A priest in France who smashed a statue of Jesus in his church has attributed his action to the stress and fatigue of his job.
Fr Jean-Jacques Le Roy, 55, a priest in Plestin-les-Greves in Brittany, shouted out “one less” as he threw the statue to the ground last Thursday during a visit by a sacred art commission.
Church authorities said Fr Le Roy did not like the style of sculpture.
Fr Le Roy also said his act was not deliberate, but that he had pushed the statue too hard while checking if it was properly attached to a wall.
He apologised to those present, but his congregation wrote a letter to the local bishop to complain.
The priest has been summoned to explain himself to the bishop.