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French priests claims job 'stress and fatigue' made him smash Jesus icon as he shouted 'one less!'

Jean-Jacques Le Roy, 55, has apologised to his congregation in the small town in Brittany following his actions

Rose Troup Buchanan
Wednesday 11 November 2015 21:30 GMT
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Le Roy said he had not meant to break the statue
Le Roy said he had not meant to break the statue

A French priest has surprised his congregation – to put it mildly – when he smashed a statue of Jesus as he shouted “one less!”

Jean-Jacques Le Roy, parish priest of the small town of Plestin-les-Greves in Brittany, blamed his actions during a visit from France’s sacred art commission – which curates church icons – on the “stress and fatigue” of his job.

The 55-year-old also claimed he had not meant to destroy the statue, but had pushed it too hard as he was checking it was properly attached to the wall.

"In our ministry, we are called upon from all directions; there aren't many priests, there is a certain fatigue, irritation, stress. It all came together at that moment," he told AFP.

Despite Mr Le Roy’s apology to his congregation, many of the small town of roughly 3,600 were so upset by the incident they wrote a letter to his bishop to complain. The parish priest will now have to explain his actions.

Vicar-general Gerard Nicole, who was present when the incident took place, said the priest’s actions had not been deliberate, although conceded he could “understand” why people were shocked.

"I don't rule out a moment of difficulty, of distress," the vicar-general told the Local.

There are indications the priest may have acted out before, with local news reports claiming in 2014 he allegedly smashed an icon in front of a couple.

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