ILOILO CITY -- Amid the online public shaming, a priest called on to show compassion for those who vandalized a Marian image in Iloilo City – the only religious shrine in the country that was canonically crowned by Saint John Paul II himself during his time when he was pope.

“We need to show them compassion,” said Fr. Angelo Colada, communications director of the Archdiocese of Jaro.

“Some of them already apologized,” added Fr. Colada, referring to those who allegedly vandalized the sacred image.

Photos of the vandalized shrine of the Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Our Lady of Candles) at the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral surfaced online over the weekend.

The vandals allegedly mostly came from those who took the October 2 Licensure Exam for Teachers (LET). It remains unclear where the students graduated from.

“We understand their external expression of faith. While it was a bad action on their part, we also have to understand the impact against them,” Colada told Manila Bulletin in a phone interview.

Colada explained that it might have been that others followed suit when they initially saw someone write on the wall.

The Marian image is known to have drawn thousands of devotees including the sick and those who are about to take licensure examinations -- whether to become professional teachers or nurses.

The religious image that is believed to grow in size is known for its miraculous powers. It was crowned by Saint John Paul II when he visited the country in 1981.

Colada disclosed that Msgr. Jose Marie ‘Joemarie’ Delgado, the parish priest, is willing to have a dialogue with the students.

Meanwhile, the vandalism has been removed as the walls of the shrine were repainted.