TABGHA, Israel (AP) — A fire ripped through one of the most famous Catholic churches in the Holy Land on Thursday, damaging the roof and burning prayer books in what authorities believe is an attack by Jewish extremists.
The fire broke out at the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish in the middle of the night, causing extensive damage to the inside and outside of the building, said Israel police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.
The modern building is built on the remains of a fifth-century Byzantine church and features a Byzantine mosaic floor that was not harmed. The church marks the traditional spot of Jesus' miracle of the loaves and fish, and is located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is one of the most popular stops for Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land.
"It's deplorable, absolutely deplorable. I consider such an attack to be not just an attack on a religious site, on a sanctuary, but also on one of the most visited places in Israel," Collins said. "It is also an attack on freedom of speech, democracy and the right to live here."
Father Matthias Karl, a German monk at the church, said a souvenir shop, an office for pilgrims and a meeting room were badly damaged, and bibles and prayer books were destroyed.
"It's totally destroyed. The fire was very active," he said.
A monk and a church volunteer were hospitalized from smoke inhalation, but the prayer area of the church was unaffected by the fire, he said.
A passage from a Jewish prayer, calling for the elimination of idol worship, was found scrawled in red spray paint on a wall outside the church.
Sources:
AF
Yahoo
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