All cases

Pepper spray attack during mass in Prato

November 10, 2024, Italy

Unknown people entered the church of Santa Maria al Soccorso during Sunday mass and sprayed a pungent substance with pepper spray. The parish priest had to interrupt the service and finish celebrating mass outside. The perpetrators have fled.

Priest dies after being physically attacked by robber

November 9, 2024, Poland

A Catholic priest in Poland succumbed to serious injuries in the hospital on November 9 - six days after the physical attack in his parish of St. Albert by the 27-year-old man from Szczytno. The male suspect in this case is in custody, charged with attempted murder. The clergyman was attacked for the purpose of a robbery.

Altar tablecloth set on fire in Schweinfurt church

November 8, 2024, Germany

On November 8, a Tablecloth in the evangelical Church "Am Glockenhof" was set on fire in the afternoon. The fire burned the tablecloth and the diary on it. The damage caused is approximately 80 euros.

Nun physically attacked in church

November 4, 2024, Italy

A nun was brutally attacked near Largo di Torre Argentina in Rome on 4 November. The nun was violently punched and slapped in the face after trying to push away the attacker, who had approached the tabernacle in a suspicious manner.

Fire set to Mannheim Church

November 3, 2024, Germany

On 3 November, an unknown person set fire to objects inside the Twelve Apostles Church in Mannheim, spreading to the carpet and a wooden table. The fire was extinguished before it spread further into the church building.

Fire set at the church doors

November 1, 2024, Italy

On the night of October 31, a fire damaged the entrance door of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Quartu.

Attempted arson in the church in Marseburg

October 31, 2024, Germany

Police have arrested the suspect in an attempted arson attack on a church in Mersenburg. The man is believed to have set fire to plastic objects in the toilet area.

Desecration and theft of hosts in Calvados

October 27, 2024, France

On October 27, the tabernacle of the Notre-Dame de Vire church in Calvados was broken into and the ciboires, as well as the consecrated hosts, stolen.

Prayer books set on fire on the altar

October 27, 2024, France

On 27 October, someone set fire to a dozen prayer books on the altar of the church of Chamalières-sur-Loire, causing a huge smoke cloud in the building.

Satanist tags on three churches

October 26, 2024, Ukraine

On the night of 26 October, three churches in Ternopol, Ukraine, were covered with Satanist tags, most of which read "666".

Religious statues vandalised

October 23, 2024, Germany

Unknown persons have damaged figures of St Bernadette and St Mary in front of the church in Venningen on October 23. A hand was cut off and the heads damaged. The figures are part of an implied Lourdes grotto next to the car park in front of the church.

"Ave Satan" painted on Church

October 22, 2024, Poland

On the night of October 22-23, the inscription "Ave Satan" was painted on the historic wall of the Holy Trinity Church in Kwidzyn. A 44-year-old man, known to local police for other crimes, was detained. However, he did not admit guilt.

Statue beheaded and replaced with Nazi photos

October 12, 2024, Poland

On 27 September, in Witaszyce, an unknown person cut off the head of the statue of Mary in a forest shrine. On October 12, five photos of the faces of Nazi soldiers were placed inside the shrine.

Church attacked after postings inciting violence against Christians

October 3, 2024, Austria

On the morning of 3 October, a group of masked individuals used climbing equipment to scale the balustrade of St Charles Church in Vienna and remove a banner promoting the March for Life. Left-wing extremist groups are suspected of having damaged the property of the Karlskirche over a long period of time and of having verbally abused and threatened the elderly priest.

Church in Metz burglarised and desecrated

October 2, 2024, France

The church of Sainte-Famille in Metz was broken into and desecrated during the night of 2 October. Unknown perpetrators broke in through large windows, damaged and stole different objects and desecrated the tabernacle.

Vandalism in Rheydt's St Mary's Church

September 27, 2024, Germany

On September 27, unknown perpetrators knocked over the baptismal font of holy water, the ornate bronze dome and the font bowl in St Mary's Church in Mönchengladbach. Wax from the candles was scattered all over the church and flowers were thrown into the rubbish bins.

Head of statue of Mary torn off

September 27, 2024, Poland

An unknown perpetrator desecrated Cyranowska shrine at Karol Olszewski Square in Mielec, as reported on September 27. According to a witness to the incident, the glass of the chapel's cavity was broken, a statue of Mary was pulled out and its head was torn off.

Church in Neunkirchen devestated

September 26, 2024, Germany

As reported on September 26, the protestant church in Neunkirchen has been devastated. Vandals tore up hymn books and destroyed the altar Bible and other property. This is the second incident at the Protestant Johanneskirche in Neunkirchen.

Church hit by several attempted arsons

September 26, 2024, France

As reported on 26 September, the church of Miribel les Echelles in Isère - the church of Miribel les Echelles in Isère, which was deliberately damaged by fire last year, has suffered two further arson attacks. It has since been closed to the public while an investigation is carried out into the perpetrators of these repeated acts of vandalism.

Church Facade vandalised

September 24, 2024, Italy

The church of Santa Lucia was vandalised. The first 3 letters of Santa Lucia have been torn off. "We discovered the serious sacrilegious act this morning", said the president of the Guild of Masons of Santa Lucia, Franco Spiga, "after untying part of the writing, they threw it to the ground and tore it to pieces".