The historic St. Anthony of Padua Parish church in Iquique, Chile, was destroyed by the fire. / Credit: Courtesy of Iquique Fire Department

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 16, 2024 / 18:10 pm (CNA).

Following the tragic fire that destroyed St. Anthony of Padua Church and the Franciscan convent in Iquique, Chile, the local bishop, Isauro Covili Linfati, offered words of encouragement to the community. Meanwhile the cause of the fire is under investigation.

In a video message recorded in front of the gutted-out church, the prelate noted that the people have gone through “such a difficult and painful situation as the loss of this church,” which he described as a “tremendous drama.”

In this context, he offered “words of encouragement and hope to the entire community.”

“It is true that this place of St. Anthony is an emblematic place, significant in the heart and in the life of the city and this area, and also of the region. There are so many brothers and sisters, hundreds and thousands of brothers and sisters who have a bond with this place by their faith, by their affection, by family history,” he recalled.

He thus encouraged people to live this time as a time of mourning and from there “for us to be able to recover as people and also restore the site, God willing, in the future,” he said with earnest, hoping that this experience “allows us to encounter one another, to reencounter one another, to be more united every day.”

The prelate also recalled the Franciscan brothers who arrived from Belgium at the beginning of the 20th century as well as the Chileans and Peruvians who worked “so that this place might continue to be significant in the hearts and lives of all of us.”

Despite the sadness, Covili assured that the Church is hopeful, “because from the experience of mourning we can recover.” He also hoped that the presence of the Franciscans “can continue in this place, so that this place continues to be so significant, because the city can only be understood from here, from this point,” he said.

Possibility of arson being investigated

Construction on the historic church began in 1899 and was completed in 1904. 

The Chilean province’s Environmental and Cultural Heritage Crimes Investigation Brigade is in charge of the investigation to try to determine the cause of the fire.

The head of the brigade, Sub-Prefect Maritza Cossio Rodríguez, emphasized that “the parish is a national monument, declared a historical monument on Oct. 25, 1994, and it is our responsibility to investigate this type of incident,” the Chilean website Pura Noticia explains.

In addition, Cossio said that action is being taken “to determine if there was participation by third parties and to establish responsibilities in this catastrophe.”

The same website also notes that a day earlier, as reported by some faithful of the community, a small fire had been put out that did not cause major problems.

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