All cases

Feldmark Church Vandalized with Graffiti

October 4, 2023, Germany

A church on Pothmannstraße in Feldmark, Gelsenkirchen was damaged between September 29 and October 4. The unknown perpetrators damaged a lighting rod and sprayed the church facade with various graffiti of swear words. The building's caretaker noticed the damage on October 4 and notified the police.

Two Assaults on Churches in Malaga and Cadiz

October 3, 2023, Spain

Two churches were vandalized in Andalusia: the Virgen de las Flores Convent Church in Malaga and the Puerto Real Hospital Chapel in Cadiz. The attacks happened in September of 2023 and were reported on October 3, 2023. In the Puerto Real Hospital the perpetrators took a consecrated host, while in the Virgen de las Flores Convent they scattered the consecrated hosts on the floor, took the mantle of Mary and the image of Baby Jesus. The Spanish Foundation of Christian Laywers filed complaints against those responsible for the attacks in October of 2023.

First Arrests in Coleraine over Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone

October 3, 2023, Ireland

The first arrests in Northern Ireland in relation to the new buffer zones regulation around abortion clinics occurred on the morning of October 3. The individuals arrested were a Catholic man and woman. They were praying outside Causeway Hospital. The woman was praying on her knees with a rosary and they were holding pro-life signs. Officers told them to leave and when they refused they were arrested. They were later released on bail pending further enquiries. The issue was highlighted when a pro-choice activist posted a photo of the pair talking to a police officer on social media. A fellow activist who knew the pair said they had been coming to pray outside the hospital weekly after regulations permitting abortion were introduced in Northern Ireland in March 2020.

Church in Aisch Vandalized

October 3, 2023, Germany

The church of St. Johannes in Neustadt an der Aisch was vandalized on October 3. Presumably three young teenagers left a trail of destruction. Pastor Daniel Bittel of the parish of St. Johannes said he encountered the three vandals, but only later realized that they were probably responsible for the destruction. Bottles of wine and beer and flour from the thanksgiving altar had been scattered, nearly all the offering candles had been thrown to the ground, and praise books had been torn to pieces in the front of the church.

Armed raid on Krasnodar church and arrest of clergy following anti-war sermon

October 3, 2023, Russia

On 3 October special police units raided the premises of the Holy Intercession Tikhonite Church, a non-Moscow Patriarchate Russian Orthodox Church in Krasnodar Krai, southern Russia. Electronic devices and documents were seized, and the agents, armed with machine guns, arrested and threatened to criminally prosecute Archbishop Viktor Pivovarov and Hieromonk Iona Sigida with "discrediting the Russian Armed Forces" for their anti-war stance.

Church on Isle of Portland, Dorset Set on Fire

October 2, 2023, United Kingdom

Emergency services were called to St. Peter's Church on Portland on the evening of October 2, 2023 due to a fire in the church. Police have said a local youth is assisting them with enquiries about how the fire began. The fire at the historic site, which is more than 150 years old, is believed to be deliberate. According to the police, security measures will be needed to prevent this kind of anti-social behaviour.

Live Broadcast Camera Stolen from Church in Dublin

October 1, 2023, Ireland

On October 1, the camera used for live broadcasts in St. Ann's Church in Dublin was stolen. The camera has not been found, but a hat with a name written on the inside was left at the scene. The vicar of the church, Father Arbuthnot, said "Of course, we completely forgive the man who took the camera - we just want it back." The church uses the camera to stream their services so that the elderly and infirm parishioners can stay connected with the parish life and not become too isolated.

Swastikas sprayed on the Outside Walls of Church in Sechshelden

September 29, 2023, Germany

In the early hours of September 29th somebody sprayed swastikas and other slogans on the outside walls and the door of the Church of Sechshelden. The Police has started an investigation.

Pro-Abortion Demonstrators Vandalize Church in Barcelona with Offensive Graffiti and Harass Churchgoers

September 28, 2023, Spain

The Spanish Christian Lawyers Foundation has filed a complaint against a pro-abortion organization whose members allegedly harassed people attending Mass and spray-painted offensive slogans on the walls of the church. According to the lawyers, the organization responsible for the harassment and vandalism was the Association of Sexual and Reproductive Rights. On September 28, during a march through the streets of Barcelona, protestors "attacked the parish of Santa María del Remei in the Las Corts neighborhood," according to a statement posted on October 17 on the lawyers' website. The complaint to the judge specifies that "the attackers reproached the parishioners who attended Mass in addition to painting graffiti with statements such as "(piece of) trash church you are a dictatorship" or "abuser priests prohibit abortion."

Christian Family Faces Prosecution for Homeschooling if Deported Back to Germany

September 25, 2023, Germany

A Christian family is asking the Biden administration to intervene in their deportation after they lived in the USA for 15 years seeking asylum from prosecution in Germany. The Romeikes had fled Bissingen, Germany in 2008 after being threatened with prosecution for homeschooling their five children. Homeschooling in Germany is tightly regulated and only allowed under certain circumstances.

Two Cases of Desecration in Hospital Chapel in Puerto Real

September 14, 2023, Spain

On the 14th of September, CNA reported that a hospital chapel in the town of Puerto Real, in the Diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta, had recently been desecrated twice. The first time, nothing was stolen but someone moved the tabernacle so that it was out of joint and left a dirty glass in it. The second time, the consecrated hosts were stolen and the veil of the tabernacle was torn off. The police were notified.

UPDATE: UK Home Secretary Clarifies that "Silent Prayer" is not Unlawful

September 8, 2023, United Kingdom

The Home Secretary of the UK has now clarified that “silent prayer, within itself, is not unlawful” in a letter for the police forces across the country. This statement comes in response to many months of controversy over "buffer zones" outside abortion facilities that have led to the arrest of several citizens for praying silently in their minds inside a buffer zone.

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission: "Azerbaijan Pursues ‘Elimination of the Entire Christian Population and Its Churches’ in Nagorno-Karabakh"

September 6, 2023, Armenia

As the humanitarian situation of Armenian Christians behind Azerbaijan's blockade in Nagoro-Karabakh becomes critical, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the US Congress conducted a hearing on 6 September to explore the situation. Experts heard by the commission pointed out that Azerbaijan’s actions clearly constituted a genocide, as it is using starvation as a form of ethnic cleansing. Georgetown University adjunct professor David L. Philips argued that the final intention of Azerbaijan is the “elimination of the entire Christian population and its churches.”

Church Organ Console Worth 5000 Euro Stolen

September 6, 2023, Germany

Between September 4th and 6th, an organ console worth 5000€ was stolen from a church in Detmold. This is not only significant because of the monetary value but it also hinders the ceremonial process of the mass. Local police assumes that there were at lease two people involved in the theft and started an investigation.

Theft and Desecration of Tabernacle from a Church in Mönchengladbach

September 5, 2023, Germany

In the night of September 4th to 5th, unidentified thieves managed to break into the church by entering through a window of the neighbouring building and then using the shared basement. They left with the tabernacle, the golden chalice inside it and two more boxes of unknown content. Since the tabernacle is quite heavy, police expects that more than one person must have been involved in the crime. The exact damage is unknown since it is not clear what the tabernacle and the chalice are made of. The local police started an investigation. 

Severe vandalism, desecration and death threats inside a chapel in Pedregalejo, Malaga

September 5, 2023, Spain

On September 5 a man broke into the Corpus Christi parish church in Pedregalejo (Malaga) and caused considerable damage to the parish hall while uttering death threats and shouting "God doesn't exist", among other derogatory phrases against the Church. The offender smashed several paintings, including one of Mary, a carving of Christ crucified, a pedestal of Mary, several chairs, a candelabra and some glass.

Gilded Statue Stolen from Church in Denbighshire

September 5, 2023, United States

A 252-year-old statue of a pelican has been stolen from St Dyfnog Church in Llanrhaedr, Denbighshire. The 0.6 meter gilded statue was stolen between August 22 and September 5. The carving, which has been hanging in the church for at least 100 years, was situated next to the altar in the church. The North Wales Police are investigating the theft.

UPDATE: Päivi Räsänen Stands Trial Again For Sharing her Christian Worldview

September 1, 2023, Finland

During the 31st of August and the 1st September, Finnish Politian Päivi Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola stood trial at the Helsinki Court of Appeal for the charges brought against them of "inciting hatred" against LGBT people. These charges are based upon a Twitter post made by Räsänen in 2019, as well as a pamphlet and a radio interview. Last year, Räsänen and Pohjola were unanimously acquitted of all charges, but due to the appeal by the prosecutor, they stood trial again. The verdict will be announced in November 30th.

Man from Sopron Tried to Rob Five Churches in One Night

September 0, 2023, Hungary

The Sopron District Prosecutor's office requested the arrest of a 43-year-old man who tried to break into five churches in one night. One night in September, the unemployed homeless man attempted to break into two small churches in one town, but was unsuccessful. After that, he continued to another village where he was able to pry open the door of the church. He searched through the church but did not steal anything, but damaged two motion detectors and caused approximately HUF 50,000 worth of damage. Following this incident, the man went to the church of another settlement, where he cracked open the window to enter the church and opened the display cases containing cash. He took less than HUF 50,000, but including the vandalism of the church, approximately HUF 100,000 worth of damage was caused. Lastly, the man visited a different church where he broke the window and pried open a cupboard containing donations. He stole HUF 20,000 from this church, but approximately HUF 100,000 in damage was caused. The prosecutor proposed the arrest of the perpetrator.

UPDATE: Hieromonk Ioann Kurmoyarov sentenced to three years in jail for oposing war in Ukraine

August 31, 2023, Russia

The verdict of the Court against Fr Ioann Kurmoyarov was given on 31 August and has finally sentenced the hieromonk to 3 years in a penal colony accused of disseminating false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.