NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      APARECIDA, Brazil (CWNews.com) - A member of a fundamentalist Protestant denomination on Easter Sunday attacked the image of Our Lady of Aparecida, patroness of Brazil, alleging that he was acting "according to the Bible."

      Carlos Antonio Macedo, a 42-year-old shop owner from the northern state of Pernambuco, threw a stone against the image at the famous Marian shrine of Aparecida, but the rock did not penetrate the bullet-proof protective glass. Although the attempt took place very early in the morning -- at 6:15 local time -- several pilgrims caught Macedo and turned him in to the police.

      Police sources said Macedo is a member of the Assemblies of God and claims to be "proud" of what he did because "it is consistent with what the Bible teaches." Macedo has been charged with vandalism and attempting religious offense.

      This is the fourth attempt in this century against the image. In 1906, a thief broke the glass to steal a gold collar, in 1978, a Protestant broke the image in two, motivating the installation of the bullet-proof glass. In 1995, a leader of the fundamentalist "Universal Church of God's Kingdom," kicked and destroyed a replica of the image during a television show aired on October 12, day of the feast of Aparecida.