Poitiers France: Sainte-Thérèse Church Set On Fire & Statue Of The Virgin Mary Was Décapitated

On May 14, benches were gathered in heaps and set on fire in front of the choir in the church of Sainte-Thérèse in Poitiers. Furthermore, a statue of Mary was beheaded by the vandals. The fire brigade used considerable resources to put out the blaze, which was quickly brought under control. The burnt and partially charred benches and chairs were removed from the church. "At 11 am I had an appointment with a fire safety officer," explains the delegate in charge of material life. "We opened the sacristy, and just as I wanted to go to the choir, he told me not to come. The church was full of smoke. As he's a former Paris fireman, he took the necessary measures". Furthermore, a statue of Mary, located on the side of the choir, was found with the head cut off. A similar incident happened in 2022, where next to the statue of Mary other statues were found decapitated. Sainte-Thérèse church had to be closed to the public and a religious funeral ceremony had to be relocated. Source