All cases
La Santina Beheaded
June 24, 2017, SpainOn June 24, 2017, the statue of the Virgen de Covadonga on the pilgrimage route of Chorrón de Villamayor in Piloña (Asturias, Spain) was beheaded by vandals. The statue, known as "La Santina," is an image of the Virgin Mary which forms an integral part of the Asturian tradition and presides over a small cave chapel and is protected by a metal fence. The parish is upset and sees the event as an attack not only on religious sentiments, but also on cultural heritage. The Basilica of Covadonga, next to the sacred cave where pilgrims venerate the statue of La Santina, is a place of worship and pilgrimage for the people of Asturias.
Saint Joan of Arc Statues Vandalized with Political Messages
June 24, 2017, FranceWitnesses discovered on June 24, 2017 that two statues of Saint Joan of Arc at the entrance of her home village of Neufchâteau had been sprayed with "anti-fascist" messages. Police opened an investigation.
University Chapel Attacked with Incendiary Devices
June 23, 2017, SpainThe chapel of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), the second most important public university in the region and one of the main universities in Spain, was attacked with incendiary devices thrown through a window early in the morning of June 23, 2017. In addition to trying to destroy the chapel, the perpetrators left the slogan "The only church that illuminates is the one that burns" on the walls.,
Nun Assaulted for "Being a Nun"
June 23, 2017, SpainSister Rosario of the Congregación de las Esclavas de la Inmaculada Niña de Granada was attacked on June 23rd. The assailant hit Sister Rosario in the face and said “this is for being a nun” (“esto por ser monja”). The assault caused Sister Rosario a broken nose and swollen face. Sister Rosario was not wearing her habit at the time but was recognized as a religious by the medal she wore. She was returning to the residence after having dropped children off at their school.
Terror Attack on Church in Helsinki Foiled
June 18, 2017, FinlandOn June 18, 2017, Finnish police launched an operation in response to the threat of a terrorist attack on a church in Helsinki. The Temppeliaukio Church is located in the center of Helsinki less than a kilometer from the Finnish parliament and is a popular tourist attraction. The police sent several patrols to the church and the surrounding neighborhood to conduct raids. The following day, concrete barriers were erected to protect the church.
Cemetery Desecrated in Pondrôme
June 18, 2017, BelgiumDuring the afternoon on June 18, 2017, the cemetery of Pondrôme in Belgium was vandalized. Unknown vandals entered the cemetery and desecrated several graves, destroyed crosses, plaques and other memorial items on the burial sites. The reaction of the villagers of Pondrôme was one of anger and incomprehension. The Mayor Marc Lejeune filed a complaint with the police after being informed of the vandalism and said citizens should not be quick to assume the vandals came from the Fedasil refugee accommodation, which is next door to the cemetery.
Cathedral Saint-Jean of Besaçon Vandalized with Anarchist Graffiti
June 15, 2017, FranceDuring the night of June 14-15, 2017 the outer walls of the cathedral were tagged with slogans reading “our lives, our bodies belong to us” and “Down with charity, long live solidarity” (“Nos vies, nos corps nous appartiennent“ and “à bas la charité, vive la solidarité”) . The vandals also painted the anarchistic symbol “A” on front of the door twice.
Church Bulletin Board Set on Fire
June 15, 2017, FranceDuring the night of June 15th, the bulletin board of the Sacré Cœur church in Roubaix was set on fire. A neighbor of the church saw the flames and contacted the authorities.
Church in Tamworth Vandalized
June 14, 2017, United KingdomAnti-Christian messages were scrawled on three different areas of St. Edythe’s Church, the oldest church in Tamworth by unknown vandals. The ancient doors and walls were tagged with statements such as “Lucifer runs this capitalist ruin,” “God has failed,” and “deliver us to evil.” Reverend Alan Gordon and the church community were devastated that the church was targeted by this vandalism.
Photographer and Naked Model Caught in Church
June 13, 2017, FranceA photographer taking pictures of a naked model were caught in the center aisle of the church Saint-Antoine de Compiegne in Oise in front of the altar by two parish members who went to the church to pray the rosary for the Christians of the East.
Break-In and Possible Attempted Robbery of Church in Lyon
June 12, 2017, FranceUnknown perpetrators entered the church of the 5th arrondissement of Lyon during the night of June 11-12th and broke the glass door to the sacristy. Nothing was stolen. The break-in occurred only a month after the crown of the Virgin at the Fourvière Museum was stolen.
Ramadan Prayer in front of Virgin Mary Statue
June 10, 2017, SpainBefore breaking their daily Ramadan fast, a prayer was held in the Jardines del Triunfo (Gardens of Triumph) in Granada, Spain. This prayer event was sanctioned by City Hall but caused outrage among some Catholics in the area as the Jardines del Triunfo is the site of a cherished statue of Virgin Mary.
Priest Assaulted in Church Sacristy
June 9, 2017, MonacoFather Jean-Christophe Genson of the church of Sainte-Dévote in Monaco was assaulted by an unnamed assailant as he prepared for Mass on the evening of June 9, 2017.
Three Acts of Vandalism in Jongieux
June 8, 2017, FranceSeveral statues of the Virgin Mary were vandalized in the village of Jongieux between June 8-13, 2017.
Mass Desecration of Serbian Orthodox Graves
June 6, 2017, KosovoDuring their annual visit to the Serbian Orthodox Cemetery in Mitrovica Kosovo, relatives discovered that 90 percent of the graves had been desecrated. Tombstones had been destroyed and broken on the ground. The grieving families were shocked and deeply hurt by this destruction and desecration.
Political Campaign Graffiti on Church
June 6, 2017, FranceThe church La Chapelle du Rosaire in Saint-Louis was vandalized with political graffiti during the night on June 6th, 2017. The political tags were related to the legislative campaigns in France. The mayor of Saint-Leu has condemned the vandalism and stated that he will ensure that the building is restored.
Journalist "Jokes" about imprisoning Priests
June 6, 2017, RomaniaThe Romanian journalist Ovidiu Eftimie has stated that he “yearns for the years of communist persecution, where the priest were taken to the canal and stranded in jail” (“tânjește după anii de prigoană comunistă, în care preoții erau duși la canal și înfundau pușcăriile”). He has also stated that he would love to become a new Vişinescu and punch the church leaders. The media has characterized these statements as a joke.
Swastika Graffiti Discovered in Cemetery
June 4, 2017, FranceAccording to a witness, blue swastika graffiti was found on at least four graves in the Causses-et-Veyran Cemetery on June 4, 2017. One of the graves attacked with a swastika was a bas-relief depicting mourners holding Christ after his death on the cross. The grave plaques belonged to the same family, other items from the graveyard were also moved and thrown on the ground.
Spanish Councilor of Culture Hints that Churches Should be Burned
June 4, 2017, SpainAida Ginestar Pau, town councilor for sport and culture of the Spanish city Alzira in the province of Valencia, attacked the Catholic Church and Christianity on social media. On her Facebook page, the left-wing Podemos politician wrote a post that spoke about the Catholic Church, in which she laughed at the institution and in what could be seen as incitement to violence asked "but are there still churches that have not burned all??" In Valencian: "Jajajaja jajajaja!!!! Però queden esglesies encara?? No les han cremat totes???".
School Holidays Changed to Remove Religious Connection
June 3, 2017, SpainThe Ministry of Education in Spain has proposed changing the Carnival and Easter Holidays to a week in late February and May respectively in order to remove the religious connections from the school holidays. This proposal is waiting to be ratified and implemented for the school year 2017/2018.