JERUSALEM, FEB 23 (ZENIT).- Franciscans responsible for the Custody of the Holy Land are lamenting the most recent robbery in one of the churches - this time, the Basilica of the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemani in Jerusalem. They question the effectiveness of the police protection provided by the government of Israe, in an area where both the Franciscan community as well as pilgrims themselves have been the target of thieves for quite some time.
The robbery in the above-mentioned Basilica was well planned. Two early 20th century bronze deer, sculpted by Italian artist Duilio Cambellotti, were removed. The statues were life-size and located high in the tympanum of the building's façade, at the foot of the cross. The operation needed equipment to carry it out - certainly a crane.
The Franciscans denounce these continuous and worrying sacrilegious acts, carried out in prized Christian Churches and Basilicas. They have appealed to Israeli police to reinforce security in order to prevent the repetition of such incidents.
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