‘Communion Desecrated, Money Missing’: B’luru Church Vandalised

Police said that the CCTV footage shows a person entering at around 1:30 am and walking away with the donation box.

Images from inside the St Francis of Assisi church in Bengaluru.

(Photo: The Quint)

The St Francis of Assisi church in Kengeri, a satellite town bordering west Bengaluru, was allegedly vandalised on Monday night, 20 January, church authorities have said.

CCTV cameras have recorded the entry and exit of a single person, between 10:30 pm and 1:30 am from the church last night. Claiming that it was “not an attack on the church”, Archbishop Emeritus Bernard Moras who is present at the spot said that “intention appeared to be theft”.

A donation box, missing from the church, was found empty in the premises of a school nearby.

“He has unfortunately opened the Tabernacle, most precious and important place for us, where we preserve the blessed sacrament, the body of Christ, the communion. He has removed the container, the ciboriem and thrown away all the communion particles. That is the most sad for us. He might not have intended to desecrate the communion, but the way he has vandalised it out of desperation.

Archbishop Emeritus Bernard Moras

The police confirmed that the CCTV footage has recorded one person entering the church and later seen walking away with the donation box. They have denied any communal angle.

The parish priest has reportedly filed a complaint with the police reporting the vandalism and theft. Police teams are presently at the spot collecting forensic samples.

(This is a developing story. More details awaited.)