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Church arson

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Church arson is burning or attempting to burn religious property, because empty churches are soft targets, racial hatred, pyromania, prejudice against certain religious beliefs, greed, or as part of communal violence or dissent or anti-religious sentiment.

By country

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Australia

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In 2015, St. James Roman Catholic Church in Brighton, Melbourne burned to the ground after sexual abuse allegations came out regarding former Roman Catholic priest Ronald Pickering. Actress Rachel Griffiths, formerly a member of the church, said she was 'quite elated'.[1]

St. Mary's Catholic Church in Dandenong, also connected to Pickering, burned in a suspicious fire as well.[1] St. Mary's Church in St Kilda East was damaged by a suspicious fire after being connected to former priest and convicted child sex offender Kevin O'Donnell.[2]

Canada

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The historic St. John's Anglican Church of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, built in 1754, caught fire in a suspected arson on Halloween night, 2001. It was later rebuilt and reopened on June 12, 2005.[3][4]

Police in Merritt, British Columbia in January 2019 arrested and charged a man with a fire that destroyed the 143-year-old Murray United Church, and two other more minor church fires nearby.[5] He later pled guilty and was sentenced to 24 months of house arrest on condition he refrain from drug and alcohol use.[6]

In November 2020, St. Andrew’s Anglican Church and South Caradoc United Church, both in Muncey, Ontario, were destroyed by fire. Its pastor said "anger from things that happened, that may have something to do with it,” and the diocese cautioned against speculation and called for responsible reporting. Former Anglican clergyman and pedophile priest David Norton had been convicted of sex crimes against children in his parish.[7]

After the 2021 Canadian Indian residential schools gravesite discoveries, some B.C. Catholic churches on First Nations land were deliberately burned to the ground.[8] An Anglican church in B.C. was also set on fire but the fire was isolated and put out.[9] Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and band governments and chiefs have condemned the arsonists.[9][10][11] Harsha Walia, the executive director of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, tweeted "burn it all down," and the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs expressed "strong solidarity with (Harsha Walia) in condemning the brutally gruesome genocide of residential ‘school’ system by Canada and Church".[12]

Chile

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Prior to Pope Francis's visit to Chile in January 2018, a number of arsons at churches in took place in the capital city of Santiago, and some were linked to threats against the Pope.[13] The papal visit was dominated by the sex crimes of Fernando Karadima, whose protégé, Bishop Juan Barros was protected by the Pope, despite accusations of complicity.[14] A pamphlet left at another scene made references to Mapuche causes. President Michelle Bachelet said in a radio address that those respinsible for the "strange" firebombings, "can express themselves as long as they do it in a peaceful way."[15]

India

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Main article: Violence against Christians in India
Remains of a church property burnt down during 2008 Kandhamal violence in Orissa in August 2008

During the 1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, Human Rights Watch reported dozens of churches and prayer halls burned down by Sangh Parivar members.[16]

Hundreds of churches were burnt during the violence in the Kandhamal district of Odisha after murders of Hindu activists for which Maoist guerrillas later claimed responsibility.[17]

St. Sebastian's Church in Delhi was badly damaged by fire in December 2014. Authorities initially said that the fire was caused by a short circuit, but later announced that it was an arson.[18][19]

Niger

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At least ten people were killed and 45 churches were burned by Islamists in Niger following the Charlie Hebdo shooting in January 2015.[20] Niger's interior minister said that some protesters carried the flag of Boko Haram, but since the protests began in the southern opposition stronghold of Zinder, domestic political friction may also have played a role.[21] However these events are only superficially linked and "the protests can be explained more appropriately in terms of politics and socio-economic exclusion."[22]

Norway

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On 6 June 1992, Fantoft Stave Church in Fortun, built in 1150 when Vikings converted to Christianity, was destroyed by a fire. It was moved to Bergen in 1883.[23] The fire was attributed to lightning and electrical failure.

In January 1993 white nationalist Varg Vikernes told a Bergen journalist in an interview that he had been involved in eight church arsons. He was later convicted of three, and acquitted of the Fantoft arson. Vikernes, a neopagan expressed support for a spate of 52 recent church arsons, but later denied any personal involvement.[24]

A photo of the charred remnants of a church appeared on his Burzum album titled Aske ("ashes"). After the interview, police arrested him.[25] sentence under Norwegian law of 21 years in prison.[26] He was released in 2009.[27]

Pakistan

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On August 16, 2023, in the city of Jaranwala, Pakistan, thousands of Muslims rioted over claims that of Quran desecration. At least 21 churches were burnt down. Two Christian men were arrested for blasphemy in addition to 100 rioters.[28] A government official told Reuters that many of the rioters belonged to Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), but the group denied having any responsibility. The far-right Islamist party was also linked to additional riots in Jarawala in 2023, also sparked by accusations of blasphemy.[29]

An RSIS researcher told the BBC that growing political fragmentation and economic disparities, sparked violence directed towards minority religious groups; Pakistan is roughly 96% Muslim. [30]

Sweden

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The Södra Råda Old Church, built around 1320, was considered of high cultural value thanks to its beautiful and well preserved medieval wall-paintings and original wooden walls. A mentally ill man burnt it down in 2001.[31] A replica of the church opened in 2022.

United Kingdom

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In 1973, St Mary's Church in Putney, London was badly damaged by arson, then rebuilt after a ten-year effort.[32] The first record of the church appeared in 1292, and during the Civil War was the site of the 1647 Putney Debates on the English constitution.[32]

United States

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In the United States, arsons of African-American churches have been common, especially in the south during the civil rights era.[33] A notorious bombing in September 1963 at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killed four young girls.[34]

In the 1990s Congress passed the Church Arson Prevention Act, and President Bill Clinton formed the National Church Arson Task Force due to a sharp increase in church arson.[35][36] Church arsonists were found to be young white males with racist beliefs, often under the influence of drugs or alcohol; a gang of teenage high school dropouts burglarized, vandalized, and burnt 90 churches, both black and white. They told police that they vandalized or burnt the churches where they didn’t find money.[33]

Just 16% of fires at American churches and funeral homes were intentionally set, according to Insurance Journal, and "(m)ore than half of fires at houses of worship from 2007 to 2011 were blamed on cooking equipment and heating and electrical systems."[37]

After the Charleston church shooting in June 2015, a number of suspected church arsons were documented.[38][39][34][40]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "'Haunted house on the hill': Rachel Griffiths describes abuse history at destroyed church". www.abc.net.au. 2015-03-30. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  2. ^ "Victoria police probe church fires". BBC News. 2015-04-01. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  3. ^ "Arson suspected in Halloween blaze at historic church". CBC News. 2001-11-02. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  4. ^ "Holy jigsaw puzzle: After a fire gutted a historic church, N.S. town began an incredible reconstruction". nationalpost. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  5. ^ "Merritt man arrested in connection to string of church arsons". Global News. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  6. ^ Jake Courtepatte (July 26, 2021). "Suspected church arsonist pleads guilty". Merritt Herald.
  7. ^ "Anger at ex-priest's abuse may be tied to church fires, cleric says". lfpress. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  8. ^ "Two more Catholic churches burn down on Indigenous land in southern B.C." vancouversun. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  9. ^ a b "5th church fire on B.C. First Nations reserve, say RCMP". British Columbia. 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  10. ^ "'It's a criminal act': Prominent B.C. Interior Indigenous leader condemns church fires". Global News. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  11. ^ Thompson, Elizabeth (July 2, 2021). "'Unacceptable and wrong': Trudeau condemns attacks on churches". CBC.ca. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  12. ^ Little, Simon (July 4, 2021). "Head of B.C. civil liberties group under fire over 'burn it all down' tweet". Global News. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  13. ^ ABC News (January 14, 2018). "Pope Francis heading to Chile, Peru amid scandal: It'll be an arduous trip for the 81-year-old pope".
  14. ^ "Pope shocks Chile by accusing sex abuse victims of slander". Associated Press. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  15. ^ "Chile churches attacked before Pope Francis visit". BBC. 12 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  16. ^ Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld | Politics by Other Means: Attacks Against Christians in India". Refworld. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  17. ^ "Churches burnt as anti-Christian violence hits eastern India". the Guardian. 2008-09-01. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
  18. ^ "Church Gutted in East Delhi, Police Say Arson". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  19. ^ "Christians protest over church fire". 2 December 2014 – via www.bbc.com.
  20. ^ Levs, Josh (January 21, 2015). "10 killed, churches torched in protests over Charlie Hebdo". CNN.
  21. ^ "Charlie Hebdo: Niger protesters torched 45 churches - police". BBC. 19 Jan 2015.
  22. ^ Schritt, Jannik. “The ‘Protests against Charlie Hebdo’ in Niger: A Background Analysis.” Africa Spectrum, vol. 50, no. 1, 2015, pp. 49–64. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24589179. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.
  23. ^ Dregni, Eric (2008-09-22). In Cod We Trust, By Eric Dregni. p.185. ISBN 9780816656233. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  24. ^ Alessandro Leone (August 12, 2023). "They were bandmates and burned churches, until one killed the other: The crime that marked black metal". EL PAÍS.
  25. ^ Chris Campion (21 February 2005). "In the face of death". Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  26. ^ "Fantoft Stave Church Bergen, Norway: The burning of this 12th-century church kicked off a campaign of Norwegian Black Metal terror". March 25, 2016.
  27. ^ Rune Midtskogen (22 May 2009). "Ute av fengsel". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  28. ^ "Over 100 arrested, probe ordered in attacks on churches and homes of Christians in Pakistan". The Economic Times. August 17, 2023.
  29. ^ "A mob in Pakistan burned a church and Christian homes after blasphemy accusations". NPR. Associated Press. August 16, 2023.
  30. ^ Wright, George (August 16, 2023). "Pakistan: Mob burns churches over blasphemy claims". BBC News.
  31. ^ "Hörde röster - tände på kyrka" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. 4 October 2003. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  32. ^ a b Diocese of Southwark (2024). "Putney, St Mary".
  33. ^ a b Booth, William. "In Church Fires, a Pattern but No Conspiracy". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 29 August 2000. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  34. ^ a b "Following the Attack on Emanuel AME, Two Recent Fires at Black Churches Strike at the Heart of Black America". Atlanta Black Star. 26 June 2015.
  35. ^ "National Church Arson Task Force". The United States Department of Justice. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  36. ^ Benavid, Naftali. "Church Fires Not A Plot, Study Finds Various Motives Behind Arsons, Special Panel Announces". Spokesman Review. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  37. ^ "Report: Arson Rarely the Cause of Southern Church Fires". Insurance Journal. 12 Jul 2015.
  38. ^ "String of Nighttime Fires Hit Predominately Black Churches in Four Southern States". SPLC Hatewatch. 26 June 2015.
  39. ^ "Fire at east Charlotte church ruled arson". WCNC.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-25. Retrieved 2015-06-29.
  40. ^ "FBI investigating as six black churches burn down in seven days". The Independent. 29 June 2015.
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