Historic Catholic Church in France destroyed in arson attack

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The historic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Saint-Omer, France, was destroyed in an arson attack on Sept. 2. The fire destroyed the belfry, framework and roof of the church, which is located near Calais in the north of France.

Evidence suggest that the conflagration was due to arson after officials found traces of breaking through a stained-glass window in the building. The fire started in the nave and one of the church aisles.

Thanks to at least 120 firefighters, the main fire was extinguished by 7:15 a.m. While some of the mid-19th century, neo-gothic church’s inner furnishings were saved, the organ was damaged by the fire.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception was restored and reopened in 2018.

No injuries were reported, but at least 60 residents living near the church were evacuated as a precaution.

In an interview, Fr. Sebastien Roussel, a local parish priest, shared that they were able to “save what was most important, the tabernacle, the holy Hosts.”

Roussel, who was called to the scene as soon as the firemen reached the burning church, was allowed to enter the burning building to save the most important works of art.

Arson suspect has a history of similar crimes

On the evening of Sept. 2, Joel Vigoureux was arrested and questioned by police.

Vigoureux, 38, had previously set fire, or attempted to set fire, to at least 15 churches and been found guilty of 10 attacks on property and Catholic buildings. He was also recently released from prison.

Reports revealed that Vigoureux had previously been sentenced to three years imprisonment in 2019 for setting ablaze the church of Equihen-Plage near Boulogne-sur-Mer in the same part of northern France. The arsonist was released in early 2021, but he promptly set fire to eight other churches in the region. (Related: French vandals sabotage telecommunications networks after left-wing arsonists disable train networks.)

These and other attacks on property resulted in Vigoureux being sentenced again for three and a half years after he was found guilty of “theft and destruction.” At Vigoureux’s trial, he claimed that he targeted churches “because all priests are pointers.”

“Pointers” refer to convicted pedophiles and the term is used by fellow prisoners in France.

Vigoureux was released again, but only on the condition that he undergo socio-judicial supervision with compulsory psychological and psychiatric treatment for three years. He is a a dropout who was living in a group home at the time of his most recent arrest.

Vigoureux is now again an arson suspect of a Catholic church.

In a public statement on the morning of Sept. 3, local public prosecutor Mehdi Benbouzid shared several details about Vigoureux’s long criminal record. Benbouzid also said the suspect was “known for similar acts of destruction by fire” and that he had been indicted for “destruction by fire by dangerous means for motives related to religion.”

Based on this information, the fire at the Church of the Immaculate Conception can be categorized as “anti-Christian” hatred, or “racism” as it is legally named in France.

The Observatoire du Patrimoine Religieux, a non-profit association that monitors the religious property heritage in France, has reported that 27 churches were damaged by fire in 2023. At least 12 churches in France were damaged by fire during the first six months of this year.

Many of these cases are due to accidental causes, but some were blamed to arsonists. In previous incidents, young local Satanists have been found guilty of arson and other acts of anti-Christian vandalism.

Islamic attacks have also been committed in France. On July 14-15, a historic 19th-century church with a metal structure in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, Notre-Dame-du-Travail (Our Lady of Labor), was covered with hostile graffiti.

The graffiti included Islamic messages such as “Submit to Allah the infidel, pray 5 times a day,” “Bastard Jesus, only one god, Allah,” which could be read on the walls of the sanctuary. The vandals also destroyed the church’s organ.

Regardless of the motive, there have been more cases of secularism and anti-Christian hatred in France. The number of anti-Christian crimes is increasing, with nearly 1,000 officially registered incidents in 2023, 90 percent of these having targeted churches or cemeteries, reported the French Ministry of the Interior.

The majority of religious hate crimes in France are aimed at Christians, mainly Catholic targets. They have also targeted Jews, with Muslim targets far behind.

Visit Terrorism.news for more stories about arson and other hate crimes.

Watch the video below to see before and after photos of the Notre Dame Cathedral following the 2019 fire that destroyed parts of the famous cathedral.

This video is from the Big Bang Videos channel on Brighteon.com.