An Orthodox church defiled in Haifa

AN ORTHODOX CHURCH DEFILED IN HAIFA

On July 9, 2002, an unknown criminal committed an act of vandalism and sacrilege towards Christian shrines in the territory Russian Orthodox Mission in Haifa, Israel.

He desecrated the gates of the Orthodox Church of God’s Prophet Elijah and the image of this saint on the outside northern wall of the church. Painted over them were signs of upturned crosses and five-point stars with an inscription in English: “Satan was here”

As soon as the blasphemous pictures and inscriptions were discovered, the police was sent for and a statement was drawn. After the policemen went away, an unknown person rang up to the parish house and took upon himself the responsibility for the crime, threatening to continue his actions. The unknown criminal spoke in Russian.

The leaders of the Orthodox community in Haifa came to the Russian church to express profound concern for what had happened.

Haifa Mayor also visited the church to express, on behalf of the municipal authorities, sympathy with the Russian Orthodox Mission in Israel and to apologize for the anti-Orthodox action. He also promised to follow closely the progress of the police investigation.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Mission in Jerusalem, Archimandrite Yelisey (Ganaba), informed the Israeli Ministry for Religious Affairs about the sacrilegious act in Haifa. The Russian Embassy in Israel, on its part, intends to come out with a statement of concern for this act of extremism.