Church thefts in Creuse, France, Digi Mart USA News (Guéret, France): For the first time in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, a meeting was held on November 4, 2026, in Guéret to raise awareness of the need to secure religious buildings against thefts, a phenomenon that is on the rise. In Creuse, for example, five thefts took place in 2025.
In 2025, 538 churches were burglarized in France, a figure up 10% from the previous year. Nouvelle-Aquitaine is the region most affected.
For this reason, authorities decided to hold the first information meeting, aimed in particular at elected officials. The meeting took place in Guéret on Wednesday, November 4, because Creuse is not spared by this phenomenon.
The parish priest of Guéret, Jean-Pierre Barrière, noted that five thefts occurred in Creuse churches in 2025, a rise he observed. “Thefts, we used to have some, but far fewer, and now it has been increasing since last year, whether in Gouzon, Ladapeyre or Peyrat-la-Nonière,” he said, adding: “What is in these buildings belongs to the whole population, and that is what hurts the most.” Most of the stolen items are small pieces of goldsmith work, such as vases and chalices used in worship, some of which are protected as historic monuments.
More than 180 people, mostly elected officials from Creuse, attended the meeting. Among them was Philippe Ducourthial, second deputy mayor of Saint-Chabrais, who said: “There is the religious dimension, it is a place where people come to reflect, a place of worship, but it is also the heritage of the commune; the church is at the heart of the town center, it is important.” The official said he is looking into how to secure it while keeping in mind constraints, notably keeping churches open.
The secretary general of the Creuse prefecture and sub-prefect of Guéret, Anne-Sophie Marcon, said the aim is not to close these buildings: “The idea is not to turn them into fortresses, but to secure people, property and buildings alike.” The sub-prefect added: “France has a wealth of religious buildings, and that is also our weakness, because they can be targeted and increasingly are.
So it is a collective issue. We are not talking about religion here but about heritage, history, memory and the identity of the people of Creuse.”
The Creuse gendarmerie wants to raise awareness among municipal officials, as explained by Major Sylvain Piot, security referent. “It must first pass through human and organizational measures.
The mayor and elected officials must fully understand their role as owners of the premises and furnishings, then put in place organization such as inventories, a good knowledge of the premises, and identification of the most precious heritage. Once we have done this first step, we can all work together on which security measures to implement depending on the heritage.” The major said measures could include moving valuable objects outside worship times or placing them in display cases, installing bars or video surveillance cameras.
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Rallies were also held on Monday, October 19, at midday in front of town halls in Creuse, called by the Association of Mayors of France, and elected officials were invited to gather in front of the Guéret town hall at the end of the day.
