Vandalism in churches: disrespectful increases!

Vandalism in churches: disrespectful increases!

in Rhineland-Palatinate increase the reports of vandalism and disrespect in churches. n-tv reports that pastor in Mainz reports from a worrying increase. In particular, the abuse of church rooms as toilets unsettles those responsible.

Pastor Thomas Winter goes so far to close the pastor's bailiff chapel outside of the service periods to avoid damage. But the damage is already massive: doors are torn out, altars are damaged, and candlesticks are overturned. The risk of fires due to incense sticks in flower flower floral or sacrificial sticks must also be observed.

The dimension of the problem

The perpetrators often remain unknown because churches are rarely supervised during the day. Community managers face the dilemma of keeping the churches accessible and at the same time ensuring their security. In the first measures such as video surveillance and the increased use of volunteers already have an effect in some churches, as Pastor Winter finds. Deutschlandfunk Kultur Sacred rooms piling up. DomPropst Tobias Schäfer also describes targeted vandalist acts, including smeared walls and damaged showcases.

In Worms, incidents are also not uncommon, despite a team of Domplanner. Here a confessional had to be misused as a toilet. Garbage and neglect become a permanent topic in unusual churches. In contrast, the cathedral in Trier, for example, is largely spared by vandalism, which Auxiliary Bishop Jörg Michael Peters feels great.

social change and security policy measures

The state of church spaces is also regarded as a mirror of social change. With the dwindling respect for these rooms, awareness of their value becomes crucial to prevent abuse. Vandalism is part of a major problem. In Leipzig, for example, 25 windows of the Thomas Church were hit on New Year's Eve, which is only a further indication of increasing violence. Deutschlandfunk Kultur stated that there have been always similar incidents in German churches, including numerous thefts and damage.

The Oidac Europe recently reported an increase in church desolation, whereby the Austrian statistics even showed a higher rate of anti -Christian incidents. vatican news there were over 2,000 property damage to churches in Germany alone, which was the dimension of the problem again illustrates.

A comprehensive consideration of these incidents, including the ideological motifs behind the deeds, is increasingly being challenged. Jakob Johannes Koch, cultural officer of the German Bishops' Conference, goes even further and advocates punishing vandalism in churches as a religious offense under the blasphemy paragraph. He sees churches as identification spaces for believers whose destruction can lead to psychological traumatizations.

An increasing awareness of social responsibility in dealing with church spaces could help to initiate a de -escalation of the situation. Church communities therefore face the challenge of restoring respect for these rooms and at the same time taking preventive measures. The trend of vandalism not only carries risks for the infrastructure, but also for the soul of the community and the spiritual life of the believers.