Two arrested over brutal church attack

A burnt Bible lies on the floor of the cathedral after the attack

Police in the Caribbean island of St Lucia have arrested a second suspect after worshippers in the capital's Roman Catholic cathedral were hacked with machetes and set on fire.

At least one person - an Irish nun - was killed in the attack at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Castries. Thirteen others were injured. The Caribbean News Agency (Cana) reported on Monday that one of them had died in hospital.

It was like a scene from hell

Witness

The suspects identified themselves as Rastafarians and are reported to have said that God asked them to carry out the attack because "there is so much corruption in the Catholic Church".

Witnesses said a group of three or four men entered the church on Sunday as worshippers were lining up to receive Holy Communion.

Sister Theresa Egan was administering the holy sacrament when she was killed

They then lashed out at them with machetes, doused them with flammable liquid and set fire to them with a blow torch.

Prime Minister Kenny Anthony condemned the attack as sick and demonic, and vowed to punish those responsible.

Police spokesman Albert Fregis said St Lucia's Rastafarian leaders had also denounced the attack.

Vestments alight

An Irish nun who survived the assault has described the scenes of horror in what she called the "Satanic" incident.

They were spraying people with kerosene, and then torching them - it was Satanic

Sister Mel Kenny

"There was pandemonium when a group of men burst into the church with what looked like a wall of fire," said Sister Mel Kenny, from Clonmacnoise, Co Offaly.

"They were spraying people with kerosene, and then torching them."

The nun who died, 72-year-old Sister Theresa Egan, originally from Co Laois, was serving communion and was hit in the head by one of the machetes.

People gathered in front of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conceptionm after the attack

"I saw the priest who had been saying mass come out of the church with his vestments alight," Sister Mel told Irish Radio.

"I saw Sister Theresa fall to the ground and I wanted to help her. But I then felt a terrible force on the side of my head and also fell and could not move.

"It was Satanic, and a totally new departure. People here are very angry."

The priest, the Reverend Charles Gaillard, is said to be critically ill with burns.

Reports say the two suspects told police they were prophets sent by Haile Selassie, the late Ethiopian emperor worshipped as a god by Rastafarians.

There are conflicting reports from St Lucia as to whether the men belonged to an anti-Christian organisation.

Lined up

Some church officials have been quoted as saying anti-Christian symbols were posted on the doors of Cathedral of Immaculate Conception and other churches last week.

Prime Minister Anthony: 'Sick and demonic' attack

More than 400 were in the cathedral at the time of the attack.

Worshippers held captive one suspect, named as Kim John, and police found a second one hiding in bushes nearby. They are still looking for at least two other suspects.