A Catholic church and a chapel at Rome’s busiest train station were recently desecrated within a week of each other. An act of reparation was performed at one, while the other has been closed following the sacrilege.
According to the Diocese of Rome, human feces were found in various parts of St. Nicholas of Bari Church in Ostia, including the altar. Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, Bishop Monsignor Renato Tarantelli Baccari, auxiliary bishop of the Southern sector, and the parish priest celebrated a Solemn Mass of reparation at the church on December 1.
Within days of the first desecration, urine and human excrement were discovered in multiple corners of a Catholic chapel, including the altar, at Termini Railway Station—Rome’s main train station, which frequently draws Catholic pilgrims traveling to the Eternal City.
A diocesan statement said that St. Nicholas of Bari Church was shaken by this very serious and sacrilegious act. Unknown vandals had entered the church and committed a gesture of profound desecration. Human excrement was found in several areas of the building, including the altar, a place reserved for the Eucharistic Sacrifice.
Following the desecration, the church remained open to visitors, but Masses were temporarily moved to a nearby parish until the Mass of reparation on December 1, during which the altar and walls were purified.
The Termini chapel, which serves both as a frequent prayer spot for travelers and as a refuge in an area increasingly associated with homelessness and drug use, has also experienced several acts of desecration. These incidents prompted its temporary closure to prevent further profanation, especially during the many hours when no Catholics are present inside.
Father Domenico Monteforte, rector of the Termini Chapel, told an Italian news outlet that although he bears no ill will toward the homeless and those in need who often seek shelter there, some unfortunately do not respect the chapel’s sacred nature.
Numerous acts of desecration in churches have taken place throughout Europe and across the globe within the past year alone.