Catholic cathedral in California vandalized with swastikas, ‘White Power,’ and ‘BLM’ symbols

A Catholic cathedral in California was defaced overnight, with swastikas, an upside-down cross, and other messages spray-painted on the church’s doors and entryways. The incident occurred at St. Peter’s Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon, California, which issued a statement on Facebook on September 26, expressing distress over the vandalism. The cathedral described the symbols as including pentagrams, upside-down crosses, “White Power,” swastikas, and “BLM,” which stands for Black Lives Matter.

The cathedral, which serves as the seat of the Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle of San Diego, is part of the Chaldean Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church with over 600,000 members. The church is headquartered in Baghdad and includes Catholics in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and various Western countries. The Chaldean Catholic Church has experienced growth in the United States in recent decades, largely due to immigration and refugee movements from the Middle East.

The vandalism at St. Peter’s Cathedral comes amid a series of similar incidents at Catholic churches across the country. Earlier this week, a man burned pews in an arson attack at a Florida Catholic church, and another man damaged a crucifix and doors at a Texas seminary using a baseball bat. Last week, a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was destroyed in a Texas cathedral, and a parish in Midvale, Utah, faced back-to-back attacks, including the beheading of a statue of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and subsequent burglaries.

The presence of symbols associated with ideologies often at odds with one another raises questions about the motivations behind the vandalism. The Chaldean Catholic Church, which has faced persecution in its homeland, expressed a call for prayer for those suffering in Iraq and for the perpetrators of the crime. The incident highlights the vulnerability of religious institutions and the need for protection of sacred spaces.

The Chaldean Catholic Church, like many other Christian communities, has long been concerned with the safety and security of its members and places of worship. The vandalism at St. Peter’s Cathedral underscores the challenges faced by religious groups in maintaining their heritage and faith in an increasingly complex and sometimes hostile environment. The church’s statement reflects a plea for unity, peace, and the protection of the vulnerable, echoing the biblical call to care for those in need.

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