Devastating attack on church in France renews concerns over security in country’s places of worship

Budapest, Hungary, Sep 4, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The historic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Saint-Omer, in the Pas-de-Calais department of northern France, was ravaged by arson on the night of September 2.

The suspect, a multi-recidivist who has attempted to set fire to numerous places of worship in the past, was apprehended a few hours after the blaze was brought under control.

According to local authorities, the fire started at around 4:00 a.m., It then spread to the side and central aisles, then to the roof and bell tower, which rapidly collapsed. The fire was contained by 7:15 a.m., thanks to the efforts of 120 firefighters. 

While no injuries were reported, some sixty local residents living near the building were evacuated as a precaution.

The initial investigation revealed that a 39-year-old individual allegedly broke into the premises, smashing a stained-glass window. Arrested and taken into police custody on the evening of September 2, the suspect, identified as Joël Vigoureux, is said to have been convicted on numerous occasions of similar acts of destruction by fire in recent years. 

While the images released by the media showed only the metal skeleton of the church steeple, and the exact extent of the damage has yet to be determined, the intervention of the parish priest, Father Sébastien Roussel, enabled the rescue of the Blessed Sacrament and some twenty other religious artifacts, including the reliquary bust of Saint Corneille. 

Father Sébastien Roussel rescued the Blessed Sacrament. Credit: Courtesy of Father Sébastien Roussel

“With the authorization and under the supervision of the firefighters, I was able to enter the church when the fire was under control to take what is most important, namely the ciborium in the tabernacle at first, then several statues and elements of the liturgical furniture,” he told CNA. 

In another interview, Father Roussel added that “the stained-glass windows, particularly the beautiful ones in the choir, dedicated to Mary, are not too damaged”.

Of neo-Gothic inspiration, the church was completed in 1859 and was completely renovated by the municipality in 2018, at a cost of five million euros. 

Quoted in Le Figaro, the president of the Hauts de France region, Xavier Bertrand, assured that his administration “will be at the side of the town of Saint-Omer for the reconstruction, to see this heritage brought back to life.”

The French outlet also reports that a meeting was held Tuesday at the town hall, attended by the architect who coordinated the renovation and prefectural officials, to rapidly envisage the reconstruction, which is nevertheless expected to take several years.

A time of prayer in front of the church will be held Wednesday, followed by a Mass celebrated by the Bishop of Arras, Olivier Leborgne, at the Basilica of Notre-Dame-des-Miracles in Saint-Omer.

The images of the flames devouring the roof and steeple of the monument that has turned into an open-air church continue to generate anger and consternation on social media, not least because of their over-familiarity.

In recent years numerous iconic Catholic structures in France — including Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris — have been severely damaged by fire. On July 11, the spire of Rouen Cathedral also caught fire, with firefighters quickly bringing the blaze under control.

On July 12, the Observatoire du Patrimoine Religieux, an association working to preserve and promote France’s religious heritage, told AFP that 27 churches had been burnt down in 2023 and 12 in the first six months of 2024. Attacks on religious monuments in recent years account for around 90% of the 1,000 or so anti-Christian acts recorded annually by the country’s Ministry of Interior.