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Chapel Destroyed with Fire Extinguisher

On January 22nd, an unknown perpetrator destroyed the prayer room of the Christuskirche in Lüdenscheid using a fire extinguisher. He entered the chapel between 4:00 and 6:00 in the afternoon, when it was open to the general public, and sprayed the contents of the fire extinguisher all over the floor, walls, and furniture. The damage is estimated at approximately 500 euros. The local police are looking for witnesses to this incident, described as a "special case of senseless destructive rage."

January 22, 2020, Germany

Antifascist Grafitti on Le Mans Church

Civic group Protège ton église documented graffiti reading "FACHOS NOT WELCOME" sprayed on the church Saint Benoît au Mans during the weekend of January 19th.

January 19, 2020, France

Eight Churches and Two Schools Hit By Vandalism in Bordeaux over Weekend

Eight churches and two Catholic educational establishments were vandalized with graffiti in Bordeaux and Talence during the night between January 18th to 19th. The churches affected were: Notre-Dame, Saint-Eloi, Sainte-Croix, Sainte Eulalie, Saint-Seurin, Sacré-Coeur, and Saint-Paul in Bordeaux, the church of Notre-Dame de Talence and on the Catholic educational establishments of Albert le Grand and Saint-Genès in Bordeaux. The offensive tags, referring to pedophilia in the Church and to the bioethics bill, all had the same signature.

January 19, 2020, France

Bus Filled with Catholic Pilgrims Attacked by Masked Protesters

A bus filled with Catholics bound for Pontmain was prevented from leaving the diocesan house in Caen by approximately twenty masked people in black holding a banner and shooting paintball pellets at the windshield. A spokesman for the diocese explained that the protestors likely confused the pilgrimage bus for one bound for Paris for a Manif pour Tous demonstration. This was the second time in a few months that a pilgrimage bus was attacked after being mistaken for a Manif pour Tous bus.

January 19, 2020, France

Statue of Virgin Mary and Roadside Crucifix Destroyed in Southern Poland

Between January 16th and 18th, unidentified perpetrators destroyed a statue of the Virgin Mary in a church in Ściegny and then in Wojanów, a roadside crucifix and figures of angels standing around the cross were destroyed beyond repair.

January 17, 2020, Poland

French Satirist and Radio Station Apologized to LGBT Community, Not Christians

After a strong backlash against the France Inter radio station for airing of a song "Jésus est pédé" (an offensive pejorative for male homosexual), performed and written by Frédéric Fromet, both the singer and the station apologized to the LGBT community, despite the majority of complaints coming from Christian listeners.

January 15, 2020, France
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NEWS & ACTIVITIES

German Pharmacist's right to act in line with conscience affirmed in landmark court trial

January 16, 2020, Germany

Are pharmacists allowed to act in accordance with their conscience? In Berlin, a pharmacist who would not sell the ‘morning-after-pill’ for conscience reasons has recently faced legal proceedings initiated by the Berlin Chamber of Pharmacists. For the first time, a German court ruled on this matter and upheld his right to act in accordance with his conscience regarding the sale of certain products. The Pharmacists’ Chamber may still appeal against the decision with the appeal period due to expire on 20 January. ADF International supported the pharmacist in this case.

Switzerland to Hold Referendum on Expanded Hate Crime Law

January 15, 2020, Switzerland

On February 9, 2020, Swiss voters will have the opportunity to reject the changes to the penal code approved by the Parliament in 2019. Christian groups have called the expansion of the hate crime law to include sexual orientation "superfluous," noting that existing laws offered sufficient protection and that the new law could be used to attack religious freedom, freedom of speech, and freedom of conscience.

Observatory in the News: Headlines & Links

December 5, 2019, International

Newsletter: Germany must do more to protect Christian converts

October 31, 2019, Germany

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