Tourist Shouts ‘Praise the Lord’ Before Smashing Jesus Statue (Video)

A British tourist’s late-night stunt outside a historic church ended in disaster when a stolen statue of Jesus shattered on a cobblestone street, leaving the religious figure in pieces and the suspected vandal facing serious legal trouble.

The bizarre incident unfolded in Vilnius, Lithuania, where surveillance footage captured two men laughing and filming themselves with a gold-colored statue of Jesus that had been removed from a wooden cross outside the Shrine of Divine Mercy.

In the footage, one man carries the figure toward his companion, who is sitting on a nearby bench recording the encounter. As he raises the statue into the air, he can be heard shouting, “Praise the Lord!”

Seconds later, the stunt takes a disastrous turn. The statue breaks apart, sending pieces crashing onto the pavement.

Apparently stunned by what just happened, the man turns toward his friend and exclaims, “Oh my God, we did not,” before the pair hurriedly flee down the narrow street.

The men appeared intoxicated in the video, although authorities have not confirmed whether alcohol played a role.

Police said the incident occurred late on November 11 outside the Shrine of Divine Mercy, a historic Catholic church in the Lithuanian capital’s Old Town. Investigators believe the statue was pulled from a cross in the church’s courtyard before being carried into the street and destroyed.

The incident sparked outrage within the church community, which shared images of the shattered statue and appealed for help identifying those responsible.

The religious site dates back centuries and houses the original Divine Mercy painting, created in 1934 by artist Eugeniusz Kazimirowski. The revered image attracts Catholic pilgrims from around the world.

But what initially appeared to be a reckless tourist prank has since turned into a criminal investigation.

On November 14, Lithuanian police identified and questioned a suspect, formally notifying him that he was under investigation.

Authorities confirmed the following day that the suspect is a British citizen born in 1989 who was visiting Lithuania. Police also seized his identity document, preventing him from leaving the country while the investigation continues.

The man is cooperating with investigators, according to local authorities.

Prosecutors are investigating the suspected desecration of a publicly revered site, an offense that can carry a prison sentence of up to three years under Lithuanian law.

The full extent of the damage to the statue has not been publicly established, and authorities have not confirmed whether the second man will face any charges.

What began as a few moments of apparent amusement outside a church has now left a sacred statue destroyed and one tourist facing consequences that could extend far beyond his vacation.