Churches in Cologne's city centre, including the iconic Cologne Cathedral, are regularly targeted by vandals, causing thousands of euros in damage each month. Dr Dominik Meiering, the leading priest for Cologne's inner city, expressed concern about the repeated desecration, theft and graffiti, describing it as a serious burden on the Church and a threat to its public mission.
Incidents include broken collection boxes, drug use, faeces and vandalism in sacred spaces. Cologne Cathedral has to be patrolled daily to identify new graffiti, and churches are fenced off during major public events such as Carnival.
Churches such as Herz Jesu, Groß Sankt Martin, St Aposteln and Severin are among those affected. Meiering insists on keeping the churches open despite the damage, saying: "Anyone who closes churches is turning people away from the Church."
More than 100 volunteers are helping to maintain a welcoming presence in open churches to prevent further desecration. The Catholic Church is currently bearing most of the financial burden, and the priest is calling for greater civic responsibility and creative solutions.