All cases
Legislative Proposal Seeks to Limit Conscientious Objection for Registrars
July 4, 2012, NetherlandsOn the 4th of July 2012 an amendment of the law on public officers was proposed by the members Koser Kaya and Van Hijum to the Dutch Parliament: It calls for the dismissal of registrars for marriages, births and deaths who refuse to perform same-sex marriages on conscientious grounds - if not sufficient other tasks could be found for him or her. The proposal also seeks to establish a mandatory training of students studying to be a registrar on performing same-sex marriages.
Church Leaders in Turkey Face Harassment
July 3, 2012, TurkeyChurch leaders in the Diriliş church of Konak were repeatedly verbally harassed and were attacked by teenagers with eggs. When the teens threatened one of the leaders with a gun, the parents were informed and the attacks stopped.
German Magazine Shows Pope with large Urine Stains
July 2, 2012, GermanyThe German Magazine "Titanic" presents the pope as a senile for incontinent person by depicting him in a fotomontage with a large urine stain on his white clothes while giving a blessing.
Christian on Trial for Reaching Out to Woman on the Way to Abortion
June 30, 2012, FranceA French retired doctor faced police investigation for trial because of giving a woman who intended an abortion knitted baby shoes and a medallion. In France “moral and psychological pressure” seen as an “hindrance of abortion” is punishable.
Left MPs File Complaint Against Cross in Polish Parliament
June 28, 2012, PolandAbout 10 MPs of the anti-clerical “Palikot Movement” seek to enforce the removal of the Cross in the Polish Parliament by legal proceedings at the Administrative Court.
Burglars Caught in the Act in the Church of Holy Spirit in Flensburg
June 25, 2012, GermanyTwo young men, 18 and 22 years old, known to police from past attempted burglaries in St. Nicolas church and the church of St. Mary; were caught in the act of burglary in the Holy Spirit church. They cracked several donation boxes and stole the coins.
Catholic Church Broken Into and Desecrated in Lübeck
June 23, 2012, GermanyIn Bergtheide (Lübeck) the Catholic church has been broken into, the Altar was completely desecrated. Donations for the poorest were stolen and sacred artifacts defiled and partly destroyed. Church had to be ritually cleansed and blessed anew.
Vandalism and Burglary in Catholic Church of St. Bernard in Bad Herrenalb
June 22, 2012, GermanyUnknown perpetrators broke into the church of St. Bernard and caused serious property damage. A candlestick was dragged from the side chapel and used to break the offertory box and the money inside was stolen. The money box under the statue of Saint Anthony was torn out of the wall. Many doors were damaged and the cupboards in the sacristy were opened, searched and turned upside down.
„Youth Defense“ Posters Devastated and Sprayed With Offensive Graffiti
June 21, 2012, IrelandPosters of an Irish organisation that opposes legalisation of abortion „Youth Defense“ were devastated and sprayed upon with offensive graffiti all around Dublin. The posters were covered with paint and torn down and the video of that act appeared in social media.
Homeschooling Restricted in Austria
June 19, 2012, AustriaSeveral English – speaking Christian families who home educate their children in Austria have come under pressure by the Austrian school authorities for educating their children in English. They have been fined and threatened with the children being taken away – even though there are schools in Austria which teach exclusively in English.
Writing on Church Walls in Lithuania
June 17, 2012, LithuaniaJune 17th 2012, the walls of a church in Vilnius were spray painted with writing.
Christian Manifestation Attacked by Homosexual Activists
June 16, 2012, AustriaAbout 70 Christians demonstrated in a prayerful and peaceful walk against the Vienna "Gay pride parade" in Vienna on June 16th. They were attacked by counterdemonstration of activists for a homosexual agenda.
Danish Church Obliged to Perform Same Sex ‘Marriages’
June 15, 2012, DenmarkThe Evangelical Lutheran Church is forced to marry same sex couples after vote of Danish Parliament.
Christian GP Called Guilty of “Malpractice” for Sharing his Faith
June 14, 2012, United KingdomThe General Medical Council’s Investigation Committee has reprimanded a Christian doctor for sharing his faith with a patient at the end of a private consultation.
Protestant Church Vandalised For a Second Time In This Year
June 12, 2012, GermanyIn Haltingen in Weil am Rhein, for the second time this year, a Protestant church was desecrated - the police expressed their surprise as there is not much to gain by breaking into a church. According to the police, there must be other motives than robbery as statistically this has not happened as much in others houses of prayer, such as mosques or synagogues.
Reported Cases of Verbal Assaults in Italy
June 12, 2012, ItalyThe Holy See reported three cases of verbal assaults against Christians in Italy on the following dates: 23 January 2012 February 2012 12 June 2012
Graves Plundered in Osijek
June 3, 2012, CroatiaThe Apostolic Nunciature of Croatia reported that over an unknown period of time, graves were plundered by chapel workers in Osijek, Croatia.
Catholic NGO Defamed By Government Report, Confirmed by Court
June 1, 2012, FranceGeorges Fenech, the president of the interministerial mission MIVILUDES, an acronym for Mission interministérielle de vigilance et de lutte contre les dérives sectaires (Interministerial Mission for Monitoring and Combatting Cultic Deviances), appointed to this position by François Fillon in 2008 and renewed in 2011, was convicted by the Paris criminal court on June 1, 2012 for public defamation.
Vienna Church St. Johann the Evangelist Vandalised
June 1, 2012, AustriaOn June 1, an unknown person entered the parish church of St. Johann Evangelist on Keplerplatz and destroyed several windows in the second entrance doors located inside the church.
Burglars Steal Monstrance and Altar Cross from Church in Krefeld
May 30, 2012, GermanyUnidentified perpetrators broke into the parish office of the Church of Our Lady. There they took a key of the church opposite which they entered and ransacked. They caused damage in the church sacristy, broke a cabinet and stole a monstrance and an altar cross.
Windows Broken at Catholic School Centre
May 27, 2012, Bosnia and HerzegovinaWindows were broken by someone throwing stones at them in the gym of the Catholic School Centre in Travnik, Bosnia-Herzegovina, between the 27th and the 28th of May 2012.
Conscientious Objection Loses Ground
May 24, 2012, FranceMedical Student, Carolin, 24: “I had to do an internship in a gynecology department, and I can tell you that when there is only one nurse for the whole department, you better forget about your conscientious objection.”
Law Society Revokes Christian Debate Over Marriage
May 23, 2012, United KingdomThe Law Society has revoked the booking of a Christian conférence on marriage to be held by Christian Concern and other organisations because it considered it "contrary to its ‘diversity’ Policy".
Burglary in the Church of St. John in Petersberg
May 20, 2012, GermanyA unknown perpetrator broke through a window into the Petersburg church of St. John. All the rooms were searched and eventually he fled with only five Euros from the church.
St. Martin's Church in Bürstadt Desecrated
May 19, 2012, GermanyIn Bürstadt (Idstein) the St. Martin's Church was desecrated. The offertory for the poor was torn down and the holy sanctuary desecrated.
Local Church in Bispingen Desecrated
May 19, 2012, GermanyIn Bispingen (Walsrode) the local church was desecrated. There were anti-Christian graffiti sprayed across the walls and satanic symbols drawn on the dais in the sanctuary. Also, the outer wall was ruined.
Bishop Banned from Official City Events in Alcala
May 18, 2012, SpainThe city council of Alcala adopted a motion banning bishop Juan Antonia Reig Pla from official city events. The motion answers the bishop's remarks criticizing homosexual lifestyle.
Christian Blogger Under Investigation by Gov’t Ad Authority for Running Pro-Marriage Ad
May 18, 2012, United KingdomA prominent British Christian conservative blogger is under attack from a government agency, at the behest of a homosexualist activist group, for supporting the defence of traditional marriage.
Statue of Jesus Beaten and Beheaded
May 12, 2012, GermanyA 2-meter-tall statue of Jesus was attacked at a cemetory in Pausa/Saxony. The vandals beheaded the statue and hit the head until it broke into pieces. They left with the face. Pastor Frank Pierel is shocked and saddened and reports that such attacks take place rather frequently in his area. The material damage amounts to 3000 Euro.
Church Broken Into in Dolina
May 12, 2012, Bosnia and HerzegovinaBetween the 12th and 13th of May 2012, someone broke into a church in Dolina, Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina. While doing so, the perpetrator(s) caused significant damage to the front door.
Cross Put on Fire in Strunjan
May 10, 2012, SloveniaOn Thursday, the 10th of May, Dean Verzel, together with a few adherents, set the XVIIth century votive cross of Strujan on fire. The artist Dean Verzel and photographer Goran Bertok carried out the same act 10 years ago but were acquitted in court.
Church Set on Fire in Lithuania
May 9, 2012, LithuaniaOn May 9th 2012, a church in Pastuva was set on fire and burned to the ground.
Christian Graves Vandlised in Canohès
May 4, 2012, FranceFour Chrisitan graves were vandalised and tagged with anti-Christian wordings the cemetery of Canohès in the Easter Pyrenees.
Doctor Sacked For Emailing Prayer Loses Court Battle
May 3, 2012, United KingdomChristian doctor who was sacked for emailing a prayer to his colleagues has lost his clam for unfair dismissal, after an Employment Tribunal ruled that there was “no need” for religious references to be made at work.
Irish Legislative Proposal: 5-Year Prison for Not Breaking the Confessional Seal
April 30, 2012, IrelandThe Irish Justice Minister has introduced a 5-year prison sentences for priests who fail to report sex abuse of minors if they hear about it in the confessional.
Catholic Schools Under Attack for Upholding Marriage
April 26, 2012, United KingdomSecular campaigners have launched an attack on the Roman Catholic Church for urging its secondary schools to back the current legal definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.
Court Upholds Homeschooling-Ban Rendering Religious Convictions Irrelevant
April 25, 2012, GermanyReformed-baptist parents, who wanted to homeschool their three children, lost in the regional administrational court of Baden-Würtemberg in Mannheim. The parents wanted to homeschool to protect their children from a form of „emancipation“ they did not favor, as well as in order to teach them Christian sexual ethics.
Catholic Bishop to be Charged of ‘Inciting Hate’
April 19, 2012, SpainHomosexual activists lobby for the proscecution of Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Pla of Alcala de Henares for preaching the Catholic Church’s position on homosexual acts. An international group of Catholic doctors defends the bishop.
Catholics Refused Access to Museum in Rennes
April 18, 2012, FranceThe Conservatory of Public Schools in refuses entrance to pupils from private Catholic schools. Director Jean-Louis Robert said: “This museum is for pupils of state schools only. We refuse that children from Catholic schools go to this museum. It’s our right and that’s how it is.”
Church Set on Fire and Vandalised in Clouzeaux
April 18, 2012, FranceThe Church of the 'Bon Pasteur' was visited by vandals who tried to put it on fire after having done much damages.
Christian Adverts Censored in London by Mayor
April 13, 2012, United KingdomBoris Johnson, the Conservative Party mayor of London, ordered bus advertisements for overcoming same-sex attraction to be stopped. The campaign had been cleared by the Advertising Authority, and was designed to be an answer to a pro-homosexual campaign.
French Anti-Sect Governmental Mission Raids in Catholic Communities
April 13, 2012, FranceSince the presidency of MIVILUDES (Interministerial Mission of Vigilance and Fight against Sectarian Drifts) by Georges Fenech, several small Catholic communities have increasingly been targeted, the last one being "Amour and Miséricorde" (Love and Mercy).
Vandalism in a Church in Haute-Savoie
April 7, 2012, FranceOn Good Saturday, just a few hours before the Easter Vigil, three men entered the Church of Cruseilles (Haute-Savoie) and set fire to leaflets, prayer and singing books. An altar’s tablecoth was also burnt and the main altar damaged.
Homosexual Lobby Campaign Offensive Towards Christianity
April 7, 2012, BelgiumThe LGBT association “Arc-enCiel Wallonie” runs a campaign based on 33 different pro-LGBT T-shirts. Among various messages, three of them offend Christianity: “Jesus too had two dads”, “Marie, first surrogate mother” and “GOD made me gay” (two first ones originally in French: “Jésus aussi avait deux papas”, “Marie première mère porteuse”).
Church Leader Threatened and Abused in Turkey
April 7, 2012, TurkeyOn April 7th, 2012 in Istambul, four men requested to enter a church. When the church leader told them to come back the next day because it was too late in the day, they threatened to kill him unless he recited the Muslim creed. Then they hit him and fled the place, the church later installed security systems.
Christian Club Reproached by Anti-Discrimination Authority
April 6, 2012, GermanyThe Catholic Schützenverein voted in March 450 to 28 to not to allow homosexual or lesbian „kings“ or „queens“ to preside activities together with their partners. The German federal anti-discrimination commission screened this decision and declared it to be in disrespect of the law.
Blasphemous Exhibition in Neufchâtel
April 4, 2012, Switzerland"Would Christ have been Gay?" is the name of the exhibition in Neufchâtel, displayed from March 29th to May 12th in the 'Galerie C' of Neufchâtel (Switzerland). The four artist argue that they wanted to explore - through art - the question of Christ’s sexuality.
Pop Star Madonna Profanes Christian Faith
March 28, 2012, InternationalIt is not the first time the pop star Madonna uses the bashing of Catholicism as a base for the writing of her lyrics. “Girl Gone Wild” begins with the first few lines of the Roman-Catholic Act of Contrition as it shows the 53-year-old singer in black tight pants and stiletto heels while surrounded by topless men.
Churches Tagged in Couvin
March 26, 2012, BelgiumThe doors of seven churches of Couvin, in the diocese of Namur, Belgium, were targeted by vandals. The front door of the church of Couvin was marked in white paint saying "Religion is the opium of the people".
European Championship: Bibles and Crosses Forbidden
March 23, 2012, European Institutions (EU, ECHR, et.al.)The 14th edition of the European Championship Euro 2012, organized by the European Union of Football Associations (UEFA), will take place from June 8th to July 1st, 2012 in Poland and in the Ukraine. The leaders of the Polish Football Association have indicated the certain objects that will be forbidden to spectators in stadiums. Among these objects, crosses and Bibles are stated as part of the category of "racist and xenophobic materials, based on political and religious propaganda."