Fire devastates historic church and Franciscan convent in Chile; arson not ruled out

Historic St. Anthony of Padua Church in Iquique, Chile engulfed in flames. / Credit: Courtesy of Iquique, Chile Fire Department

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 14, 2024 / 18:40 pm (CNA).

A fire on Friday devastated St. Anthony of Padua Church and a Franciscan convent in the city of Iquique, Chile. The prosecutor’s office has not ruled out arson.

“We are facing here such a lamentable situation, a tragedy in terms of our heritage, in terms of the parish church of St. Anthony of Padua that burned down, as well as the Franciscan convent,” the bishop of Iquique, Isauro Covili, said in a video posted by the diocese on Facebook Oct. 11.

“[It’s] a building, as we all know, so historic and important for the city and the region. We are really hurting because of the fire and everything that it means,” the prelate added, alluding to the fact that in 1994 the site was declared a historical monument in the country.

“It’s all been reduced to nothing, but we also know that the Church, the body of Jesus Christ, the living body of Jesus, will go on just the same in the midst of grief, tragedy, and tears to continue to celebrate with joy and hope the faith and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,” the bishop said.

Covili, who is also a Franciscan, especially thanked the firefighters “who have worked hard throughout the afternoon,” “all the civil institutions,” and “so many people who have expressed their closeness, their concern, and their pain.”

“I thank everyone and I thank God, too, because this place and the presence of the Franciscans here is so dear and treasured by the entire city,” the bishop emphasized.

According to the Chilean media Cooperativa, the fire also affected three adjacent houses and a workshop, injuring six people.

Fire under investigation

Cooperativa also reported that prosecutor Gonzalo Valderrama has opened an investigation to determine whether the fire was intentional.

“An investigation was opened ex officio, based on the information that circulated on social media. Therefore, the Crime Lab of Police Investigations was instructed to carry out an expert evaluation,” Valderrama said.

“At the moment, we have no evidence of arson, but it is a hypothesis that cannot be ruled out,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.