A report regarding the damage to the statue of the Virgin Mary on Podbrdo was received early Tuesday morning, shortly before a fire broke out on the exterior section of the altar behind Saint James Church. Police spokesperson for the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Interior Ministry, Ilijana Milos, stated that the Citluk Police Station received a report at 4:30 am indicating that the statue in Bijakovici was damaged with various inscriptions.
Subsequently, a fire broke out at 5:00 am on the exterior part of the altar behind Saint James Church in Medjugorje. Police officers secured the scene, and an on-site investigation is currently underway.
Religious sites across multiple locations in Medjugorje were targeted overnight by vandals. Unofficial reports indicate that the statues of the Virgin Mary were defaced with graffiti and black paint, with traces of vandalism also recorded on Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain. The statue on Apparition Hill featured the inscription “Devil in a skirt,” while a nearby banner displayed messages reading “Medjugorje is a deception,” “Our Lady equals devil,” and “Jesus only.” Another banner written in Polish listed the names of visionaries accompanied by a message stating it was as if those fraudsters were providing evidence.
The word “devil” was written in black paint across several spots, and further details regarding the extent of the damage, potential perpetrators, and circumstances of the incident will be determined upon the conclusion of the police investigation, Bljesak.info reports.