Grlić Radman Condemns Vandalism in Međugorje: Cameras Captured Altar Arson
Foreign Minister Fiercely Condemns Desecration of Religious Sites, Calling It a Deep Insult to Believers.
Foreign Minister Fiercely Condemns Desecration of Religious Sites, Calling It a Deep Insult to Believers.
Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman strongly condemned the vandalistic attack on religious sites in Međugorje that occurred on the night of Tuesday, July 28, 2026. An unknown perpetrator or perpetrators desecrated the statue of Our Lady on Podbrdo, set fire to the outdoor altar of St. James' Church, and left offensive graffiti at multiple locations.
According to N1 BiH, surveillance cameras captured a man approaching the outdoor altar of St. James' Church at 4:46 AM, pouring flammable liquid on it, and setting it on fire. The footage was published by the portal Hercegovina.info. Police received the first report of vandalism at 4:30 AM, and a fire report half an hour later, reports Index.hr.
In addition to the arson, a statue of Our Lady on Podbrdo (Apparition Hill) was found defaced with black paint and the inscription "Devil in skirt," while the word "Devil" was also written in other places. According to N1 BiH, a banner was left near the monument listing the names of the Međugorje visionaries with a message in Polish claiming they are frauds. Similar damage was recorded at the Blue Cross and on Cross Mountain.
"I strongly condemn the vandalistic desecration of the statue of Our Lady and other holy sites in Međugorje, as well as the burning of the altar of St. James' Church," Grlić Radman wrote on his Facebook profile, as reported by Index.hr. He called the act a "deep insult to believers and all people of good will," adding: "Međugorje was, is, and will remain a place of peace, prayer, and hope, stronger than any act of hatred," as quoted by Jutarnji list.
Police are intensively searching for the perpetrator or perpetrators and have called on citizens to provide any useful information. Although claims have appeared on social media that the suspect is a Polish national, police have not yet confirmed this information, reports Index.hr.
In the meantime, members of the Cenacolo community began cleaning the desecrated statue of Our Lady this morning, reports Tportal Tech. The exact amount of material damage to the altar and other objects has not yet been officially confirmed.
