The Court of First Instance of Vilalba (Lugo) has opened preliminary proceedings for the theft and desecration that occurred at the parish church of the Sacred Heart of Mary in Guitiriz, according to El Debate reports. The judicial investigation follows a complaint filed by the Spanish Foundation of Christian Lawyers regarding events that took place on September 19.
A tabernacle torn out and hosts scattered across the square
According to the complaint, unidentified individuals entered the church, tore out the tabernacle, forced its lock, and stole a silver ciborium containing consecrated hosts. The hosts were later thrown and scattered across the town square and the fairground, turning the theft into an act of desecration in full view of all the residents.
InfoVaticana reported the incident a few days later. The Diocese of Mondoñedo-Ferrol condemned the events at the time as a “grave act.”
The crimes reported: desecration and robbery with force
The complaint by Christian Lawyers argues that the facts could constitute the crime of desecration, provided for in Article 524 of the Criminal Code, and the crime of robbery with force on property, covered in Articles 237, 238, and 241. The court in Vilalba, square number 2, has ordered the opening of preliminary proceedings, the initial phase in which the aim is to clarify what happened and identify those responsible.
The foundation’s president, Polonia Castellanos, described the events as “extremely serious” and warned of the “increase in desecrations” around Halloween. Castellanos also called for “heightened vigilance” of churches, a recommendation the organization directs to parish priests and the faithful in light of similar incidents.
Other tabernacles stolen in Spain
The Guitiriz case is not isolated. On October 23, InfoVaticana reported the theft of the tabernacle from a parish in Parla, Madrid, involving a ciborium containing around thirty consecrated hosts, and whose parish priest did not rule out a satanic motive.
In the Lugo case, the judicial step means the events are no longer merely a complaint but are now the subject of a formal investigation by a court. So far, no perpetrator has been identified.