All cases
Door Set on Fire and Graffiti in Primary School Church: "I smell Christians"
July 2, 2018, ItalyAn unknown vandal set fire to the entrance door to the church of the nursery/primary school institute Paul VI in Castel Gandolfo and wrote graffiti reading "I smell Christians" in Norwegian. A complaint was filed and the police began an investigation.
High Court Upholds "Buffer Zones" around Abortion Clinic; Appeal Filed
July 2, 2018, United KingdomThe High Court of England and Wales upheld a “buffer zone” imposed by Ealing Council, west London, around a Marie Stopes abortion clinic. High Court Judge Mark Turner said that Ealing Council in London was justified in creating a 328-foot exclusion zone to prevent any pro-life gathering or speech, including prayer, within 100 meters of the clinic. Two women plan to appeal to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
Arson Attempt at Elche Basilica
June 30, 2018, SpainAn unknown person attempted to set fire to the Basilica of Santa Maria in Elche while Mass was being celebrated inside. By using paraffin from a chandelier, the perpetrator set a fire between two wooden doors. Fortunately a parishioner noticed the smoke and the flames could be smothered in time.
"Satan Punishes Homophobes" on Wall of Toulouse Chapel
June 30, 2018, FranceGraffiti was discovered on the walls of the Saint-Roch-du-Férétra chapel in Toulouse. Slogans included "Church on fire", "Dirty priest" and "Satan punishes homophobes." An investigation has been started. It is suspected that the slogans were left by LGBT groups and anarchists.
Ex-President of Ireland calls Catholic Teaching on Homosexuality 'Evil'
June 29, 2018, IrelandMary McAleese, the former President of Ireland said that, in her view, the Church's teaching on homosexuality is "evil" and leads to homophobia which has caused people to commit suicide and live in "dark shadows." She said that the behaviour of the church towards the LGBT community was "unchristian" and "worse than uncharitable" and that the only person to change this is the pope.
Repeated Vandalism at Church in Forst
June 29, 2018, GermanySt Nikolai, the main church in Forst, was repeatedly vandalized. During several weeks in June 2018 the facade on the side of the church was chipped at until the perpetrators were able to pull away the paint coating. Countless graffiti and a hole in the wall were also found. In addition to that, 18 glass windows which are located in the doors to the tower entrance were smashed. The church was left with uninsured costs to repair the 10 square meteres of facade were estimated at 2,000 euros and a further 300 euros to repair the windows.
Coalition Withdraws CDU Candidate for Constitutional Court Due to Criticism of Sex Ed
June 29, 2018, GermanyJust days before the parliamentary vote on the election of a judge to the state constitutional court, the CDU, Greens, FDP and SSW withdrew their nomination of Hamburg lawyer and law professor Christian Winterhoff due to his conservative views on the sexual education of children.
Convictions in Czech Church Arson Case
June 28, 2018, Czech RepublicThree young men were convicted of arson for setting fire to the 16th century Božího Těla (Corpus Christi) church in Guty, Třinec. The regional court of Ostrava sentenced them to 9, 8, and 3.5 years in prison for setting fire to the church in August 2017. The Roman Catholic church had been listed as a cultural and historical monument and was among the oldest preserved wooden churches in the Czech Republic. The August 2017 fire caused damage of over 20 million korun. The historical value of the building and its artifacts, however, is not quantifiable.
1 in 10 Gay Christians Report Discrimination by other LGBT People
June 28, 2018, United KingdomA report by the LGBT-rights organization Stonewall found that nearly 1 in 10 gay Christians have experienced bullying from other LGBT people because of their faith.
Two Fires Set in Neunkirchen Parish
June 27, 2018, AustriaAn unknown person set fire to the tablecloth on the altar of the "Allerseelen" chapel in the church in Neunkirchen, but went out on its own. The incident was suspected to have happened just after the church opened as the priest noticed it and immediately reported the incident to the police. Two days later, a similar fire was set.
Theft and Vandalism for Weeks in French Cemetery
June 26, 2018, FranceFor several weeks, the Vallongue cemetery in the city of Bandol, was repeatedly vandalized and various objects were stolen. Relatives observed with dismay as plants, ceramics, figurines, and other decorative objects were disappearing.
Church Suffers Repeated Thefts and Vandalism
June 26, 2018, FranceFrom the beginning of March until the end of June 2018, the alms box of church of Saint-Thomas-de-Cônac was repeatedly broken and emptied by unknown thieves. Despite new measures to prevent further thefts in the alms box, the perpetrators continued to attempt to get the money. In the end, after having installed a safe on the ground, the constant thefts were replaced with acts of vandalism: candles lit and broken on the floor, trash and papers thrown around, holy water spilled, and indecent comments written in the guestbook.
Fire in Chapel in Kolbermoor
June 25, 2018, GermanyOn June 25th, unknown perpetrators set fire to a dry flower arrangement that decorated a monument to the fallen in a chapel of the Heilig Dreifaltigkeit church in Kolbermoor. The damage to the property, based on the Bad Aibling police inspection, was around 1500 euros.
Two Statues Destroyed at Church in Perrecy-les-Forges
June 24, 2018, FranceParishioners discovered two broken statues in the church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Benoît on Sunday morning, the 24th of June 2018. The statue of St. Paul had been destroyed and another had been decapitated. In addition to that, benches had been overturned, a door had been forced open, and a door lock had been broken.
Attack on Seven Iranian Christians in Greek Refugee Camp
June 24, 2018, GreeceOn June 24th, in the middle of the night, a group of about 30-40 refugees attacked two Christian families along with another Christian man after they returned from a bible-reading. According to International Christian Consulate, "the attackers poured petrol over the cabin where they were meeting, and threatened to set it alight. They beat up the men and held knives to the throats of the two women and children, while telling them, ‘This is a Muslim camp. You have to leave’."
Madonna Image Vandalized in Legano
June 23, 2018, ItalyUnknown individuals used red spray paint to vandalize one of the bas-relief images of the Virgin Mary in the votive chapel on corner of one of the walls of the parish of Santa Teresa del Bambin Gesù, between Via Canova and Via Resegone, in Legano.
Madonna of Piazza Europa Burnt
June 23, 2018, ItalyDuring the night of June 23rd, someone set fire to the Madonna in the Piazza Europa in Marino, near Rome, leaving it blackened with soot. Residents expressed outrage, as the statue is a symbol of the community and the police began an investigation.
Fire in Orthodox church in Bosnia Herzigovia
June 23, 2018, Bosnia and HerzegovinaA fire was lit inside the church of the Most Holy Mother of God in the high-rise settlement of the suburb Čekrekčije. Most objects of the church, including icons and sacred books were destroyed or burnt. The fire affected part of the roof structure and the main part of the throne was broken. The police has started an investigation. The church had been renovated over a period of two years and was consecrated in September 2017.
Vandals Hit a Church in Radevormwald
June 22, 2018, GermanyUnknown people entered the church of St. Marien in Radevormwald on June 22nd and disturbed various items, burned church newspapers in the baptismal font, and destroyed the Easter candle, which in addition to its religious symbolism, also had value of 100 euros.
Isle of Man Cathedral Vandalized
June 21, 2018, United KingdomOn June 21st, police condemned a continuous wave of vandalism against the Peel Cathedral on the Isle of Man. A spokesman for the police said that vandals sprayed graffiti in different places around the cathedral over several days. A week earlier, a prominent sculpture was broken, and the lawn and other objects were damaged.