Suspected UK tourists damage golden Jesus statue at Vilnius, Lithuania, church

Surveillance footage from Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, reportedly shows an apparently intoxicated man carrying a gilded statue of Jesus while his companion sits on a nearby bench filming on a phone, according to The Sun.

Local police said in a statement that on Nov. 11, at about 9 p.m., “from the inner courtyard of the church” on Dominikonų St., “an unidentified person broke a golden sculpture of Jesus hanging on a wooden cross.”

Authorities believe the two men are British citizens, though their nationalities have not been officially confirmed, The Sun reported. Reports say the statue was taken from a 15th-century church. Careful, accurate accounting of what happened is part of accountability and honest dealing (Proverbs 11:1).

According to the footage as described, a man hobbles into the frame holding the statue while the man on the bench begins recording. Seconds later, the figure’s arms snap off in the man’s hands, and the head, torso and arms fall to the ground and break apart.

As he lifted the figure, the scarf-clad man reportedly slurred “listen … listen … praise the lord!” in a Northern English accent. After dropping it, he looked at his companion and said “oh my god, we did not” before the two ran down a narrow street.

The incident is believed to have been captured by a camera outside a nearby shop, the outlet reported.

The Shrine of Divine Mercy church, where the statue was taken, is home to the well-known 1934 painting of the Divine Mercy.

Source: Read the original report