An original translation by Ava Lon with much thanks!
From this French News site:
By David Valverde, France Bleu Saint-Étienne Loire and France Bleu
Saturday 7 January 2017 at 11:10
Last Updated on Saturday 7 January 2017 at 14:45
Arson destroyed the Nativity scene of the Cathedral in Saint-Etienne on Friday night.The flames were partially extinguished with holy water.
It is obviously a deliberate fire that took place this Friday afternoon in the crèche of the Cathedral of Saint Charles. The events took place between 5:45 pm and 6:00 pm precisely, before the service in two places of the cathedral. One or more individuals set fire to the Christmas crib. The Faithful present managed to extinguish the flames with the water from the holy water font. Another fire was lit under the St Mary chapel.
This Saturday morning, alerted by social networks, many parishioners came to note the damage. The crèche is largely destroyed and some figures broken and charred. Muslims, shocked by the news, came spontaneously to offer their help to clean. Although upset, the Sexton of the Cathedral does not want to succumb to despair.
“I will immediately put the figurines in the middle of the crib with a huge bouquet of roses”.
In a statement, the mayor of the city Gaël Perdriau speaks this morning about “the desecration of a place of worship”. Gilles Artigue the borough chairman of the UDI [french political party, right center, Union of the Democrat and Independents] evokes an “act of vandalism”.
The composed reaction of the Bishop of Saint-Étienne
Monsignor Bataille reacted in a statement this Saturday and in front of the microphones in the afternoon. Far from expressions of hatred and racism visible on social networks, the Bishop of Saint-Étienne wished to soothe the emotions:
“The gesture is painful but the act itself is quite limited in the sense that it is just the crib and the characters. It is the symbol of the crib which is particularly strong for us Christians at this time of Christmas. This may well be an act of silly youngsters, as it often happens, and then the nursery is a bit tempting: there is straw so we are going to set it on fire. Last year in my previous diocese we had the same situation … Perhaps a malicious act a little more serious? It’s going to be up to the police to define it, maybe with the cameras.In any case, it attracts attention, because there is this sensitivity in our country at this time, but concerning the motivation, I am not sure that the act has such a weight. ”
[Notice how he uses a term of endearment for young people, Clearly the public has caught on to the real meaning of the term, ‘youths’, which nearly always means a muslim over 20 who has committed a serious crime at this point. Ee]
How long will it be before armed guards are necessary 24/7 to protect all of the Christian Churches in all of Europe?
Not very long at this rate.
Once it starts over there it won’t be long before we need them over here.
ITALY – Muslim migrant who wanted to destroy Christian symbols sets fire to church Nativity scene
A MUSLIM migrant who ‘wanted to destroy Christian symbols’ has been arrested for setting fire to a church Nativity scene.
The homeless man was caught in the act by the church’s priest, who notified authorities.
They rushed to the scene and fought to restrain the man, who was suffering from a “visible psycho-physical crisis”.
According to local reports, the 25-year-old Gambian told police he was a Muslim and wanted to destroy Christian symbols.
As well as setting fire to the scene, he destroyed a statue of Mary.
The authorities eventually got the man under control and brought him to jail. He has been accused of damage to private property, arson and resisting arrest.
The man, who holds a legal residency permit, has been living in Italy for two years.
At the time of the incident, which took place in the parish of Madonna del Rosario in Foggia, southern Italy, he was living rough.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/749729/muslim-migrant-gambia-sets-fire-nativity-scene-foggia
PICS –
http://www.immediato.net/2017/01/02/sono-musulmano-e-incendia-presepe-alla-madonna-del-rosario-un-arresto-a-foggia/