Christians in France see ‘worrying’ surge in hate crimes
Bereft parishioners in a French town found a statue of Mary beheaded and church benches set ablaze on Tuesday (May 14), less than two months after a report surfaced of nearly 1,000 hate-crimes against Christians last year in France. Local firefighters put out the fire before removing the charred benches and chairs from the Roman Catholic Church of Sainte-Thérèse in Poitiers, reported La Nouvelle République. There was soot damage to the walls, floors and artifacts, all requiring specialized clean