All cases
Parish Priest Fined for Celebrating Mass with Thirty People inside Church
May 10, 2020, SpainOn May 10th, municipal police fined the rector of Lloret for saying Mass with about thirty people inside the church. The priest, Martirià Brugada, however, defended his actions and, in fact, finished the Mass with the parishioners outside the church and the windows open.
Theft in the Coptic Orthodox Church St. Athanasius and St. Moritz in Münster-Sarmsheim
May 10, 2020, GermanyUnknown perpetrators broke into the Coptic Orthodox Church of St. Athanasius and St. Moriz. According to police reports on May 14th, the incident occurred on May 10th at about 1:30 pm. The police located marks on the front and back doors, where the perpetrators had tried to enter the church. Finally they smashed a roof window and climbed into the church. They ransacked all the rooms, damaged various objects and stole two incense burners.
Man Destroyed Windows of Church And Damaged Wall
May 10, 2020, PolandOn the 10th of May at night , the 38-year-old destroyed the windows of stained-glass and damaged the church wall in Sanok. He also destroyed two cars parked between the church and the rectory. He was captured by the witnesses and was held until the police arrived. The man was taken into custody.
Vandalism in Schelklingen
May 10, 2020, GermanyTwo 16- and one 18-year-old allegedly went on the rampage in Schelklingen over the weekend. They are accused of causing several damages, including 1000 euro damage. Police are looking for witnesses.
Vandalism of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church and Priest Insulted During Mass
May 9, 2020, PolandOn May 9th and May 15th, a man profaned the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dabrowa Tarnowska and insulted the priest. He intentionally interrupted the services as well as went to the rectory and insulted one of the priests. The clergy felt earlier unprotected by the police and thought of putting private vigilance. This time the police reacted effectively and following investigation, they arrested the 42 year-old perpetrator. The court will keep him in custody for three months.
The Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Menton Chapel Vandalized
May 8, 2020, FranceOn Friday 8th May, Dorian Aussel discovered an obscene drawing painted on the freshly painted wall by the front door of the Chapel Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc in Menton. The perpetrators are unknown, but still Dorian Aussel, who is in charge of the Chapel, filed a complaint.
The Roof of a Chapel in Urville-Nacqueville Damaged
May 7, 2020, FranceOn 7th May, it was noted that the lower part of the stone roof of the Chapel Nacqueville-Haut has been damaged. The chapel was on ongoing reparations. It has also been discovered that the door was forced and someone attempted to break in. Around one square meter of the roof was removed. Three months ago in the same town, the cemetery had been also damaged.
Several Desecrated Churches on The Island of Lesbos
May 7, 2020, GreeceSeveral cases of extreme desecration and vandalization of Greek orthodox Churches have been reported in the last months between March and September 2020, mostly in Moria and the vicinity. These churches include the Church of the Virgin Mary of Tsiradou, The Church of Saint Raphael, The Church of Saint Catherine and the Church of Saint George. The Government of Hungary has given 30 000 Euros to restore the churches on the island of Lesbos.
Cornerstone Adoption and Fostering Service Seeks Judicial Review after Ofsted Downgrade
May 7, 2020, United KingdomThe High Court in Leeds held a judicial review of the watchdog Ofsted’s actions against Cornerstone Adoption and Fostering Service in North East England on the 6th and 7th of May. The Christian fostering agency took the government regulator to court for downgrading Cornerstone’s fostering service from “Good” to “Requires Improvement.”
Police Arrested Man after Church Window Smashed With Bias
May 7, 2020, United KingdomOn 7th May in Glasgow, a 53-year-old man smashed the window of a church. The police captured and arrested the man for vandalism attack labelled as "motivated by prejudice".
Desecration and Suspected Theft in Saint-Antoine Chapel in Bourg-en-Bresse
May 6, 2020, FranceIn the night of May 6 to 7 during the confinement, unknown perpetrators broke into the Saint-Antoine chapel in Bourg-en-Bresse. The parish priest found consecrated hosts scattered across the floor on the following morning. It was suspected that at least one chalice had been stolen as well.
Desecrated Tombs in the Eastern Cemetery, Crosses Torn Off And Thrown To The Ground
May 6, 2020, FranceOn 6. May, the eastern cemetery was found desecrated. Twenty-one wooden crosses were torn down and thrown to the ground. The cemetery was closed due to the Pandemic, which gave the opportunity for the perpetrators to vandalize it. The mayor condemned the desecration and announced that Nice would file a complaint to the police.
Abortion Images Banned After Pro-Life Campaign in Town Square
May 6, 2020, United KingdomOn 6th May, a judge ruled that the display of abortion images was a visual equivalent of "shouting into a person's face", and was, therefore, right to ban it. The pro-life organizer Mr. Hacking was given a community protection notice forbidding him the display of large photos of a fetus. The reasons were that people felt distressed and emotionally, mentally or even physically harmed through the images of the aborted fetus. Mr. Hacking said, that the real victim isn't the viewer who is negatively impacted by the visualization, but rather the unborn child.
Salzburg Catholic Organization Targeted with "Pro Choice" Vandalism
May 5, 2020, AustriaThe cars belonging to the Catholic initiative, HOME Mission Base Salzburg, were sprayed with "Pro Choice" and the windows were smashed by unknown vandals.
Wooden Cross in Church Courtyard Set on Fire
May 5, 2020, GermanyUnknown persons set fire to a three-meter-high wooden cross in the inner courtyard of the parish hall of the Catholic parish Edith Stein in Ludwigshafen during the night from May 4th to 5th. The main pillar was scorched by the fire. The police estimate the damage at 200 euros.
Three Meter Cross is Set on Fire in a Parish House in Ludwigshafen
May 5, 2020, GermanyBetween Monday 4th May and Tuesday 5th May, unknown individuals set fire to a wooden cross in the courtyard of the parish house of the Catholic parish of Edith-Stein in Ludwigshafen. The cross was three meters high, which was completely burnt and caused damage of around 200 Euro. The police started the investigations.
Mayor Decided to Close the Church and Forbids Entry
May 5, 2020, FranceOn Sunday 5th April,in the church of Saint-Martin in Menetou Ratel an anti-Catholic incident occurred. A family who wished to enter the church for meditation and prayer was forbidden the entry, as the mayor decided to close the church until further notice .
Graffiti About Burning the Church on The Parish of Santa María Magdalena
May 5, 2020, SpainOn 5ht May, the façade of the church of St. Mary Magdalene was painted with some graffitis: ''The only Church that illuminates is the one that burns" and an anarchist symbol.'' The priest Fr. Lozano found this painting on the wall next morning and posted a video to share his reflection on what happened and the readings that we can extract from them.
Cemetery Devastated Several Times in Martinique
May 5, 2020, FranceThe days before 5th May, the Riviere-Salée cemetery was repeatedly devastated by unknown vandals. Several vaults were damaged, the locks were forced, the doors were displaced, and the flowers were overturned. There were also bottles and garbage on the ground. The fence surrounding the cemetery was gaping. Therefore, there is a high probability that the perpetrators came during the night. The police are investigating.
The Olárizu Cross Painted with Graffiti in Vitoria
May 3, 2020, SpainOn the 3rd of May, the Cross of Olarizu was sighted with Graffitis of the symbol of the left political party, the words "feminism", "socialism" and "independence". The Cross had also been severely damaged in 2018, the perpetrators said it belonged to the past.