The Saint-Hilaire Catholic Church in Soullans, Vendée, has officially reopened to the faithful following a solemn Mass of Reparation on Monday evening. The ceremony was presided over by Bishop Renauld de Dinechin of the Diocese of Luçon, drawing an emotional congregation of over 500 parishioners.
The church had remained closed since October 6 after a viral video emerged showing a group of minors, aged 12 to 14, profaning the sanctuary. The footage depicted the youths advancing toward the altar while broadcasting a rap song glorifying Islamist terrorism and referencing notorious extremists Mohammed Merah, Salah Abdeslam, and the Bataclan attacks.
Under Catholic canon law, liturgies must be suspended following the desecration of a sacred space until an act of spiritual reparation is completed. The ritual began outside the closed doors, where Bishop de Dinechin led a symbolic reopening before guiding the faithful back into the sanctuary.
In his homily, Bishop de Dinechin described the incident as the reckless foolishness of adolescents acting without understanding the gravity of their deed, emphasizing that the Mass was offered to restore honor to God. While urging the community to remain calm , the bishop confirmed that the diocese has formally lodged a legal complaint regarding the profanation
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