ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia - Gunmen opened fire on a Catholic church in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, officials said Monday. No one was injured.
Rostov police spokeswoman Olga Kakutkina said unknown gunmen fired on the church early Saturday when nobody was inside. Later in the morning, the church's staff discovered 10 bullet holes in the windows, she said.
Officials at the Rostov parish said they did not believe the incident was anti-Catholic, but rather simple hooliganism. They said the church had not received any threats.
Relations between the Russian Catholic church and leaders of the majority faith, the Russian Orthodox, have been tense in recent months following the Vatican's move to upgrade its structure in Russia to full-fledged dioceses. The Russian Orthodox Church sees the Catholic presence in Russia as proselytizing and interpreted the upgrade as a further invasion of its traditional territory.