The desecration of the church of St. Marcellino e Pietro al Laterano

Barbarians and vandals once more in Rome! 

Pray for these people, and the Holy Father. 

The church is situated near the Lateran basilica and was targeted during the so called “day of rage”.

Saturday’s violent clashes in central Rome included an attack by protesters on the church of Santi Marcellino e Pietro al Laterano in which a crucifix and a statue of the Virgin Mary were destroyed.

The Vatican described the violence of the 'protest' as horrific, during which the church was desecrated by some protesters, other property damaged, and over 130 people injured throughout the course of the day.

The 18th-century church is near St John Lateran square where much of Saturday’s violence occurred.

“When I came down, I saw the entrance door had been smashed in,” the church’s parish priest, Father Giuseppe Ciucci, was quoted by Italian media as saying.

“The Virgin Mary’s statue, which was near the entrance, had been taken away and I saw it had been thrown into the street and smashed,” he said.

“I went into the sacristy and I saw the door there was also destroyed. The large crucifix at the entrance had been vandalized,” he added.

(Historic details about the church can be seen here)

http://www.corriere.it/cronache/11_ottobre_16/madonna-distrutta-reazione-vaticano_91689c46-f7ee-11e0-8d07-8d98f96385a3.shtml