Vandals deface Virgin Mary statue and altar in Medjugorje

Vandals defaced a statue of the Virgin Mary and an altar with black paint and graffiti in the Bosnian town of Medjugorje. The vandals sprayed the statue's face with black paint and wrote "Devil in a skirt" on its pedestal. Security cameras also captured a man setting fire to an altar near St. James' Church.

Police apprehended a suspect with the help of locals after the vandalism, which occurred shortly before a major pilgrimage. The fire was quickly contained but caused significant damage. The parish office stated that the planned pilgrimage, expected to draw over 50,000 young people, will proceed as scheduled.

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Devil in a skirt

Medjugorje has attracted pilgrims since 1981, when six young people reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary. The Catholic Church has maintained a cautious stance, with local bishops expressing doubts about the supernatural origin of the alleged visions. In 2024, the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith granted the spiritual phenomenon of Medjugorje "nihil obstat," acknowledging its positive spiritual fruits and permitting pilgrimages and public devotion. However, the Church has not declared the apparitions as definitively supernatural, leaving believers free to accept or reject their authenticity.

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We have legal proceedings in Germany, consular support is ensured, the accused also have defense lawyers at their disposal, and I have absolutely no doubt that regardless of nationality, legal proceedings in Germany are conducted according to internationally valid standards.