Asylum seeker from Afghanistan desecrates famous Marian statue in Switzerland

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Asylum seeker from Afghanistan desecrates famous Marian statue in Switzerland
A 17-year-old from Afghanistan entered the chapel of Einsiedeln Abbey last week during Holy Mass, violently undressed and battered the abbey’s 

famous Black Madonna statue, and took her crown to put it on his head before priests detained him.



Black Madonna of Einsiedeln
Wikimedia

Nov 20, 2024
EINSIEDELN, Switzerland (LifeSiteNews) — An asylum seeker from Afghanistan desecrated the famous Black Madonna statue at a pilgrimage site in Switzerland.

A 17-year-old man from Afghanistan entered the chapel of Einsiedeln Abbey on November 16 during a Holy Mass, violently undressed and battered the Marian statue, and took her crown to put it on his own head. According to the Swiss outlet Tagesanzeiger, the priests who were present were able to detain the man and prevent him from causing further damage before the police arrived to arrest the perpetrator.

The Black Madonna of Einsiedeln has attracted pilgrims from all over the world for centuries. The statue, which came to the chapel in 1466, is considered one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Europe.

READ: Muslim-born politician in Switzerland shoots image of Our Lady and Baby Jesus, resigns after backlash

Tagesanzeiger reports that some of the faithful cried after witnessing the blasphemous crime.

“I am a believer, and I find it all very sad. I find it absolutely unacceptable that people seeking protection here should trample on our religious feelings in this way,” one woman said.

The local police described the man as “mentally disturbed,” and he was reportedly taken to a psychiatric facility.

The Einsiedeln Monastery said in a statement that the attack by the “confused person” caused slight damage to the 15th-century statue.

“We are grateful that nothing else happened and, above all, that no person was harmed,” the statement read.

“We deeply regret this incident and think of the many people whose religious feelings have been hurt,” it continued. “Our prayers and thoughts are with them, as well as with the person taken into custody by the police. His motives are still the subject of a police investigation.”

So far, there is no official information on a possible religious or political motive of the perpetrator.

In response to the incident, the monastery organized a Rosary prayer in the Church the following day, which was held under the motto of “peace and reconciliation.” According to Vatican News, the attendance at the Rosary prayer was high, showing how much the incident shook the faithful in the region.