Vandals ransacked the Church of Saint Athanasius in Korçë, Albania
In the mountain village of Sinicë near Korçë, unknown individuals smashed icons and filled the Orthodox church with cement.
Vandals attacked the Orthodox Church of Saint Athanasius in the mountain village of Sinicë near the city of Korçë in Albania. This was reported by the Greek editorial office of the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
The church is located in a remote mountainous area at an altitude of approximately 1,300 meters above sea level. According to the publication, unknown individuals broke into the church grounds, smashed icons, destroyed church furnishings, and filled the interior premises with cement. Local residents reported that the perpetrators first tore open bags of cement that had been prepared for the renovation of the church and scattered their contents on the ground, then entered the building and overturned everything they could. The police were notified of the incident.
The residents of Sinicë believe that the attackers acted deliberately, as no proper roads lead to the church. They suggest that the attack may have been a reaction to a publication on the Korça Report website, which mocked the villagers for performing a Greek dance during a festival. The residents allow that the divisive rhetoric of that publication may have provoked nationalistically inclined individuals to commit vandalism, but they emphasize that this is merely their version of events and not an official conclusion of the investigation. Establishing any possible connection between the publication and the act of vandalism is a matter for law enforcement authorities.
The damage to the church affects not only the historical and religious value of the site, but also the interfaith harmony within the community: the shrine is venerated by both Christians and Muslims living in the area. The village's history includes instances where the church was restored through the joint efforts of residents regardless of their religious affiliation. Local residents described the incident as a blow to the history and cultural heritage of the village and called on the authorities to investigate the incident, identify those responsible, and hold them accountable.
As previously reported by the Union of Orthodox Journalists, a vandal damaged an Orthodox church in Prizren, Kosovo.
