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Firemen try to put out a church on fire during a protest on October 18, 2020 in Santiago, Chile. Chile will hold a referendum next Sunday to decide whether or not to modify the Pinochet-era constitution.Claudio Santana / Getty Images

SANTIAGO, Chile, October 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Two Catholic churches were destroyed in Chile’s capital city Sunday in the wake of riots marking the one-year anniversary of anti-government protests that called for a new constitution.  

“Television images from Santiago on Sunday showed masked protesters filming with their smartphones and cheering as the spire of the burning La Asunción church crashed to the ground,” the Wall Street Journal reported. “Demonstrators also set fire to San Francisco Borja church, which dates from the mid-19th century.” 

The Church of St. Francis Borgia is regularly used for law enforcement ceremonies. The Church of the Assumption, over a century-and-a-half old, saw its dome collapse into flames to the shouts of, “Let it fall, let it fall.” 

The Archbishop of Santiago, Celestino Aos, made a public statement condemning the violence

A year ago we suffered an outbreak of violence that caused us so much personal pain, and so much material destruction that we thought would have been a bitter and strong lesson. We have had a hard time rebuilding the facilities, and it has demanded constant sacrifices and discomfort from the most impoverished; it made their lives more painful. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, the government also condemned the attacks that included businesses as well. “This is an expression of brutality,” said Interior Minister Victor Perez, who added, “Today we must lament the violent acts, but we will confront them.” 

Sunday’s protests began relatively peacefully in which “about 25,000 people, some holding large banners calling for a new constitution, congregated Sunday in Plaza Italia. The square is where last year’s protests took place, and “threw one of Latin America’s most stable and prosperous nations into disarray, leading to more than 30 deaths and billions of dollars in damage as hotels and supermarkets were trashed nationwide.” 

Civil unrest began to increase when high-school students upset over a small subway-fare increase rushed subway stations and took to the streets. That quickly morphed into far larger protests in which hundreds of thousands of Chileans conveyed their discontent over poor health care, small pensions and economic inequality despite years of robust growth and declines poverty.” 

At stake is a referendum to replace the country’s constitution that was written in 1980 during the presidency of military dictator General Augusto Pinochet, who was condemned for human rights abuses. 

U.S.-based Latina pro-life activist Astrid Bennett Gutierrez wrote on Instagram, The looters wrote death to the Nazarene and there were reports of rioters chanting Long Live Che Guevara!” 

“These rioters are the same rioters that flood the streets demanding abortion because abortion is a sacrifice to Satan himself. We must pray, we must offer sacrifices in reparation and we must fast,” she continued. “The spiritual battle has reached a fever pitch here in the U.S. and in so many other countries even traditionally Catholic ones, but remember that God is sovereign.” 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Friends it’s with great sorrow that I share the images of two churches burned and looted in the capital of Chile yesterday. The looters wrote “death to the Nazarene” and there were reports of rioters chanting “Long Live Che Guevara!” Understand that what is driving these misguided souls, is what drove their hero Karl Marx. It’s Satan. Marx wrote satanic poetry just before writing his major work The Communist Manifesto. These rioters are the same rioters that flood the streets demanding abortion because abortion is a sacrifice to Satan himself. We must pray, we must offer sacrifices in reparation and we must fast. Our Lord told us that certain demons can only depart with prayer and fasting. The spiritual battle has reached a fever pitch here in the U.S. and in so many other countries even traditionally Catholic ones, but remember that God is sovereign. The final battle has already been won by Christ. But he asks us to be faithful, to do what is in our hands and to do it with great faith and generosity. Jesus, King of Mercy, have mercy on us! En español: Amigos, con gran pesar les comparto estas terribles imágenes de dos iglesias quemadas y saqueadas ayer en la capital de Chile. Los saqueadores escribieron “muerte al nazareno” y hubo informes de alborotadores que gritaban “¡Viva el Che Guevara!” Comprendamos que es lo que impulsa a estas almas descarriadas. Es lo que inspiró a su héroe Karl Marx, el mismísimo Satanás. Marx escribió poesía satánica justo antes de escribir su obra principal El Manifiesto Comunista. Estos alborotadores son los mismos alborotadores que inundan las calles exigiendo el derecho al aborto porque el aborto es un sacrificio al mismo Satanás. Debemos orar, debemos ofrecer sacrificios en reparación y debemos ayunar. Nuestro Señor nos dijo que ciertos demonios solo pueden salir con oración y ayuno. La batalla espiritual feroz se ha desatado aquí en los Estados Unidos y en muchos otros países, incluso en los tradicionalmente católicos, pero recordemos que Dios es soberano. Cristo ya ha ganado la batalla final. Pero nos pide que seamos fieles, que hagamos lo que está en nuestras manos, con gran fe y generosidad. Jesús, Rey de Misericordia, ten

A post shared by Astrid Bennett Gutierrez (@astridmaria_bg) on

2020 has seen a massive uptick in vandalism of Catholic churches and statues, particularly in the U.S.