Satanic graffiti daubed on Heywood church

Satanic graffiti daubed on Heywood church windows

A church in Heywood has had satanic graffiti daubed on its walls and windows. Parish Priest of St Joseph's, Father Paul Daly, has described the act as "mindless vandalism" and says that to desecrate the walls and windows of a church with satanic designs is not just upsetting, but is sacrilegious. He added: "It is deeply shocking not just to our parishioners but to all Heywood townsfolk."

The numbers 666 and 616 and an upside down cross have been painted on the church windows.

The numbers are from the Book of Revelation (13:18) in the bible and are described as representing the number of the beast (the devil). There is some disagreement between scholars as to the correct translation with the majority translating the number as 666 and a minority 616.

The passage from the Book of Revelation:

• 13.  11  I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon.
  13.  12  He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 
  13.  13  He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people. 
  13.  14  He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived. 
  13.  15  It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn't worship the image of the beast to be killed. 
  13.  16  He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands, or on their foreheads; 
  13.  17  and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name. 
  13.  18  Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six. 

An upside down cross has only relatively recently become a symbol for Satanists. Traditionally, it was the cross that one of the saints was crucified upon because he didn't see himself worthy enough to be crucified on a cross the same shape as Jesus. It's a traditional Catholic cross, the Cross of Saint Peter. However, since the 1960's when Anton LaVey set up the Satanic Church, the upside down cross has come to be associated with the devil.