The 12th Century preserved heart of the Patron Saint of Dublin, Saint Laurence O'Toole, has been stolen from Christ Church Cathedral.
Jonas Himmelstrand, who is president of the Swedish Association for Home Education (ROHUS), has left the country saying, “the safety of my family could no longer be guaranteed,” and that the government of the town of Uppsala was “threatening” him.
The UK Government submitted to the European Court of Human Rights that the applicants' wearing of a visible cross or Crucifix was not a manifestation of their religion or belief within the meaning of Article 9, and, in any event, the restriction on the applicants' wearing of a visible cross or Crucifix was not an "interference" with their rights protected by Article 9.
In January 2012, Scotland's largest health board was taken to court by two Catholic nurses from Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, Mary Doogan and Connie Wood, who were denied conscientious objection with regard to abortion procedures. Judgment was handed down on February 29th: the midwives have been told that they must accept the decision of their hospital management and that they must oversee other midwives performing abortions. In January 2013, they took the case to the European Court of Human Rights. The UK supreme court upheld the judgement in December 2014.
In Duisburg a group of migrant youths, aged between 10 and 14, keeps destroying the windows of Catholic and Protestant churches, disturbing services (eg. with firecrackers), write hate slogans on the church wall and insult the clergy. So far the police had only investigated one of the numerous cases of vandalism directed against churches in the area.
An improvement of the national health service law in February 2012 did not fully grant conscientious objection to pharmacists: The law still compels the objecting pharmacists to find a willing employee of the same pharmacy or another pharmacist to sell the "morning-after-pill".
To educate one's children privately at home is understood to be a human right of parents. The state is called upon to ensure the quality of the home education. In Slovakia, the so-called homeschooling is severaly limited. Such a law jeopardizes especially Christians families, as practically it is often Christians who wish to homeschool their children.
A Christian psychotherapist is the subject of a professional conduct inquiry in London for supporting therapy for those with unwanted feelings of same-sex attraction. The dispute arose as, in response to a question, Dr Davidson had said: “yes, I do believe homosexuality is a sin.” Commentators speak of a "worrying trend where the door to practising professional therapy is being closed to people with Christian sexual ethics."
An Christian booklet has been distributed to students in some Catholic schools in Lancashire, UK. Its comments on homosexuality raised the discontent of UK’s largest trades union, who says that the government is allowing “homophobia” to be promoted in religious schools.
On February 25th 2012 a man vandalised the agape church in Samsun. He was soon identified, confessed and was released.
Trevor Phillips, the head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), has ignited public controversy by comparing Christians who do not believe that homosexuals should be allowed to adopt children to “Muslims who demand the introduction of Sharia Courts”.
The UK Government has written to all local councils in England, telling them that new laws restore their power to hold prayers at official meetings after the High Court had ruled that local councils have no lawful power to hold prayers during official business. The court case was initiated by the National Secular Society and a local atheist ex-councillor who sued Bideford Town Council in Devon for conducting prayers, a custom that had been in place since the 17th century.
David Burrowes, Conservative MP for Enfield Southgate, revealed at the launch of Coalition for Marriage (C4M) in London that he has received a death threat and hate mail after speaking out in support of traditional marriage.
On February 21, five members of the Punk Band Pussy Riot performed on the altar of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow for a few minutes. Beside a political oppositional message, they sang a song that contained unflattering characteristics of the clergy of the temple, as well as the Russian Patriarch, Kirill. The women were wearing colored masks. Church officials called their actions blasphemy, sacrilege, an insult to religious feelings.
Up to 100 graves were the target of vandals in the cemetery of Boué. Ornaments, crosses, plaques and flower pots and vases were broken. The cemetery had to be closed for the police’s investigation.
A photo exhibit at the Fresh Gallery in Madrid displays pictures by Bruce LaBruce displays intolerance against Christian symbols, deepens negative stereotypes and disregards feelings of believers.
On Wednesday, February 8th, 2012, at about 1:30 p.m., the chapel of Saint Joseph in Châtillon was vandalized and the Holy Sacrament stolen.
Between the 15th and 16th of February 2012, a church in Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina, was broken into. The cross was thrown down, and prayer and song books for the service were torn.
Maria Casado, who holds the UNESCO Chair of Bioethics at the University of Barcelona calls for a national registry of doctors who will not perform abortions, in order to “improve” women’s access to “pregnancy termination.”
Tory MP, David Burrowes, is facing an ‘intolerant’ campaign against him because of his opposition to homosexual marriage. The campaign is led by the treasurer of his local Conservative association, Phillip Dawson, who is homosexual.