Polish man arrested for vandalism in Medjugorje – covered statues of the Virgin Mary with paint
31-year-old Bartłomiej Włodzimierz Krakowiak was detained following desecration of a pilgrimage site in Medjugorje. The man covered statues with black paint and set fire to an outdoor altar.
Polish man detained after vandalism at Bosnian sanctuary
According to gosc.pl, 31-year-old Bartłomiej Włodzimierz Krakowiak was arrested in connection with acts of vandalism in Medjugorje – one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites, located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Bosnian newspaper "Dnevni avaz" reported that the incidents occurred during the night of 27 to 28 July.
Krakowiak covered statues of the Virgin Mary with black paint on Apparition Hill – Podbrdo and at the Blue Cross. He also set fire to an outdoor altar located behind the parish church of St. James. Near one of the statues he placed an offensive inscription: "Devil in a skirt". Graffiti and banners with slogans directed against the place of worship and Marian visionaries also appeared on the desecrated objects. On a banner hung at the altar was the inscription: "Ivanka, Mirjana, Milka, Vicka, Ivan, Jakov – these are fraudsters, I have proof".
The man was detained in the village of Cerno near Ljubuški. He had previously stayed in Medjugorje as a pilgrim. "Dnevni avaz" noted that Krakowiak had suffered from mental health problems in the past. The newspaper cited a 2017 article on opoka.news portal on which the man described his journey to Medjugorje after being diagnosed with depression – he sought solace in faith at the site, selecting the location spontaneously using Google Maps. He publicly documented his pilgrimage on Facebook.
The vandalism occurred during peak pilgrimage season. On 25 June, Medjugorje marked the 45th anniversary of the first reports of Marian apparitions, and on 25 July – the feast day of the parish patron saint, St. James. The 37th edition of the International Youth Festival (Mladifest) begins on 1 August; around 50,000 young pilgrims from around the world are expected to attend. The central point of the festival is the outdoor altar that was set on fire.
Source: Google News PL — Crime (pl)