Priest creates controversy after carrying out works and painting frescoes with 300 years of history

The municipality of El Tanque, in Tenerife, Spain, found itself embroiled in controversy after restoration work carried out by the local parish priest in the parish church of San Antonio de Padua, which resulted in the painting over frescoes with 300 years of history. The action provoked outrage among local believers, who consider the incident to be a lack of respect.

The religious brotherhood that protects the preservation of heritage denounced the damage caused to the centuries-old paintings due to the intervention of the parish priest. The works were supposedly carried out to resolve humidity problems in the infrastructure.

According to reports, the paintings were originally protected by a layer of special paint that served as a kind of coating. However, during restoration work, this layer was removed, revealing the frescoes underneath.

The parish priest justified the decision to paint over the frescoes, claiming that the workers discovered the frescoes during the process of removing the paint and that, following his instructions, they applied a “special paint” against humidity, recommended by a hardware store. .

However, the councilor for Works and Services at El Tanque City Council, Jennifer Rosales, stated that she warned the parish priest about the sensitivity of the intervention due to the cultural status of the parish and recommended specialized companies. She further claims that the parish priest ignored her instructions.

Responsibility for the incident falls, according to local inhabitants, on Father Héctor Lunar Guevara, whom they accuse not only of previously disrespecting local believers, but also of being solely responsible for what happened.