All cases

Polish Supreme Court Rules against Printer; Tribunal Reversed in 2019

June 14, 2018, Poland

Poland's Supreme Court ruled against a printer who refused to create a roll-up banner for an LGBT business group because he did not want to "promote" the gay rights movement, citing his Catholic religious beliefs. The Court held that although there may be legally justifiable reasons to refuse services based on religious objections, in this case they did not apply. UPDATE: In June 2019, the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that the law the printer was convicted under was unconstitutional, because punishment for refusing to provide services on the grounds of beliefs interfered with the service providers’ rights to act according to their conscience.

Spain Fined UK Christian Television Broadcaster

June 14, 2018, Spain

The National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) fined Revelation TV, which is based in the UK but broadcasts in Spain, €6,000 after an individual complained to the state agency about comments made by an evangelical pastor during a morning program in September 2017. The CNMC deemed the pastor's comments "homophobic" when he expressed his opinion about transgender issues and whether Christians should move their children from schools when another student identifies as transgender.

Theft and Vandalism in the Church of Bellecombe-Tarendol

June 13, 2018, France

During the night of June 13th, between 10 pm and 7 am, unknown individuals forced the door of the Bellecombe-Tarendol church, breaking the lock. Once inside, they caused minor damage and stole a golden chalice. In addition, they sprayed the interior of the building with a fire extinguisher to conceal their tracks.

Theft in Sant'Antonio Church in Manduria on its Feast's Eve

June 12, 2018, Italy

Thieves entered the church of Sant'Antonio in Manduria on June 12th between 11 am and 2 pm and stole an amplifier and part of the sound system from the sacristy, taking advantage of the confusion in the preparation of the patron's local feast the next day.

Theft and Vandalism in the Chapel of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme

June 12, 2018, France

A painting of the chapel of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme was stolen during the night of June 8th by an unknown person. In addition to the robbery, the grid that protected the chapel was broken and various decorative objects and religious art were damaged.

Asylum-Seeking Christian Family Fears Death in Face of Deportation

June 11, 2018, United Kingdom

The Home Office has repeatedly rejected the asylum applications of a Christian family, who have been living in the UK for the past six years. They fear death if forced to return to Pakistan.

Anarcho-Satanist Graffiti at the Basilica of Chaumont

June 11, 2018, France

On the morning of June 11th, an unknown person sprayed Anarcho-Satanist graffiti on the facade of the Basilica of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Chaumont (Haute-Marne). Along with the traditional anarchist symbol, the word Satan accompanied by a heart was discovered.

Food Delivery Driver Ripped Cross from Wall of Christian Home

June 11, 2018, United Kingdom

A Greek Orthodox Christian, noticed that the Palm Sunday cross which had been hanging outside her front door for many years had been ripped off when she left for work. It was scattered in pieces on her doormat. After reviewing security cameras, the family discovered that a food delivery driver had torn the cross down just before delivering food to the home. The homeowner reported the incident as hate crime and police began an investigation.

Two Flags Stolen from Church in Züsch

June 9, 2018, Germany

During the night of June 9th, between 3:00 and 3:30 pm, two flags were stolen from the Züsch parish.

Obscene Graffiti on Facade of Italian Church

June 6, 2018, Italy

The Greek church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in the city of Barletta was stained with various graffiti by unknown vandals. Among the graffiti, there were many obscene images and phrases.

Abandoned Church Suffers Gross Desecration

June 6, 2018, Italy

A passerby discovered that unknown people had entered the abandoned church of Santa Corona in Garbagnate Milanese desecrated the interior.

Court of Justice of the European Union Redefines “Spouses”

June 5, 2018, European Institutions (EU, ECHR, et.al.)

The Court of Justice of the European Union issued a judgment in the case of Coman and others ruling that all EU Member States, including those that define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, must recognize same-sex marriage contracted abroad, regarding the right of residence.

Man Wields Knife in Berlin Cathedral

June 3, 2018, Germany

When a 53-year-old Austrian man became aggressive and started wielding a knife in the Berlin Cathedral, police were called to intervene. The staff of the cathedral, which is also a popular tourist spot, were able to lead all visitors to safety. About a hundred people were in the cathedral at the time.

Bibles Removed from Hospital Rooms

June 3, 2018, United Kingdom

The Royal Infirmary of Dumfries and Galloway made the decision to remove Bibles from hospital rooms and social areas upon complaint that Christianity was given "preferential treatment".

Arson Attempt in Sicilian Church

June 3, 2018, Italy

On June 3rd at 11 o'clock at night, a man poured gasoline at the entrance to the church of San Giuliano in the Sicilian city of Messina and tried to set fire to the building. Firefighters extinguished the flames that had been partially isolated. The structure of the church was not damaged. Police arrested the alleged perpetrator shortly after in the vicinity of the property.

Window Broken in Church of Hahnenbach

June 2, 2018, Germany

Unknown people broke a window of the Evangelical church in Hahnenbach during the early hours of June 2nd. Later, they forced the back door of the building. Apparently nothing was stolen.

British MPs Demand "Buffer Zones" Outside Abortion Facilities

June 1, 2018, United Kingdom

One hundred sixty-one members of the British Parliament are demanding that Home Secretary Sajid Javid act on a proposal to introduce exclusion or "buffer zones” around abortion facilities, which would ban pro-life prayer, protest, and counseling of women conflicted about abortion.

Windows Broken in Jena Church

May 29, 2018, Germany

The Stadtkirche Sankt Michael in the city of Jena was subjected to two vandalism attacks in two days. On the night of May 27th, someone threw stones and broke two of the church's stained glass windows. Two days later, on May 29th, someone broke another window in the back of the church. Witnesses observed two teenagers behind the church and police began an investigation.

Fire Inside Büdesheim Church

May 27, 2018, Germany

On May 27th, unidentified people entered the church of Büdesheim between 12:00 and 7:00 pm and set fire to a sign hanging in the building.

Arson in Parish's Sports Facilities; Graffiti Threatening Parish Priest

May 26, 2018, Italy

Around six o'clock in the morning of May 26th, unknown people set fire to the rooms of the secretariat in the sports center of the Maria Madre della Chiesa parish in Casazza, a Brescia neighborhood, completely destroying its interior. In addition, next to one of the rooms affected by the fire, curses and serious insults against the parish priest were written with a blue marker.

Constant Vandalism in Sicilian Church

May 25, 2018, Italy

On May 25th, unknown persons entered the Chiesa Gesù Amore Misericordioso church in Canicattì, causing damage, breaking furniture, and staining the building with paint. Reports called this the "umpteenth time" the church had been vandalized because of repeated incidents.

Two Men Arrested for Destruction of Historic Crucifix

May 21, 2018, Poland

Two men were arrested for chopping the arm off and damaging the torso of an 18th century crucified Christ figure with a machete in front of the St. Dominic church in Nysa.

Man disrupts homily at Pentecost mass in Nantes

May 20, 2018, France

A man approached the ambo and took the microphone a few minutes into the homily during Pentecost mass and spoke in a foreign language. A few witnesses have reported that the intruder said "Allahu Akbar", the vicar, however, denies it.

Cemetery Vandalized in Indre-et-Loire

May 19, 2018, France

Between thirty and forty graves in the cemetery of La Riche were vandalized early in the evening of May 19th. Damage included smashed crucifixes. The mayor of La Riche called the act "pure vandalism," as no tags or other signs were left by the perpetrators. Families visiting the cemetery on the Pentecost weekend were distressed upon learning of the damage to their loved ones' graves. The city announced its intention to file a complaint, and urged affected families to do the same.

Statue of Our Lady of Lourdes Vandalised

May 18, 2018, France

Statue of Our Lady of Lourdes situated in the Grotto in Sainte-Gemmes-d'Andigné was broken in half during the night of May 18th to 19th. An investigation was launched immediately and two 17-year-olds confessed to the act of throwing rocks at the statue until it was broken in two. On June 6th they will be heard in the court. Damages amounted to 1000 euros.

Arson at the Madonna dell'Aiuto Church

May 17, 2018, Italy

During the night of May 17th, unknown persons entered and set fire to the church of Madonna dell'Aiuto in Trecastagni.

Fire in a Lyon Chapel

May 16, 2018, France

A fire broke out in la Chapelle Saint-Croix in the 6th arrondissement of Lyon in the afternoon of May 16th. It appeared that a fire set in the chapel's confessional started the blaze and three fire trucks were deployed to extinguish the fire.

Desecration and Theft in the Church of San Giacomo di Monselice

May 14, 2018, Italy

On May 14th, witnesses discovered that the tabernacle had been desecrated and two ciboriums containing consecrated Hosts had been stolen from the church of San Giacomo de Monselice. This was the 3rd robbery in the Padua diocese in five months.

Saint André Church in Grenoble Looted

May 13, 2018, France

Four boxes use to collect donations for the poor and for upkeep of the church were discovered looted in the Saint André church in Grenoble on May 13th. According to the parish priest, the perpetrators emptied the donation boxes and forced the drawers. Losses are estimated at around 600 euros.

Bulgarian Catholics and Protestants Unite to Oppose Proposed Religious Law: Updated

May 13, 2018, Bulgaria

Catholic and Protestant communities in Bulgaria have unified their efforts to prevent the adoption of two legislative proposals put before the parliamentary assembly in May 2018. The first, sponsored by the conservative GERB, the Bulgarian Socialist Party, and the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, would permit state subsidies only for major religious denominations. The second, tabled by the United Patriots, would require greater oversight of religious activities and financing.

Church Vandalized in Lombardy

May 11, 2018, Italy

Residents in Solbiate Olona discovered that young people had been repeatedly entering the Chiesa del Sacro Cuore and covering the floor with wax melted from votive candles. The church is loved by members of the community who take responsibility for keeping it clean.

Priest Assaulted during Mass

May 11, 2018, France

On May 11th, a man entered l’église de la Source à Saint Denis on the French island of Réunion during the celebration of the Mass, walked straight to the altar, and slapped Father Pascal Mussard. Many parishioners rushed to intervene. Police arrived soon after and handcuffed the man. After it was discovered that the perpetrator was "imbalanced" and had fled from a hospital hours earlier, the priest declined to file a complaint.

Google Halts Advertising on Irish Abortion Referendum

May 9, 2018, Ireland

On May 9th, Google announced that it would "pause" all advertising related to the upcoming Irish abortion referendum. The ban applies to all sites associated with the Google brand, including YouTube, and follows Facebook’s decision to ban any ads from advertisers outside of Ireland relating to the referendum. Opponents of the referendum, Pro-Life Campaign, Save the 8th, and the Iona Institute issued a joint statement condemning the tech giant’s decision as “shutting down a free and fair debate” and that it was "scandalous, and is an attempt to rig the referendum.”

Jihad Graffiti on Church in Sweden

May 7, 2018, Sweden

"Jihad" was painted on the outside wall of the church Sankt Olov in Skellefteå by unknown vandals. A representative of Skellefteå's pastorate commented on News Today that "it is obviously regrettable that we can not have our properties in peace." The Swedish national television SVT initially published a photograph of the affected church. Later they chose to eliminate it, indicating that the image was "too sensitive" to show.

Stained Glass Window Broken in Cölbe Church

May 5, 2018, Germany

Sometime between April 29th and May 5th, unknown vandals threw stones at the Catholic church on Gartenstraße in Cölbe, breaking one of the large stained glass windows adorning the building. Damage was estimated to exceed 1,000 euros.

Robbery in the Sacré Chœur of Toulouse

May 5, 2018, France

On the night between May 5th and 6th, one or more individuals visited the Sacré Chœur Church in Toulouse. Various religious objects were stolen by the thieves, including the chalice and the parterre. An investigation was opened to the local police office.

Six Recent Cases of Vandalism in Bamberg Churches: Witnesses Sought

May 4, 2018, Germany

Police are investigating at least six separate acts of vandalism in five churches in Bamberg in a short period. The property damage is estimated at more than 20,000 euros. On May 2nd, unknown people knocked the figure of Saint Joseph from its pedestal in the Convent of Heiliggrab, seriously damaging it. The next day at the convent, a large wooden crucifix was thrown to the ground. Also on May 3rd, two large figures of saints were overturned in St. Ottokirche.

Obscene Graffiti on Swiss Church

May 4, 2018, Switzerland

Unknown people painted a series of graffiti from the Wetzikerstrasse street to the Protestant church of Bäretswil. Some obscene drawings were sprayed with black silver paint at the church, along with the number 187 - the code of the US police for homicide cases - and also the words "F#ck you" and the acronym "Acab" (All Cops Are Bastards). The police of the canton of Zurich wrote in a statement that the damage to property caused by the vandals was estimated at around 10,000 francs.

Notre-Dame-du-Bout-du-Pont Closed by Municipal Decision Following Degradations Caused by Fire

May 4, 2018, France

For fifteen days the church Notre-Dame-du-Bout-du-Pont in Villeneuve-sur-Lot was closed. The decision was due to an incident that happened in the begining of the month. A neighbour saw smoke coming from the church by chance and alerted the police. Security forces arrived immediately on the spot and managed to extinguish the fire themselves with the fire extingusher. They found a candle under the table that serves to deposit prayer books which might have caused the flame. Unfortunately, it burned everything around. "This is obviously not her place and she did not arrive there alone", commented Father Bouchet .The church was recently renewed with many wooden furniture installed which are easily inflamed and suffer deepen damages.

Aggression and Threats againt Members of Association with Christian Values

May 3, 2018, Spain

Pedro Mejías, delegate of HazteOír in Cádiz, an association of Christian values for the defense of the rights of the family and of life, was the victim of a violent attack on May 3rd at a bar in Cádiz before a public event.

Church Windows Destroyed in Gronau

April 29, 2018, Germany

On April 29th, between 12 noon and 7 p.m., an unknown person intentionally destroyed four windows of the Evangelical Church on Bernhardstraße in Gronau.

Man Arrested for Threatening to Blow Up Cathedral

April 28, 2018, France

A 38-year old man was arrested after he burst into the Cathédrale Saint-Vincent de Chalon-sur-Saône during the Mass on April 28th, and threatened to blow everything up with a grenade and gestured toward his satchel. He also grabbed a Mass book and shouted "it is the Koran that should be read!" Parishioners promptly called the police and Ahmed X was soon placed in custody. Highly intoxicated, he remained in jail for two days before appearing in court to face charges. Due to 27 previous convictions, including violent offenses, the court ruled that he would be held in jail until his trial at the end of May. He is considered a recidivist under French law and could face enhanced penalties if convicted in this case.

Vandal Broke Statue of Saint Anthony of Padua in Bellariva

April 28, 2018, Italy

On the morning of April 28th the Franciscan friars in charge of the church of the Cuore Immacolato di Maria in Bellariva discovered that someone had broken the fingers of the statue of Saint Anthony of Padua while friars prayed in a chapel.

Destruction of Statue of the Virgin Mary in Loudun

April 27, 2018, France

At the church of Saint-Pierre in Loudun (Vienne) one or more individuals overturned a statue of the Virgin Mary placed on a pedestal. Pieces of the head of the Virgin were broken and the vase placed beside it was smashed on the ground. Leaflets to write prayer intentions were scattered on the ground. The priest lodged a complaint with the gendarmerie.

Arson Attempt in Kirchheim

April 26, 2018, Germany

Police investigated a fire and an arson attempt at the St. Martinus parish church in Kirchheim on April 26th.

Church in Guadeloupe Vandalized

April 25, 2018, France

One or more individuals allegedly broke into L'Eglise Immaculée Conception in Abymes, a village in Guadeloupe in the French Caribbean and vandalized the interior. The vandalism occurred during the night between April 24th and 25th.

Church Vandalized in Protest against Gas Pipeline

April 25, 2018, Italy

On April 25th unknown people attacked the church of Santa Lucia in Lecce. They threw eggs at the church and painted the windows and walls with black paint. Graffiti on the outer walls of the church included "No peace for Tap's accomplices." (“Nessuna pace per i complici di Tap"). The acronym "Tap" refers to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline.

Repeated Vandalism at Recklinghausen Parish

April 25, 2018, Germany

The parish of St. Peter in Recklinghausen has been the victim of repeated acts of vandalism, including people frequently urinating in the church, donation boxes being broken, mulled wine being poured into the holy water, and candles being used by drug addicts to heat their drugs. The church is open to the public every day until 6:00 pm.

Thieves Break Offertory Box in Menden Church

April 25, 2018, Germany

On April 25th, between 9:00 a.m. and at 3:30 p.m., unknown people used to a lever to pry open the money box for candle offerings in St. Maria Magdalena (Bösperde) church. The box was damaged and the money it contained was stolen.

Fire outside Church in Salzkotten

April 24, 2018, Germany

At about 9:00 pm on April 24th, a passerby discovered a burning wastepaper bin at the side entrance of the Marienkirche. Together with another witness, they managed to put out the fire before serious damage occurred. The container was destroyed and matches were found nearby. At the end of March, visitors to the church had discovered and extinguished a prayer book burning inside the church.