All cases

Christmas References Banned in Oxford

December 24, 2008, United Kingdom

References to Christmas were banned in Oxford and Christmas festivities renamed "Winter Light celebrations" to be "more inclusive. Protests come from Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

Church Set On Fire for the Third Time in Hamburg

December 21, 2008, Germany

Offenders set fire to a church; the third one in two months. The sacristy of the church St. Bernard was completely burned out.

Aramaic Christians Under Great Pressure

December 19, 2008, Turkey

Aramaic Lawyer David Gelen reveals in an interview with German daily, "Die Welt," the pressures Turkish authorities have placed on the Christian Aramaic minorities.

Fire Set in Catholic Church

December 11, 2008, Belgium

A Greek-Melkite parish was set on fire the night of Friday 12 December. Pastor could quickly contain and limit the damage.

Muslim Converts to Christianity Live in Fear

December 2, 2008, International

Several reports prove fear of Muslim converts to Christianity in Europe.

Court Orders the Removal of Crucifixes from a School

November 27, 2008, Spain

The European Public Laity Association (Asociación Estatal Europa Laica) has requested a court order to remove crucifixes and religious symbols from Macías Picavea school in Valladolid. The Administrative Tribunal 2 of Valladolid agreed with the plaintiffs, and issued an order to take away every religious symbol from classrooms and common-use rooms. The Tribunal said that religious symbols violated the fundamental rights of equality and freedom of conscience as enshrined in articles 14 and 16.1 of the Spanish Constitution. The Tribunal has not made any mention to the fact that religious symbols placed outside a church also have a civil, historic, and cultural value.

(Michigan) Gays Storm Church

November 12, 2008, United States

A band of about 30 gays stormed a church in Lansing, Michigan. shouting “Jesus was a homo”, etc. The church was vandalized, obscenities were shouted and worshippers were confronted.

No Plaque for Catholic Saint on House of Birth

November 1, 2008, Spain

Saint Maravillas de Jesus was born in a house which is now the local Spanish parliament of Valladoid. A plaque with a commemorative inscription was declined on behalf of left wing parties.

Two Jesuit Priests in Moscow Found Brutally Murdered in their Apartment

October 28, 2008, Russia

Two Jesuit priests were murdered brutally in Moscow. Jesuit Fathers Otto Messmer, 47, and Victor Betancourt, 42, were found dead late Oct. 28 in their Moscow apartment.

Religion Professor Under Cancer Therapy Suffers Discrimination

October 18, 2008, Spain

Francisco Javier Romero, a religion professor in Sevilla on sick leave because of cancer treatment, claimed discrimination with regard to finding a substitute teacher by a more difficult procedure. When he asked why he was given a different treatment respect to other professors on sick leave, he was told "because you are a Catholic Religion teacher".