Altars were vandalized, statues were defaced and human excrement was smeared onto a cross, sparking fears of a rise in anti-Catholic sentiment in the country.
France has seen a spate of attacks against Catholic churches since the start of the year, vandalism that has included arson and desecration.
Police officers patrol around Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, on September 10. French churches have been targeted by vandals in a spate of attacks since the start of the year. MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images Consecrated hosts made from unleavened bread, which Catholics believe represents the body of Jesus Christ, were taken and found scattered among rubbish outside the building.
Its executive director, Ellen Fantini, told Newsweek that while in many cases the motive for the attacks was not known, France faced growing problems with anti-Christian violence, especially by anarchist and feminist groups. "The pressure is coming from the radical secularists or anti-religion groups as well as feminist activists who tend to target churches as a symbol of the patriarchy that needs to be dismantled," she added.
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