As my colleague Susie Moore previously reported, the radicals were coming for the statue of St. Louis, King Louis IX of France, a Catholic saint and the person for whom St. Louis is named.
Named the Apotheosis of St. Louis, the statue was built in 1906 and stands at the Saint Louis Art Museum.
But Catholics came out to pray at the base of the statue, to stand between it and the mob that wanted to tear it down.
Some reciting prayers during protest at statue of King Louis IX on Art Hill in St. Louis. pic.twitter.com/sbFORFpqau
— Joel Currier (@joelcurrier) June 27, 2020
About a dozen St. Louis police officers have formed a line between those saying prayers and those who want the King Louis IX statue removed. pic.twitter.com/9XJTkHHszf
— Joel Currier (@joelcurrier) June 27, 2020
They screamed and yelled foul language at people praying the Rosary. Warning for language.
Arguments continue at the Louis IX statue. There have been a few scuffles; last police officer left about 20 minutes ago despite lingering tensions. pic.twitter.com/bxbHnEz16X
— Joel Currier (@joelcurrier) June 27, 2020
They assaulted this guy and there were other scuffles.
Another brief scuffle over the statue’s symbolism. pic.twitter.com/k58gwe0dMP
— Joel Currier (@joelcurrier) June 27, 2020
They defaced the base of the statue, writing bad and false things about St. Louis.
Some have drawn chalk messages on the King Louis IX statue. pic.twitter.com/OocGQmuXRp
— Joel Currier (@joelcurrier) June 27, 2020
At one point, Fr. Stephen Schumacher of the St. Louis Archdiocese stood between them and the statue and tried to talk sense to them, explaining the history, that St. Louis when King of France had done good works for his people which is one of the reasons he’s a saint and the city is named for him. But the mob even tried to shout down a priest and showed they failed to understand history. They didn’t care what he had to say or the facts, they’ve been told to hate it so they must rip it down.
Video from this moment earlier. https://t.co/PXLMoT3s1c pic.twitter.com/WE6vHeEsJH
— Joel Currier (@joelcurrier) June 27, 2020
Even though he knows the history and they don’t, they still think they know more.
Nothing more heroic than standing, literally, in the face of the angry mob, with the calmness of truth. Notice how they also threatened the St. Louis Cathedral when he told them to go there and learn the history, one says, “Eventually, we’re taking that too, though.”
The Archdiocese issued a formal statement, defending the statue and St. Louis.
The St. Louis Archdiocese today emailed a statement about the statue of Louis IX. https://t.co/QfGmAznjwR pic.twitter.com/K29weQ4p34
— Joel Currier (@joelcurrier) June 28, 2020
From Fox 2:
The Archdiocese said in their statement that the public “should not seek to erase history, but recognize and learn from it.”
They defended the statue of the saint and recounted his road to sainthood. When ruling Louis IX “focused on impartial justice, protecting the rights of his subjects, steep penalties for royal officials abusing power, and a series of initiatives to help the poor.” The Archdiocese also noted that Louis IX performed numerous charitable acts such as feeding the poor and creating hospitals.
“For Catholics, St. Louis is an example of an imperfect man who strived to live a life modeled after the life of Jesus Christ.”
First, they came for the Confederate statues, now they’re coming for everything, even Catholic saints. Anything that could offend them must come down, even if it’s the actions of someone from the 13th century that they don’t understand.
It’s about pulling down all cultural or symbolic moorings, until there is nothing safe. It’s on the road to the Red Guard all over again and “the destruction of the four olds.”
A 1971 report from the NYT describes how sweeping the destruction of the “four olds” had been (Old Customs, Old Culture, Old Habits, Old Ideas). E.g. It was common for Chinese homes to have altars to ancestors.
Red Guards entered homes & destroyed them https://t.co/Zr5RshifCl— Claire Lehmann (@clairlemon) June 10, 2020
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