Seven Arrested in France for Burning 16th Century Chapel
Brittany (France), SVM News, June 25, 2007: Seven people in between 20 to 30 years of age were arrested in connection with burning down the 16th century Chapel of the Cross at Loqueffret near the remote tip of Brittany in northwest France on Thursday, the 21st of June.
16th Century Cross Chapel that was burnt
An anti christian movement named as True Armorik Black Metal (TABM) claimed responsibility for the series of attacks on Christian sites in Brittany including the Chapel of the Cross at Loqueffret near the remote tip of Brittany which left just the four walls standing was gutted on June 16.
Police officials said to Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries and the SVM News Service by a telephone conversation that the people of TABM forcely opened the doors of the chapel, and several original polychrome statues were destroyed.
But police did not say any further details about the arrested people.
Six granite crosses on rodside and two other fountains were smashed last month by this group in an area of the Finistere department near the popular holiday resorts of Benodet and Concarneau.
Members of the True Armorik Black Metal (TABM), describe themselves as "extremist and anti-ecclesiastical" in a letter sent to local newspaper the Telegramme, which published excerpts on Thursday.
"We are going to strike again, again and again," warned the letter, in which the group's acronym is scrawled in blood-red letters over the image of an inverted Christian cross.
Graffiti of the letters ABM was found at nine Christian sites desecrated in recent weeks. Police previously believed the letters signified Aryan Black Metal, a Satanist movement which has links to heavy metal music, paganism and far-right politics.
In a similar series of incidents in early 2006, a chapel was destroyed in the neighbouring Morbihan department. However police subsequently arrested a couple who admitted responsibility.
"There are so many shrines that it is impossible for us to keep watch on them all. In the old days the priests lived next to the chapels and knew everything that was going on. But nowadays there are so few priests that many places are left unattended," said Gendarme Philippe Davadie, one of a 15-member team investigating the attacks.
SALEM VOICE MINISTRIES NEWS SERVICE (SVM NEWS)
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