All cases
A Fire in the Church of Notre-Dame-aux-Neiges
October 19, 2012, FranceOn October 19 the sacristy of the Church of Notre-Dame-auy-Neiges was vandalised. The damages were extensive as the fires were lit inside the church after the sacristy was vandalised.
Burglars Concentrate on Churches in Thüringen
October 18, 2012, GermanyIn many counties of Thüringen churches have been broken into by burglars who have caused damage while trying to steal money and religious images and statues.
Green Party Parliamentary Group Seeks to Disestablish Christian Institute for Youth and Society
October 17, 2012, GermanyThe Christian community The Reichenberg Fellowship and its German Institute for Youth and Society have become the object of a parliamentary inquiry that the parliamentary group of the Green Party has directed at the state government of the German state of Hessen on October 19.
Mourners Insulted at Catholic Cemetery in Sarajevo
October 16, 2012, Bosnia and HerzegovinaOn the 16th of October, 2012, a group of mourners were blocked from putting down a gravestone at a Catholic cemetery in Sarajevo. The perpetrators did not let them pass and insulted them.
Russian Orthodox Cathedral Vandalised in Geneva
October 14, 2012, SwitzerlandBetween the hours of 23 and 6 between the 13th and 14th of October unidentified individuals spray painted the facade of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Geneva. This was discovered at 10 Monday morning when Archbishop Michel arrived to open the church for the day. He said that is was the first time in the churches 150 year history that it was attacked.
Disturbance in Cologne Cathedral by Supporters of the Russian Punk-Band “Pussy Riot”
October 13, 2012, GermanyThree masked fans of the Russian punk-band “Pussy Riot” disrupted the Sunday Mass in Cologne’s Cathedral as a sign of solidarity to members of the punk-band who had been convicted of causing disturbances in a church in earlier this year.
Parish Church of St. Francis of Sales, Marseille, Set on Fire
October 11, 2012, FranceIn the neighbourhood of Vaudan two arsonist entered the Church of St Francis of Sales and set the altar vestments on fire causing considerable damage. The two unnamed individual have been detained.
Ban on Distribution of Bibles at Public Schools in Berlin
October 10, 2012, GermanyThe International Gideons are known for distributing pocket Bibles for free - mostly at schools, hospitals, hotels and medical practices. They were denied to further distribute Bibles at public schools in Berlin by the ministry of education and cultural affairs.
Church Set on Fire in Lithuania
October 10, 2012, LithuaniaOn October 10th 2012, a church in Stalgenai was set on fire. The fire was extinguished in time to save the church.
Arson at a Church in Marseille
October 9, 2012, FranceOn October 9, fire was set to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in the district of Vauban (VI). Two doilies at the entrance of the church placed on two small tables were burned, causing severe damage. Two individuals have been arrested and placed in custody in connection with this investigation of "arson." Allegedly it was not their first time of setting fire to the church.
Pro-Life Offices Vandalised
October 8, 2012, AustriaThe Vienna offices of Human Life International (HLI) were attacked and damaged during a World Prayer Congress for Life held on October 4th – 8th. During the attack the glass entrance door was broken and jars filled with black paint were through at the building, some of them making it an in and smearing computers inside. The front door of a building in which participants stayed over night was barricaded putting the people into significant risk.
Two Churches Vandalised in Mayenne
October 7, 2012, FranceTwo churches were vandalised in Mayenne in Meslay-du-Maine and Bignon-du-Maine on October 7, 2012. "There have been destructions of statues inside buildings, other ones were thrown down and taken away," said Lt. Col. Alain Lantz, commander of the gendarmerie company Laval.
Church at Marmoutier Abbey Vandalised and Burglarised
October 7, 2012, FranceOn the night of the 7th of October the Church of St Etienne at Marmoutier Abbey, Alsace, France was broken into. The burglars stole seven challises and spread hosts on the floor.
Hostile Graffiti on Church in Vienna
October 6, 2012, AustriaUnknown perpetrators have spraypainted the Catholic church Kirche Am Hof, which is one of the main Vienna churches in the inner city.
Exhibition in Belgrade Hurts Religious Feelings
October 6, 2012, SerbiaUnder the title "Ecce Homo", the Centar za kulturnu the dekontaminaciju (“Centre for Cultural Decontamination”) displayed an exhibition of Swedish photographer Elisabeth Ohlson despite protests. The exhibition shows Jesus Christ in sexual orgies, such as in an image of the last supper with women dressed up and place in sexually explicit manners. Jesus, who holds up the Eucharist, wears black high heals under his white dress.
A Dozen Graves Vandalised in Royan
October 6, 2012, FranceIn the cemetery of Tilleuls Royan a dozen graves were targeted by vandals, probably on the night from October 5th to 6th. Memorial plates and flower pots were broken. Police are investigating.
German Parents Lose Custody of Their Children for Homeschooling
October 5, 2012, GermanyA district court in Darmstadt, Germany has revoked custody of four children from their parents and ordered it turned over to the Jugendamt, Germany’s child protective agency.
Christian Graves Vandalised in a Cemetery of Landes
October 5, 2012, FranceA dozen Christian graves were vandalized in the village of Moustey (Landes). The incident occurred in the night of Thursday, October 4 to Friday, October 5. A dozen headstones were damaged and knocked over. Plates and funerary equipment was damaged, motocross tires left deep scars and damages on the ground along walkways and on the central cross.
Desecration of Two Churches in Soissons
October 4, 2012, FranceOn October 4, two churches were broken into, robbed, and desecrated in Soissons. In the church of Sainte-Eugénie, the presbytery and the door were broken open, the tabernacle was opened, papers and money was stolen.
70 Christian Graves Desecrated near Albi
October 4, 2012, FranceSeventy graves were damaged at a small cemetery adjacent to a Catholic church. An investigation was opened after the discovery in Albi on October 4th. Seventy crosses were overturned and laid on the ground, 16 of them were broken, and funerary objects were vandalized in the cemetery in the area Fonlabour. The desecration was not signed nor claimed, said the departmental director of public safety (DDSP), the Commissioner Pierre-Marc Panazio, an AFP correspondent.