In the lead-up to Pope Francis 's visit to Chile in January 2018 , there were a number of arson attacks on churches in the capital , Santiago . Typically , the attacks involved firebombing accompanied by spraying of accelerants . A barrel believed to contain flammable liquid was discovered in one evangelical church . However the damage was insignificant and was quick and easy to repair . Pamphlets addressing the pontiff left at the scene of one of the conflagrations read : " The next bombs will be in your cassock . " The papal visit was dominated by issues surrounding the sex-crimes of Reverend Fernando Karadima , whose protégé Bishop Juan Barros was protected by the Pope , despite accusations of complicity . Chilean President Michelle Bachelet addressed the " strange " firebombing of the churches on radio : " In a democracy , people can express themselves as long as they do it in a peaceful way . " Following the Charlie Hebdo shooting in January 2015 , 45 churches were burned down by Islamists in Niger
Charlie Hebdo shooting
Charlie Hebdo shooting
Church arson