Man who smashed crucifix had 'spirit of Hitler' in him

The man who on Friday evening went up to the altar at Ta' Giezu church in Valletta and smashed the crucifix had earlier in the day spoken to the Franciscan provincial and asked to confess, even though he was not baptised, it emerged yesterday.

The man, said to be a 33-year-old Indian with a British passport, was being kept under observation at Mount Carmel Hospital yesterday while the incident remained the talk of the town.

His motive remained unclear and Provincial Fr Paul Grech, OFM, said he did not think anything he told him could have sparked the incident.

Fr Galea said the man told him that he believed in reincarnation and he had the spirit of Hitler in him.

"It was obvious that he was confused," Fr Galea said, adding that he had offered him food.

He has now asked the police to let him speak to him again.

Fr Galea described the congregation's reaction immediately after the incident as somewhat harsh. People were shouting, and while some went to restrain the man, others ran out of the church.

Fr George Aquilina, who had been saying Mass, thought this was a terrorist attack and feared that the man was a suicide bomber. Later on, the Bomb Disposal Unit checked out the church but gave it the all clear, Fr Galea said.

Despite the disruption, the Friday evening Mass continued after the man had been restrained. The 8 p.m. Mass was also celebrated as planned.

The Archbishop, Mgr Joseph Mercieca, was among those who visited the church soon after the incident.

Carmelo Camilleri, who helps out in the church, said the incident probably attracted more people than usual to hear the later Mass.

Mattia Felice, who was the altarboy at the time of the incident, said the man was sitting among the congregation and at one point he "sprinted" towards the altar, went up from behind it, and kicked the crucifix forward.

Mattia said he was one of the first to react, rushing behind the altar to see what happened, while Fr Aquilina asked the man to stop.

The teenager said the man showed no signs of remorse and, after he was tied with a rope by members of the congregation, he asked whether the Catholic religion was about being violent.

"It's a good thing that Fr Aquilina was saying the homily and had moved away from the altar, or else the crucifix could have fallen on his head and killed him," he said.

Although restoration will take place, Valletta Rehabilitation Project chief executive Ray Bondin said that the crucifix would never be the same again since some parts would have to be rebuilt. Only the front part of the face remained intact, while the wood with mother-of-pearl inlays was broken in more than one place.

Dr Bondin told The Sunday Times that the crucifix's prestige did not only stem from the fact that it was old - well over 240 years - but also because of its origins in the Holy Land.

Dr Bondin said that although the candlesticks would be restored, the damage would run into thousands of liri if the whole set had to be gilded again to match.

The Franciscan friars have already received some offers of help to repair the crucifix and the candlesticks.

An Italian restorer who was doing some work in Valletta yesterday asked to see the crucifix to see what needed to be done.

A sizable number of people went to the church, dedicated to St Mary of Jesus but popularly known as Ta' Giezu, to see the damage.

Some mistakenly thought that the miraculous crucifix in the same church had been damaged.

Friday's was the second blow for the Franciscan order in less than six weeks. On February 20, the church of the Immaculate Conception in Benghazi, Libya, together with the adjacent friary and the residence of Apostolic Vicar, Mgr Sylvester Carmel Magro, who is a Franciscan Minor, were attacked and ransacked.