World-famous Christian shrine burnt and branded 'devil in a skirt' in grim act of vandalism

A world-famous Christian shrine in Bosnia has been burnt and daubed with the words "devil in a skirt" in a grim act of vandalism.

On Tuesday, police arrested a man in connection with the arson and desecration of the Shrine of Our Lady in Medjugorje, according to Vatican News.

Bosnian authorities have yet to disclose the identity of the suspect in custody as they continue to try and establish a motive for the act.

The suspect is also being probed over a string of incidents reported at the site on the same night.

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Officers raced to the scene at 4.30am on July 27 after receiving reports that the statue of the Virgin Mary on Apparition Hill had been vandalised with black paint.

The words "Devil in a skirt" were seen spray-painted at the bottom of the shrine.

An outdoor altar near the statue was set alight, with authorities believing a man had thrown gasoline onto the altar before setting fire to the area.

The blaze was quickly tackled by emergency services.

The two incidents came just days before Medjugorje's annual youth prayer festival - which attracts over 50,000 young Christians from across the globe to the site.

The Medjugorje Parish Office said it had received news of the attacks "with great sadness".

In a statement, the parish said: "We pray for the conversion of the hearts of those who committed this act, that the Lord may touch them with His grace and lead them on the path of goodness.

"We also pray for peace in the hearts of all people. Our Lady constantly invites us to be carriers of peace.

"May this event encourage us to take her invitation even more seriously: not to return evil for evil, but to witness love, forgiveness, and hope with our lives."

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It confirmed that the area will remain open to the young worshippers expected to descend upon the town in the coming days.

The Interreligious Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina blasted the acts of vandalism as a "profound insult" to Catholics and "an attack on the peace, mutual respect and dignity of all people" in the Balkan country.

They wrote on social media: "Sacred sites, regardless of which church or religious community they belong to, must be protected and respected."

The council also praised the parish's calls for calm following the attacks, describing it as "a testimony of faith, responsibility and true commitment to peace."

"However, forgiveness does not exclude the responsibility of the perpetrator, nor the obligation of the competent institutions to fully shed light on this case," it added.

Millions of pilgrims travel to see the Shrine of Our Lady every year, with the site gaining prominence in 1981 after six youngsters claimed the Virgin Mary appeared before them at that location.

To this day, some of the witnesses still claim to receive daily messages and appearances from Mary.

However, former Pope Francis said he had "doubts" whether the apparitions reported took place.

He said: "I prefer the Madonna as Mother, our Mother, and not a woman who's the head of a telegraphic office, who sends a message every day at a certain time.

"This is not the Mother of Jesus. And these presumed apparitions do not have much value. This I say as a personal opinion."

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