A statue of Jesus Christ was vandalized in Miami on Wednesday morning, and the Archdiocese of Miami expects it will be investigated as a hate crime.
The statue, located at southwest Miami-Dade’s Good Shepherd Catholic Church, was found decapitated and removed from its pedestal, and the Rev. Edivaldo da Silva believes it was a targeted attack, according to WSVN News 7.
“Obviously not, that’s for sure,” da Silva said when asked if the statue fell over on its own. “They had some powerful hands to remove it. Seeing what is happening in our country, I presume so, but we don’t have 100% assurance.”
Jesus statue found vandalized at a church in Kendall. The Archdiocese of Miami wants it investigated as a hate crime @WPLGLocal10 pic.twitter.com/8Xvf0Yhmvk
— Christian De La Rosa (@delarosaWPLG) July 16, 2020
“The Archdiocese of Miami expects the police to investigate this desecration of the Jesus Christ statue as a hate crime. This crime reflects the increasing attacks on the Catholic church across the country,” the archdiocese said in a statement.
Similar acts of vandalism across the country have targeted Christian imagery in recent weeks, including the toppling of a statue of the Rev. Junipero Serra, the priest who founded the California mission system, and the beheading of a statue of the Virgin Mary in Tennessee.
