protestant.

a statue of the Virgin Mary were destroyed. Now that pisses me off.

a statue is just so much plaster...insurance will replace it for a few hundred dollars....the symbolic gesture is what worries me....where does the hatred come from?? Why attack any religious site?? If you don't like current conditions, work, to constructively change them. If it's not yours, leave your worthless hands off of it because if you can justify your actions, it means that you justify someone else putting their hands on you or your property

Really? Why didn't you post that reply to the one who posted this earlier:

"Protestants are either cowering on the sidelines collecting "Precious Moments" trinkets while patting themselves on the back for having a queer as their Pastor"

I haven't seen a single negative reply from any of you over that - quite the opposite, in fact. Yes, the true church everywhere is made up of saved sinners - including my own local church - imagine that!. I was merely pointing out the some of the hypocrisy in this thread.

It is not by your icons but by your deeds that God will know you although I could give a damn about what is left of the Catholics,they have the name..........if that.

As Catholic Spain went nuts and ultimately destroyed everything that reminded them of individual versus Collective sacrifice.

Anyway as I recall at least one Pope WW2 told the US to keep Black Soldiers out of Rome,when it was occupied by American forces,those soldiers are long gone and yet the descendants of those who lived in Rome then are still here.Much as some of the stupider Catholics keep complaining about the Blaques on this forum.

Ultimately the Papacy brings these kinds of things on its own head although otherwise Rome is a very nice city.

If a religion would return to its Universal roots,to God instead of the concept that man makes his own God through imagery through tricks...........then maybe the Vatican won’t be an empty seat forever.

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