The vandalism of a Catholic cross with Muslim symbols on Christmas Day in the small village of Saint-Pantaly-d’Excideuil in Dordogne, France, has left residents reeling. Since December 24th, the cross has been defaced with the word “Islam” written in black, along with an Islamic crescent moon.
Quentin Marty, the landowner where the cross stands, expressed his outrage: “It’s despicable, sickening, childish… And it’s a reflection of today’s society. Everyone makes fun of everything. I am ignoring the sacrilege, and I am not going to engage in hateful speech, but those who wrote this are imbeciles who do not respect the religion of our ancestors.” Marty, a Catholic farmer and elected official of the commune, is determined to clean the defaced cross and file a complaint, although he admits he has yet to find the time to do so.
The SOS Calvaires association, prompted by a concerned local resident, shared a photograph of the vandalized cross on social media. Offers of assistance to clean and restore the cross have since flooded in. Alexandre Caillé, the association’s general director, explained, “We try not to report these damages too often because it can seem tearful. However, these calvaries are already bearing the effects of time and neglect, making it painful to witness them further vandalized. This particular cross has been defaced since December.”
Une croix découverte en #Dordogne… taguée😢😡
— SOS CALVAIRES (@soscalvaires) February 15, 2024
Il n'y a plus aucun #respect d'un #patrimoine si unique au monde grâce auquel on retrace siècle après siècle l'#histoire de notre #France !
Réveillez-vous !#soscalvaires #patrimoinefrancais #patrimoineendanger #tagué #islam #croix pic.twitter.com/p2PFOYdsYa
Restoring the cross without causing further damage requires special and costly products, a project the association will undertake if the owner agrees. The national gendarmerie has not yet taken action as Quentin Marty has lodged no formal complaint. The town hall of Saint-Pantaly-d’Excideuil has declined involvement, citing the cross’s location on private property.
News Link: https://rairfoundation.com/its-sickening-catholic-cross-defaced-muslim-symbols-islamized/
