Monday, March 10, 2008

Catholic Parish Votes on Whether to Seek Charges Against LDS Missionaries

SAN LUIS, Colo. (AP) - Members of the Sangre de Cristo parish of the Roman Catholic Church voted to pursue criminal charges against three Mormon missionaries who allegedly vandalized a shrine and committed sacrilegious acts in the church.

The Pueblo Chieftain reported that church members saw photos on the Web showing the Mormons in the shrine. Although the incidents occurred in 2006, they only came to the attention of the parish when they were seen on the Internet site "Photobucket."

Alonzo Payne, a parishioner and lawyer, said he was asking the Costilla County Sheriff to pursue charges on behalf of the parish.

Sheriff's Corporal Scott Powell told the Pueblo Chieftain the men, who were not identified, could face up to six charges, including felonies for criminal mischief and conspiracy.

President Robert Fotheringham of the Colorado Springs Mission, in charge of the LDS church's missionary program in parts of four states, and whose region includes the San Luis Valley, declined to release names of the missionaries. He confirmed the three missionaries seen in the photos, which have been removed from the Internet, were Mormon missionaries. He said they would be disciplined, though he declined to go into detail.

He said the church did not condone the acts.
Hat tip to Father R.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, if we chopped off the head of their golden angel moroni I think they would press charges. Desecrating a holy site--may God have mercy on their souls.

swissmiss said...

Complete ding bats.