All cases

Movie of Austrian Producer “Paradise: Faith” with Blasphemous Content

September 2, 2012, Italy

The movie “Paradise: Faith”, shown at the film festival in Venice, scandalized the audience because of a masturbation scene using a cross.

Teacher Flunks High School Student for Saying that Homosexuality is an “Abnormal Orientation"

September 1, 2012, Sweden

During a biology class a Swedish high school student spoke up and called homosexuality an “abnormal sexual orientation”. As a result of this comment the teacher flunked the student. The reasoning of the teacher is that it is the task of the educational system to teach pupils respect for all sexual orientations. The opposing view of the student doesn’t correspond to the curriculum’s goal.

Churches in Occupied Cyprus Plundered

September 1, 2012, Cyprus

Numerous churches in the Turkish occupied area of Cyprus were profaned and turned into storage rooms, museums and mosques.

Local Council in Broue Orders Removal of Cross at Cemetery

August 30, 2012, France

The City of Broue ordered the removal of a cross at the entrance to the city cemetery at the instigation of a counsellor, saying that "the cemetery is a public building; there should be no religious symbols." This was done "in the name of tolerance."

Ad For Mountain Tourism Conceals Summit Cross

August 30, 2012, Germany

Due to increased tourism from Middle Eastern countries, the management of the Zugspitze Railway in Bavaria produced an advertisement leaflet of the mountain “Zugspitze” without an image of the summit cross. Churches protested.

Boys Life Support Unit Switched Off Against The Wish of Christian Parents

August 29, 2012, United Kingdom

The Judge of London’s Royal Court of Justice ruled on August 10th that the life support system of an 8-year- old boy may be switched off by team of doctors, ignoring parents’ wish to keep him alive.

Desecrations of Cross and Chapel in the Bretagne

August 26, 2012, France

In the night of August 22nd to 23rd, a desecration took place in the garden of the Abbey of Saint-Jacut-sur-Mer (Bretagne): a cross has been stolen. On the night of August 25th to 26th, the chapel of Locmaria Carnac was desecrated and the number 6 had been tagged on the walls.

Burglaries in Churches and Parish Buildings

August 24, 2012, Germany

The parish building in Klotten and Pommern and the sacristy of the church in Bremm were broken into by burglars looking for money.

Vandalism in Naklo

August 22, 2012, Slovenia

On 22nd August 2012 unknown perpetrators desecrated a chapel of Saint Anthony in Naklo, Slovenia. They wrote the word "Satan" on the floor and words like "You worship the wrong God" on one of the frescos with a black grafitti. On another fresco they drew a cross turned upside down.

Jewels of Image of Mary Stolen at Sanctuary in Rijeka

August 21, 2012, Croatia

On August 21, 2012, the Holy See National Contact Point of the Apostolic Nunciature in Croatia reported that in the sanctuary of the Madonna of Trsat, Rijeka, golden jewels of the image of Mary, the mother of Jesus were stolen.

Burglars in Church Sacristy in Treis

August 20, 2012, Germany

An unidentified perpetrator broke into the sacristy of a Church in Treis and attempted to steal money. The police did not release the amount of the damage.

Vandalism at the Cemetery in Spišské Vlachy

August 16, 2012, Slovakia

On August 16 six graves had their graves stones displaces, vases and candleholders broken by unknown intruders. This was discovered by a town employee who notified the police.

Catholic Church in Bötzingen Broken Into and Defiled

August 16, 2012, Germany

In Bötzingen (Freiburg) on the 16th of August one or perhaps more perpetrators broke into the Catholic Church on the main street in Bötzingen, destroying the decorations around the church. The perpetrators also defiled the sacred space by urinating and splashed holy water on an open torn up bible. More damage has also been detected in several pipes of the organ.

A Blasphemous Jesus Caricature Disturbs Religious Feelings of Christians in Kassel

August 10, 2012, Germany

A large publicity poster at the entrance to a cultural center in Kassel shows the caricature of Jesus on the Cross including an offensive caption which caused strong indignation among Christians living in Kassel.

Chapel of Saint-Sébastien Set on Fire

August 8, 2012, France

The chapel of Saint-Sébastien in the region of le Gard, France, suffered an arson attack which partially destroyed the wooden part of the altar. This was not the first attack on the chapel.

NGO Calls for Withdrawal of Recognition for Russian-Orthodox Church in Austria

August 6, 2012, Austria

The Austrian Initiative “Religion is a private matter” seeks to deprive the Russian-orthodox Church in Vienna of its legal personality because of its involvement in the “Pussy Riot” case.

Desecration of Graves in Lithuania

August 6, 2012, Lithuania

On August 6th, 2012, graves in Balbieriškis were vandalised.

Pro-Life Advocates Arrested for Displaying Abortion Posters

August 2, 2012, Poland

Mariusz Dzierżawski, founder of the Warsaw-based PRO Foundation – Right to Life, and a fellow PRO Foundation member were arrested by the local governmental authorities during an approved anti-abortion rally at the entrance of the Woodstock Festival held in the western Polish city of Kostrzyn.

Church in Sachsen Broken Into

July 31, 2012, Germany

In Angel (Sachsen), the church of St. Pancras was desecrated, sacred chalices and alms for the poorest were stolen.

Demonstrations Against New Church in Turkey

July 28, 2012, Turkey

On July 28th, 2012 there were demonstrations against a newly opened church in Denizli. The church did not shut down but security matters were increased and no one got hurt.