A draft of abortion legislation provided that doctors, nurses, and midwives who have a conscientious objection to abortion must refer their patients to another provider who will perform the abortion. The National Association of GPs (NAGP) voted to "advocate for conscientious objection, without obligation to refer" and for an "opt-in" system, where medical professionals register their willingness to perform the procedure, rather than an "opt-out system.
The Diocese of Osma-Soria reported on October 2nd that the church of San Esteban in the town of Masegoso was vandalized, but nothing was stolen. In Soria on September 22nd, thieves entered the hermitage of the Virgin of Ulagares and stole the money donated by the faithful, as well as religious objects of low value and some construction tools. The civil guard began an investigation.
On September 26, 2018 an 81-year-old priest was assaulted by two homeless men he sheltered in his home in Denain. The priest was awakened by noise at around 2:00 in the morning and discovered the men trying to steal his television. The men, who the priest had been sheltering and feeding for a few days, attacked him, threatened him with a kitchen knife, and tied him to his bed. After he shouted, the perpetrators fled but were soon identified and captured by the police. On October 1st, they were each sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.
The evangelical Schlosskirche in Winnenden was hit with graffiti between the 29th and 30th of October. The entire west side exterior of the 14th century church was sprayed with slogans like "Satan 666," "666 an die Macht" (666 to the power) and "stay high." The pastor said a special process would be required to remove the paint from the sandstone walls.
An attack on the freedom of conscience of doctors and medical staff was launched on the 27th of September in the French parliament by socialist senators including former Minster of Families Laurence Rossignol. They want to remove the specific conscience clause for doctors covering abortions, because it is already covered by the Public Health Code.
Unknown perpetrators set the Santi Innocenti Martiri di Montesilvano Church on fire on September 26th. This was the second fire at the church within a week and was committed while investigations into the first fire were underway by the carabinieri and the fire brigade. The entire central nave was enveloped by the fire that traveled along the entire right side to the sacristy and the meeting room. Even the roof collapsed, making the supporting structure completely unusable, according to reports. "There are people who, despite our willingness to meet them, even publicly said they did not want the church. With today's gesture, the work was completed as if they wanted to finish what they had not been able to do last week," said Father Rinaldo, the parish priest.
A 40-year-old unemployed man was sentenced to 7 years in prison on September 25, 2018 for the arson of two churches, St. Jodok in Ravensburg and St. Martin in Schlier. The incidents occurred in March 2018, which we reported at the time. The fire at St. Jodok church in Ravensburg caused at least two million euros in damage.
The mayor of Ayna (Albacete), Emiliano Rodríguez, disguised himself as a priest to perform a civil wedding ceremony in the town of Castilla-La Mancha. He wore a cassock with a large cross hanging around his neck and carried a small book like a bible in his hands. While the socialist mayor claimed it was a private event not intended to offend anyone, the stunt was widely criticized. The parish priest of Albacete wrote on social media, "As a priest I protest vigorously. Please respect my faith." (Como sacerdote protesto enérgicamente. Por favor, respete mi Fe).
Only ruins were left of the Kiihtelysvaara Lutheran Church after a 29-year-old set fire to one of Finland's oldest wooden churches in Joensuu. The arson was discovered in the morning of the 23rd of September.
The summit cross on Garlaban hill, loved by the Aubanais people and symbol of the city, was covered with red paint.
Members of the Finnish Parliament voted 100–60 against a motion of no confidence brought against Catholic Foreign Minister Timo Soini on September 21st. Four opposition parties, the Green League, Left Alliance, Social Democrats and Swedish People’s Party, brought a motion of no confidence over Soini's attendance at pro-life vigil while on an official trip to Canada in May.
A fire was set with flammable liquids at the iron entrance door of the church of Santa Domenica in Isola Capo Rizzuto on September 20th, causing blacking of the door and adjacent wall.
Police completed a forensic investigation of an explosion in an events hall owned by the St. Afrem Syrian Orthodox Church. The hall, rented from the church for events such as parties and wedding receptions, was empty at the time of the explosion. Police said the explosion was the result of a homemade incendiary device, but have not identified a perpetrator.
Police began an investigation of vandalism at the war memorial at a Catholic church in Bischofsdhron, a few days after a Way of the Cross was damaged nearby. Several stone slabs were knocked out of their foundation causing an estimated €400 in damage.
Six masked men entered the medieval Rozhen Monastery at about 8:00 pm on September 18th. They assaulted and tied up the priest who was present and began digging into the wall behind the iconostasis in the monastery church with picks and spades. After about 30 minutes, they left the monastery without taking anything except the priest's mobile phone. The priest was reportedly unharmed but shaken by the incident. Security camera footage led to the arrest of some of the perpetrators.
An "identified suspect" damaged several windows with rocks at the St. Barnabas Church in Kenilworth on the 18th of September, causing thousands of pounds in damage.
Germund Hesslow, a neurophysiology professor at Lund University, is under investigation for "anti-feminism" and "transphobia" for telling his students there are biological differences between men and women.
Early in the evening of September 16th, a witness noticed smoke coming from the St. Michael church in Heroldsbach and contacted the authorities. Police discovered burning scraps of paper and initial estimates amounted to at least 2,500 euros in damage. After a criminal investigation, officials concluded that the fire had been intentionally set and asked for assistance from any potential witnesses.
In September 2018, in the night before the festivities of St. Hildegard, the slogans “F*ck the Pope” and “Deutschland den Muslimen” (“Germany to the Muslims”) were sprayed on the Parish Church in Eibingen, a district of Rüdesheim. Police and the State Protection Office are now investigating and believe the perpetrators to be German citizens.
The sacristan of St. Lubentius in Kobern discovered that several small fires had been intentionally set in the church. She observed that the altar cloth had been burned at the altar of the Virgin Mary, damaging both the cloth and the altar. A second altar and cloth, as well as the bible on the lectern, were similarly burned.