The church in the commune of Matigny in the Somme was burglarized on the night of October 19 to 20. The cup which contains the hosts has been stolen. An act of degradation, theft and serious desecration for the bishopric of Amiens. A mass of reparation will be celebrated on November 23.
Company
From daily life to major issues, discover the subjects that make up local society, such as justice, education, health and family.
France Télévisions uses your email address to send you the “Society” newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Our privacy policy
It was with a press release, published Wednesday November 7, that the diocese of Amiens reacted to the burglary of the church in Matigny, a town of 500 inhabitants in the Somme. “The Bishop of Amiens was informed of the recent burglary of the Church of Matigny and the desecration of its tabernacle, the hosts themselves having been desecrated and taken away“, he wrote.
On the night of October 19 to 20, individuals entered the religious building.using a presser foot” says Father Nicolas Jouy, vicar general and parish priest of Flixecourt. “The people then broke the tabernacle, that is to say where the Blessed Sacrament is kept at the altar, and stole the cup in which there was a consecrated host, this is what happened. more valuable for Christians.“
A complaint was filed by the town hall and the parish. “We file a complaint for break-in and theft, but for what is desecrated, French law does not provide for it. In the eyes of the law, this is not sacrilege, except when it harms graves and memorials.“
The bishopric of Amiens sees this as an act of degradation, theft and serious desecration. “They insult Catholics in what is most sacred to them. They go against the worship that faithful Christians have towards God“, he wrote in a press release.
“This theft affects everyoneadds Father Nicolas Jouy. And for Christians, there is the same feeling and in addition the dimension of sacrilege: we took what was most precious in the church. For us, there is no sacred vessel that has the value of the host that was stolen.“
For the priest, there is little chance of finding the stolen ciborium. “A few years ago in Rosières-en-Santerre, hosts and relics were stolen. The relics were found in the Rosières cemetery, but not the hosts. Unless the thief is caught in the act, they will never be found.“
A mass to atone for the offense committed will be celebrated in this church on Saturday November 23 at 6 p.m. “It is a mass to ask forgiveness for the crime that was done, explains Father Nicolas Jouy. The first rite is to sprinkle the assembly and the church with holy water. As with a burglary in a person's home, the first action is to wash everything because it seems like everything is dirty. It is a very human gesture that accompanies the mass of reparation. It is very symbolic and very striking.“
Faced with the increase in attacks on places of worship, the diocese of Amiens calls for vigilance and respect due to churches and places of contemplation. “We are living in a time where we feel that the transmission of respect for these places is beyond us, it is more complicated than before. But I think that this must lead us, the commune and the parish to work together, for the church, for the building and more broadly what it represents.“
With Camille Di Crescenzo / FTV
Related News :