(Jan. 02, 2013) In France, protesters occupied the offices of the apostolic nuncio
in Paris on Monday, December 31, to protest the decision by Church officials to evict
squatters from a church in Lille. Undocumented immigrants, mostly from Algeria, have
been using the Lille church as a homeless shelter since November. Church officials
eventually acted to remove them to preserve the sacred space. To protest that action,
about 50 people invaded the nunciature, hanging a banner out of the window to question
the Church’s dedication to the rights of immigrants. Riot police responded to the
invasion—which was regarded by law-enforcement as a serious offense, since the nunciature
is a protected embassy—but no arrests were reported. The demonstrators agreed to leave
peacefully after registering their protest.