Archbishop Aquila decries church vandalism in "Washington Post" op-ed

Photo courtesy of Father Sam Morehead via CNA

The following is a brief excerpt from an op-ed penned by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila and Napa Institute co-founder Tim Busch for the Washington Post on the recent spate of church vandalisms.

“Satan lives here.”

These words greeted parishioners and visitors on a recent Sunday morning at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver. They were spray-painted in blood-red text on the main bronze double doors, with further hateful graffiti, including swastikas, scattered across the cathedral grounds.

Denver residents were shocked to see the defacement of an iconic landmark. But the real shock is this: Archdiocese records show that at least 25 other Catholic parishes and ministry centers in and around Denver have been vandalized, looted, targeted by arson or desecrated in the past 21 months alone.

Read the full column at the Washington Post.