FRANKFOTT.- Authorities banned trips to Cologne Cathedral and inspected parishioners wishing to attend midnight mass on Sunday, amid threats of terrorist attacks.
However, a security official called on citizens not to be afraid to go to Christmas celebrations.
Parishioners went to the cathedral although purely tourist visits were prohibited, a day after the police went to the temple with trained dogs.
In Austria, police in Vienna said they were stepping up security measures at churches and Christmas markets, apparently because of the same clues about a possible attack. He did not provide further details, but the news agency, without citing sources, reported that the threat came from an Islamic extremist group.
Police in Cologne said they are taking precautions over Christmas even though the alleged threat mentioned New Year’s Day.
“Although the reference was to the New Year, there are many people in the cathedral area, today is Christmas Eve and there will be midnight mass. “It is one of the most visited cathedrals in the world and there is a train station nearby,” said police spokesman Wolfgang Baldes, right in front of the cathedral.
“There are a lot of people and that is why we have said that we will do everything necessary to protect people,” he added.
Cathedral rector Guido Assmann, in an interview for the Cologne archdiocese’s website, domradio.de, said that tourist visits were prohibited but that this was not a big change, since such visits are normally not allowed during services. religious, and those services will last all Sunday.
Cologne’s imposing cathedral, whose spiers rise up to 157 meters (515 feet), is a popular tourist destination visited by around 6 million people a year. There is the Sanctuary of the Three Kings, a gold and silver coffin where, according to legend, are relics of the three wise men who, according to the New Testament, went to visit the newborn baby Jesus.
The authorities asked parishioners for Sunday mass to arrive early and not bring wallets or bags.
Herbert Reul, Minister of the Interior of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, called on citizens not to stop going to church.
“Precautionary measures must be taken, but we are not defenseless. “Our agencies are using all available information to protect us as best as possible,” she said.
“My call is: Go to church, celebrate Christmas. Fear is the currency of terrorists, we should not give it more value,” he added.
European Union Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson warned on December 5 that Europe faces “an enormous risk of terrorist attacks” over Christmas as a result of the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
Source: With information from AP
