VATICAN CITY (AP) — Vandals have beheaded a sculpture featuring the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus that had been exhibited in the cathedral in the Austrian city of Linz and drawn criticism from some Catholics who said it was blasphemous.
The sculpture had been on view at the St. Mary Cathedral, Austria's largest, as part of an art installation project on women’s roles, family images and gender equality, the Linz diocese said in a statement. It added that the incident, which occurred on Monday, had been reported to police.
The identity of the vandals wasn’t known. But Alexander Tschugguel, an Austrian traditionalist Catholic responsible for the so-called “Pachamama” act of vandalism during the Vatican’s 2019 Amazon synod, said in a social media post Tuesday that he had been contacted by those responsible.
Tschugguel praised the “Hero of Linz” and posted what he said was a statement from the anonymous vandal explaining the motivation. The statement implied that the person's emails and calls to the diocese to complain about the sculpture had been ignored.
“Therefore, in view of this abominable and blasphemous caricature, urgent and decisive action was required,” the statement said, adding that the beheading was the fastest way to disfigure the sculpture so it no longer resembled Mary.
The episcopal vicar for education, art and culture in the Linz diocese, the Rev. Johann Hintermaier, condemned the beheading of the statue.
“We were aware that we were also provoking debate with this installation. If we have hurt people’s religious feelings, we are sorry, but I strongly condemn this violent act of destruction, the refusal to engage in dialog and the attack on the freedom of art,” the diocesan statement quoted him as saying.
The sculpture was on a pedestal in the middle of the room inside the cathedral, showing Mary sitting on a rock and giving birth. The diocese said it referred to the nativity scene in the cathedral, which is also known as the Mariendom.
The artist who created the “crowning” sculpture, Esther Strauss, also condemned the destruction, according to the Linz diocese statement.
“Most portraits of the Virgin Mary were made by men and have therefore often served patriarchal interests,” she said, adding that in her sculpture “Mary gets her body back.”
“Whoever removed the head from the sculpture was very brutal,” Strauss said. “For me, this violence is an expression of the fact that there are still people who question women’s right to their own bodies. We have to take a very firm stance against this.”
Tschugguel became a hero to traditionalists in 2019, when he snuck into a Vatican-area church, stole Amazonian indigenous statues of pregnant women, and threw them into the Tiber River in a videotaped act that was quickly shared online.
Amazonian delegates to Pope Francis’ synod, or meeting, had brought the statues with them to Rome and had displayed them in the Vatican gardens during an opening prayer for the meeting, which was discussing how the Catholic Church could better serve the indigenous faithful in the region. Critics complained that the display of “pagan” idols in the Vatican was sacrilegious.
The episode became known as the Pachamama incident, named for the types of fertility statues involved, and was visceral evidence of the lengths to which conservative and traditionalist Catholics were willing to go to vent their opposition to history's first Latin American pope.
In the end, Italian police divers recovered the statues from the river and returned them to the Vatican. Francis apologized to the Amazonian delegates, and the statues were displayed in the closing sessions of the synod.
Associated Press writer Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.
FILE - A Amazonian indigenous statue of a pregnant woman is seen as participants in the Amazon synod, attend the opening prayer in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Monday, Oct. 7, 2019. Vandals have beheaded a sculpture featuring the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus that had been exhibited in the cathedral in the Austrian city of Linz and drawn criticism from some traditionalist Catholics who said it was blasphemous. The identity of the vandals wasn’t known. But Alexander Tschugguel, an Austrian traditionalist Catholic responsible for the so-called “Pachamama” act of vandalism during the Vatican’s 2019 Amazon synod, said in a social media post Tuesday July 2, 2024 that he had been contacted by those responsible. Tschugguel became a hero to traditionalists in 2019, when he snuck into a Vatican-area church, stole Amazonian indigenous statues of pregnant women, and threw them into the Tiber River in a videotaped act that was quickly shared online. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)
MIAMI (AP) — Automatic runner Romy Gonzalez scored a go-ahead run on David Hamilton’s RBI groundout in the 12th inning, Tyler O’Neill added an RBI double and the Boston Red Sox beat the Miami Marlins 6-5 on Thursday for a sweep of the three-game series.
Gonzalez advanced to third on Ceddanne Rafaela’s single against Matt Andriese (0-1) and then raced home on Hamilton’s grounder to third. O’Neill followed with a shot to the warning track in center field that scored Rafaela.
Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning. It was broken up by a two-out triple from Jesús Sánchez, who missed the cycle by a single.
Zack Kelly (3-1) threw two innings of relief. Greg Weissert closed, holding the Marlins to Jonah Bride’s sacrifice fly in the 12th for his first major league save.
The Red Sox squandered two leads before securing their fifth road sweep this season.
“We did a good job, they did a good job,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Baserunning today was outstanding. We grind with them and never stopped playing.”
Run scoring singles from O’Neill and Enmanuel Valdez in the top of the 11th put the Red Sox ahead 4-2. But Sánchez tied it in the bottom half with a two-run homer on the first pitch by Kelly.
“It’s an extremely hard sport to play. Guys get on base,” Pivetta said. “Sanchez — he took a good swing on a fastball and hats off to him. I think more important today is that we pulled off a win as a team and I think that was really good.”
After Sánchez’s triple off the wall in center, Pivetta ended his outing by striking out Jake Burger. Pivetta walked two and struck out 10, matching his longest start of the season.
“He was really good,” Cora said. “Pounding the strike zone, had a good fastball. The sweeper was good. He was in command. Gave us what we needed.”
Rafael Devers drove in two runs and had three walks while Hamilton singled, walked and stole two bases for the Red Sox, who won their fourth straight.
Boston’s Connor Wong went 0 for 2, ending his hitting streak at 17.
Burger struck out five times and became the third Marlins player to do that in a game.
The Marlins had a chance to win it in the ninth but Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran threw Sánchez out at the plate as he attempted to score from second on Xavier Edwards’ single. The throw and catcher Reese McGuire’s tag at the plate prevented the Marlins from their ninth walk-off this season.
“I just tried to make sure to stay smooth to the ball and not try to rush it too much,” Duran said. “I knew that if I put a good throw on it that I was going to have a chance to get him.”
The Marlins unsuccessfully challenged that McGuire blocked Sánchez’s path to the plate.
“If he was not blocking the plate there, I could have had more possibility to make it and score,” Sánchez said. “It’s part of the game. We didn’t feel frustration because we understand the game, but you’ve got to keep going and try to win the game and that’s our mentality.”
Kyle Tyler limited Boston to two runs and three hits over 5 1/3 innings. In his third major league start, Tyler walked three and struck out three.
“It was a good come from behind – I wish I could say win – but a really good comeback,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “Fun baseball game. Just unfortunate we couldn’t come away with the win.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: Placed INF Otto López (lower back inflammation) on the 10-day injured list and recalled Bride from Triple-A Jacksonville. ... Optioned RHP Anthony Maldonado to Jacksonville and selected Andriese from the same minor league club.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: RHP Tanner Houck (7-6, 2.67) will start Friday, when the Red Sox open a three-game road series against the New York Yankees. LHP Nestor Cortes (4-7, 3.51) will start for New York.
Marlins: RHP Bryan Hoeing (0-0, 1.83) will start the opener of their three-game home series against the Chicago White Sox on Friday. RHP Drew Thorpe (2-1, 4.43) will go for the White Sox.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Greg Weissert, right, and catcher Reese McGuire, left, shake hands at the end of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta reacts after allowing one hit in seven inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Boston Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela is congratulated by teammates after scoring on a hit by Tyler O'Neill during the 12th inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Boston Red Sox's Tyler O'Neill gestures after hitting a double to bring in a run during the 12th inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Boston Red Sox's Tyler O'Neill hits a double to center field during the 12th inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Miami Marlins third baseman Emmanuel Rivera (15) fails to catch the ball as Boston Red Sox's David Hamilton (70) steals the base during the first inning of a baseball game, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Miami Marlins pitcher Kyle Tyler pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Miami Marlins shortstop Vidal Bruján tags out Boston Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu (52) after trying to steal the base during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Boston Red Sox's Tyler O'Neill hits a single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers gestures after he was tagged out at second base during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) throws to first base for an out during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Hamilton, O’Neill hit RBIs in the 12th inning to lift Red Sox over Marlins 6-5
Hamilton, O’Neill hit RBIs in the 12th inning to lift Red Sox over Marlins 6-5
Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta (37) aims a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
