ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 23, 2023 / 18:00 pm (CNA).
A stone cross carved in the 16th century and placed on a pedestal in a public square next to the cathedral in Seville, Spain, was destroyed over the weekend, an act of vandalism the police are investigating.
Known as the Cross of St. Lazarus, it was discovered Sunday morning that it had been broken into more than 20 pieces, which the Seville City Council already has gathered up, intending to proceed with its reconstruction.
The monument placed in St. Martha Plaza was designed by architect Hernán Ruiz and sculpted by artist Diego Alcaraz in 1564. One side of the cross depicts Christ crucified and the other shows an image of the fifth sorrow of Mary, her standing at the foot of the cross.
The mayor of the Spanish city, José Luis Sanz, stated Oct. 22 on X that he categorically condemns “the vandalization of the cross in St. Martha’s Plaza.”
On Monday morning, once the news of the destruction spread, unknown persons placed a floral cross on the pedestal where the historic sculpture stood, according to the local press.
An act of ‘deplorable hooliganism’
The archbishop of Seville, José Ángel Saiz Meneses, said Monday that the destruction of the cross was “an act of vandalism, hooliganism, deplorable,” although he ruled out “that the intention was directly against religion.”
The prelate said the incident “must lead us all to promote an education in respect, in coexistence” and above all “in faith and love and maintaining all our religious tradition and our Christian roots.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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He RULED OUT that the act was “directly against religion”??? Really? And what brainstorm led him to that conclusion? I would pretty much say that destroying a cross is well different from Keying a car or egging a building. THAT is hooliganism. Destroying a cross is manifestly a HATE crime. While the world justly grapples with a rise in antisemitism,let us not forget there is plenty of anti-Christian atrocities going on. And apparently, its happening in countries once regarded as bastions of Christianity, like Spain. Let us think for example, of the catholic priests, seminarians and monks who are seemingly kidnapped and often killed, on a weekly basis in Nigeria. Trying to downplay these incidents does not make them go away, and in my opinion has the opposite effect. An ignorant bully will always come back to attack you again, if he is not challenged or fails to receives a penalty for his actions.. I repeat my advice to all Catholic churches. Its past time to invest in a top quality security system, including alarms and CAMERAS for your church, to protect it from such desecrations. A lack of public shaming and legal consequences is what allows these sorts of crimes to multiply. In the meanwhile, at least have enough sense to protect yourselves. As for this Archbishop, if he has nothing sensible to say he would be better off not saying anything at all. His verbal shrug of the shoulders sounds like an invitation for the thugs to repeat their crime.