Catholic Church<\/a> in Germany is increasingly worried about worsening vandalism in places of worship.<\/p>\nMethods of vandalism have become more “brutal” in recent years, according to Matthias Kopp, spokesman for the German Bishops’ Conference.<\/p>\n
“Broken offering boxes and overturned, broken candles were always annoying, but since around 2015 we have been dealing with an intensified dimension,” he said.<\/p>\n
While the number of incidents has risen only slightly, Kopp believes the vandals’ behavior shows more open hostility toward Christianity.<\/p>\n
“Excrement in holy water fonts and confessionals, decapitated statues of Christ and saints,” were just some of the examples Kopp offered.<\/p>\n
He lamented that police officials record the crimes as “damage to property,” saying the incidents affect parishioners on a deeper level.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) said the current trend is eroding trust in the idea that a church, open to all, is a safe space.<\/p>\n
Closing churches outside of services is not a step the EKD would like to see taken. “Open churches are not only spaces for worship,” the spokesman said.<\/p>\n
“They are places to go in times of crisis, places of cultural remembrance and social interaction.”<\/p>\n
Germany’s churches get creative about new ways to worship<\/p>\n
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