(MENAFN- PR Newswire) SAN FRANCISCO, May 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, the Marin County District Attorney's office announced that they have reduced the charges against the vandals who desecrated and destroyed the statue of St. Junipero Serra on the
property of
St.
Raphael parish from a felony
to a misdemeanor.This comes after the Archdiocese of San Francisco and Archbishop Cordileone have been left out of restorative justice conversations with the perpetrators.
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![St. Junipero Serra statue vandalized in October of 2020 at St. Raphael parish.]( "St. Junipero Serra statue vandalized in October of 2020 at St. Raphael parish.")
St. Junipero Serra statue vandalized in October of 2020 at St. Raphael parish.
On May 24, 2023, Archbishop Cordileone wrote a letter
to the Marin County District Attorney and Deputy District Attorney objecting to the pending decision, raising questions about failure to include the Archdiocese in discussions, and the potential consequences of perpetuating discrimination and violence against the Catholic Church.
Responding to the action, Archbishop Cordileone said,
"It is clear
to me
that this
course
of action would not
have been taken with anyone else.
In fact, if the same kind of offense had been committed against another religious congregation or group, it would almost certainly have been prosecuted as a hate crime. There have
been more
than
100
attacks
on Catholic Church property across
the
nation,
including in the
Archdiocese of
San
Francisco,
one
of
which was
someone firing
a bullet into
our
Cathedral. Anti-Catholicism has
a long and ugly history in this
country.
Now, with this
decision, the Marin County District Attorney has
given
the
signal that attacks on Catholic houses of worship and sacred objects may continue without serious legal consequence."
The Serra statue on the property of St. Raphael parish was destroyed by vandals in October of 2020. Read more about the incident here .
Read Archbishop Cordileone's letter in english
and
spanish .
Media Contact:
Peter Marlow
[email protected]
SOURCE Archdiocese Of San Francisco
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