The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe reported on Sept. 7: “The Zurich municipal councillor and Bosnian Muslim, Sanija Ameti, published photos of herself using a reproduction of a an image of Mary and Jesus as target practice at a shooting exercise on Instagram on September 7. The pierced heads of Mary and the baby Jesus could be seen on the picture.”

“Ecumenical Patriarch: Shooting of Virgin Mary Icon in Switzerland is an act of sacrilege, vandalism,” Orthodox Times, September 15, 2024:

The Feast of Exaltation of the Precious Cross was solemnly celebrated in the Sacred Center of Orthodoxy….

…the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized the central importance of the cross in the lives of Christians. He also referred to the recent heinous act of shooting an icon of the Virgin Mary in Switzerland, strongly condemning this offensive action.

“Our life is always full of all kinds of crosses. These crosses, always in reference to the Unique Cross of our Savior and Redeemer, rest upon our shoulders. We are not intimidated by the chaos of the ages, for we know well that “Christ is all and in all”!

We must always remember that the Cross is an eternal and indestructible symbol of sacrifice and offering. Especially today, in an era marked by desacralization and even the insult of religious symbols in the name of a misunderstood freedom—which is, in fact, an abuse of freedom—there are actions that starkly reveal this misuse. A recent example is the heinous act of repeatedly shooting at a replica of a well-known icon by the Italian painter Tommaso del Mazza, depicting the Virgin and Child. This act was carried out by a municipal councillor in Zurich, under the pretense of “defusing.”We take this opportunity to strongly and unequivocally condemn, as the Ecumenical Patriarchate, this extremely reprehensible act. It not only deeply offends the faith of millions of Christians around the world but also deals a significant blow to modern European culture.

This is not a form of freedom of expression, but an open act of sacrilege and vandalism. We wholeheartedly congratulate the Holy Metropolis of Switzerland, the righteous Eparchy of the Ecumenical Throne, and its worthy Shepherd, Brother Maximos, for the measured and condemnatory statement he promptly issued on this matter.

This unfortunate incident brings to mind the wise words of our unforgettable Elder, the late Metropolitan Meliton of Chalcedon, who prophetically emphasized that, since the dawn of time, various philosophical and ideological systems, political and social theories, along with remarkable scientific achievements and impressive technological developments, have aimed—either consciously or subconsciously—toward a single goal:

However, the unwavering response of the Great Church of Christ, the Church of the Crucified Christ, the Crucified Church, has always been and remains the same: “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23). This is the crucifixion tradition of the Great Church, and we are all called to be its continuators….