All cases

Church in Toulouse Profaned and Vandalized

July 14, 2016, France

The church of Saint-Pierre des Chartreux was vandalized: The tabernacle door was torn off and part of the book collection of the prayers of the faithful was burned. Other objects were overturned. A police report was filed.

Order of Nuns Fined for Firing Lesbian Teacher

July 14, 2016, Italy

An order of nuns was ordered to pay 25,000 Euros to a teacher for discontinuing her employment based on the incompatibility of her sexual orientation with the Catholic school’s ethos.

Arson in Cemetery and Church in Nice a Day Before Bastille Day Attack

July 13, 2016, France

A fire was set in the cemetery of Caucade in Nice West, where three tombs were blackened. One hour later, a fire was discovered in the church of Saint-Marc and a door was damaged.

Evangelical Church Burned in Calais

July 12, 2016, France

No casualties were reported, but the damage was considerable: the roof collapsed and the building was destroyed. The cause of the fire is being investigated and arson has not been ruled out.

Man Burst into Church and Smashed Ancient Crucifix to the Ground

July 12, 2016, Italy

The young man of North African origin rushed into the church of St. Jeremiah, in Cannaregio, Venice and threw a large crucifix to the floor, heavily damaging the religious artifact.

German Bishops Conference and Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany Issue Joint Statement

July 12, 2016, Germany

Cardinal Marx, chair of German Bishops' Conference and Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, head of the Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), united to condemn the attacks on Christians and other religious minorities in camps.

Arsonist Arrested for Abbey Fire

July 10, 2016, France

A 42-year old man confessed to setting at least fifteen fires including one that damaged the Abbey Saint-Austremoine in Issoire on July 3. The blaze, which destroyed a confessional, a table and some chairs, was quickly extinguished. The fire caused great upset among the population. The suspect was indicted for "intentional damage by dangerous means to people."

Four Churches Tagged with Offensive Messages

July 10, 2016, France

The churches of La Motte, Lauren, Loudéac, and Lachèze in the region of Côtes-d'Armor were painted with the word "Pédophile."

Religion Classes in Belgium to be Replaced with Citizenship Classes

July 7, 2016, Belgium

The country's religious education classes in French-speaking primary and secondary schools will be cut in half in October 2016 and replaced with a weekly hour of citizenship classes, over the objection of students and teachers.

Russia's Anti-Terrorism Law Restricts Missionary Activities

July 7, 2016, Russia

The new law bans preaching, praying, proselytizing, and disseminating religious materials outside of officially-designated sites, and authorizes fines for these activities conducted in private residences or distributed through mass print, broadcast or online media.

Church Desecrated in Messina

July 3, 2016, Italy

The church of Santa Elena was the victim of desecration, theft, and vandalism on July 3rd. The parish priest discovered the tabernacle completely emptied, smashed and detached from the wall. A statue of the Virgin Mary was decapitated, and a ciborium full of consecrated Hosts was stolen, along with an ancient reliquary containing a fragment of the Holy Cross.

Statue of Virgin Mary Decapitated in Vineyard

July 1, 2016, France

The statue, located on private property in Chadenac and surrounded by a wrought iron fence, was vandalized and its head was broken off.

Belgian Nursing Home Fined €6,000 for Refusing to Allow Euthanasia on Premises

June 30, 2016, Belgium

Judges in Belgium fined a Catholic nursing home after it prevented doctors from giving a lethal injection to a 74-year-old lung cancer sufferer on its premises.

Lay Association Calls for Mayor's Resignation for Assisting in Catholic Blessing

June 29, 2016, Spain

The president of Asturias Laica, Jose Luis Iglesias, has formally requested that the Mayor of Gijon, Carmen Moriyón, resign from office for assisting in the Catholic ritual of the blessing of the waters in the feast of San Pedro, the city’s patron saint, which was celebrated on June 29.

Man Attacked Malmö Church

June 26, 2016, Sweden

A man broke into St. Paul's Church in central Malmö and vandalized it, including breaking the stained glass windows. According to the police, it will be investigated as a hate crime as they suspect that the man attacked the church because it is a symbol of the Christian faith.

Statue of Saint Petronio Defaced by Vandals

June 26, 2016, Italy

The statue, the civil and religious symbol of the city of Bologna, was defaced with "Allah Akbar" painted on the base. The Archdiocese of Bologna condemned the act and police are investigating.

Christian Convert Attacked at Asylum Home in Halbe

June 25, 2016, Germany

Two young Afghan men severely attacked a woman from Iran because she converted from Islam to Christianity, according to police.

Co-Workers Found Not Guilty of Religiously Aggravated Offense

June 24, 2016, United Kingdom

A York jury heard evidence about sustained bullying of a teenage apprentice, a Catholic, by tying him to a cross in a mock crucifixion, among other acts, during a trial. They found the accused guilty of assault, but not guilty of religiously aggravated assault.

Valencia Cardinal Accused of Hate Speech for Homily Criticizing Gender Ideology Legislation

June 23, 2016, Spain

Cardinal Antonio Cañizares was accused of hate speech by the Feminist Platform of Alicante, along with 55 other LGBT organizations. They alleged that his homily was "full of hatred, homophobic and sexist." On June 23, 2016 he was cleared of the charges.

Bonn Basilica Vandalized

June 21, 2016, Germany

A 24-year-old man was arrested after he entered the crypt of the shrine to the city patrons Cassius and Florentius and caused extensive damage to the crypt, tabernacle, and the sarcophagus in which the relics of the saints are held.