Lisbon, Portugal, Jan 13, 2010 / 13:01 pm
The Church of the Most Holy Trinity at the Shrine of Fatima in Portugal was attacked last weekend by vandals who sprayed Islamic graffiti on several statues, including one of Venerable Pope John Paul II.
According to the newspaper La Razon, officials at the shrine said the statues were defaced with the words, “Islam, moon, sun, Muslim and mosque,” which led officials to believe the vandals were linked to the Muslim faith.
Police officers said these kinds of acts “do not occur often” and called the incident “absolutely isolated, not organized or related to any organization.”
“Shrine officials lament these acts and call on Portuguese police to investigate the matter,” a statement said.
The Shrine of Fatima is one of the main centers of Marian pilgrimage in Portugal and the world, centered upon the apparition of Our Lady to the three shepherd children, Francisco, Jacinto and Lucia, between May 13 and October 13, 1917.