All cases

Church Desecrated in Messina

July 3, 2016, Italy

The church of Santa Elena was the victim of desecration, theft, and vandalism on July 3rd. The parish priest discovered the tabernacle completely emptied, smashed and detached from the wall. A statue of the Virgin Mary was decapitated, and a ciborium full of consecrated Hosts was stolen, along with an ancient reliquary containing a fragment of the Holy Cross.

Statue of Virgin Mary Decapitated in Vineyard

July 1, 2016, France

The statue, located on private property in Chadenac and surrounded by a wrought iron fence, was vandalized and its head was broken off.

Belgian Nursing Home Fined €6,000 for Refusing to Allow Euthanasia on Premises

June 30, 2016, Belgium

Judges in Belgium fined a Catholic nursing home after it prevented doctors from giving a lethal injection to a 74-year-old lung cancer sufferer on its premises.

Lay Association Calls for Mayor's Resignation for Assisting in Catholic Blessing

June 29, 2016, Spain

The president of Asturias Laica, Jose Luis Iglesias, has formally requested that the Mayor of Gijon, Carmen Moriyón, resign from office for assisting in the Catholic ritual of the blessing of the waters in the feast of San Pedro, the city’s patron saint, which was celebrated on June 29.

Man Attacked Malmö Church

June 26, 2016, Sweden

A man broke into St. Paul's Church in central Malmö and vandalized it, including breaking the stained glass windows. According to the police, it will be investigated as a hate crime as they suspect that the man attacked the church because it is a symbol of the Christian faith.

Statue of Saint Petronio Defaced by Vandals

June 26, 2016, Italy

The statue, the civil and religious symbol of the city of Bologna, was defaced with "Allah Akbar" painted on the base. The Archdiocese of Bologna condemned the act and police are investigating.

Christian Convert Attacked at Asylum Home in Halbe

June 25, 2016, Germany

Two young Afghan men severely attacked a woman from Iran because she converted from Islam to Christianity, according to police.

Co-Workers Found Not Guilty of Religiously Aggravated Offense

June 24, 2016, United Kingdom

A York jury heard evidence about sustained bullying of a teenage apprentice, a Catholic, by tying him to a cross in a mock crucifixion, among other acts, during a trial. They found the accused guilty of assault, but not guilty of religiously aggravated assault.

Valencia Cardinal Accused of Hate Speech for Homily Criticizing Gender Ideology Legislation

June 23, 2016, Spain

Cardinal Antonio Cañizares was accused of hate speech by the Feminist Platform of Alicante, along with 55 other LGBT organizations. They alleged that his homily was "full of hatred, homophobic and sexist." On June 23, 2016 he was cleared of the charges.

Bonn Basilica Vandalized

June 21, 2016, Germany

A 24-year-old man was arrested after he entered the crypt of the shrine to the city patrons Cassius and Florentius and caused extensive damage to the crypt, tabernacle, and the sarcophagus in which the relics of the saints are held.

Arson in Swiss Confessional

June 21, 2016, Switzerland

On July 2, Swiss police arrested a 51-year old suspected of intentionally setting fire to a confessional in the St. Gallon Cathedral.

Large Pentagram and 666 Painted on Church Graveyard

June 19, 2016, United Kingdom

A vandal sprayed satanic symbols, a large pentagram, and the number 666 onto the lawn of the graveyard at All Saints Church in Hull, Yorkshire.

German Newspaper: Orlando Shooter Could Just as Well Have Been Christian

June 16, 2016, Germany

German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung a published commentary on the Orlando shooting in which it said the crime had nothing to do with Islam and everything to do with “homophobia” and that the shooter could just as well have been an Evangelical Christian.

Church of England Accused of Discrimination

June 16, 2016, United Kingdom

The Church of England has been accused of discriminating against a lesbian couple by refusing to conduct their wedding.

Two Men Arrested for Vandalizing Cathedral

June 16, 2016, France

The cathedral Saint-Julien du Mans was spray painted with a dozen messages including "Ni dieu, ni maître", "Anti autorité", "belle porte", and "Le Mans zone pacifiée". Police caught the perpetrators in the act and took them into custody.

Vandals Deface Church in Slovenia

June 15, 2016, Slovenia

A Catholic church in Celje was defaced with satanic words and symbols, resulting in 3,000 euros in damage.

Beloved Shrine Vandalized

June 15, 2016, Spain

The statues of the Virgin of Candelabra and Santo Herman Pedro were beheaded by unknown vandals in a sanctuary in the mountain town of Cabo Blanco in Tenerife.

Christian Converts in Hamburg Threatened

June 14, 2016, Germany

Security guards at refugee camps in Hamburg have reportedly told the Christian residents to keep their faith a secret, claiming they cannot protect them if their secret is revealed.

Christian Refugees Attacked by Muslims during Ramadan

June 12, 2016, Germany

A Christian refugee family of four was attacked by Muslims in their shared refugee accommodations for not participating in Ramadan. The family members were taken to a hospital in Seligenstadt due to their injuries. The mother and two sons were attacked with chairs and one of the sons was struck in the arms with a sharp object. The father suffered from arrhythmia due to the attack. During the attack the radical Muslims stated "Let us kill the unbelieving Christians, punish!" ("Lasst uns die ungläubigen Christen abschlachten, bestrafen!"). Police were able to intervene and the Christian family has been moved to a different refugee accommodation.

Two Church Fires in a Weekend in Narón

June 11, 2016, Spain

In the early hours of Friday, June 10th to Saturday, June 11, two clearly intentional fires were discovered in two different churches in Narón. Each resulted in significant damage to the religious buildings. Incendiary devices were found in both churches. The fires were investigated by agents of the state security forces, as well as the local Narón police.

Holy See Urges OSCE and Council of Europe to Pay Attention to Discrimination Against Christians

June 9, 2016, European Institutions (EU, ECHR, et.al.)

The Holy See’s Permanent Representative to UN offices in Vienna, Msgr. Janusz Urbanczyk, has urged the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe to pay greater attention to discrimination against Europe’s Christians.

Parliamentary Report Finds Inadequate Assessment of Religion-Based Asylum Claims

June 7, 2016, United Kingdom

The All Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief released a 35-page report in which it said the questions used to assess conversion asylum claims demonstrated a "lack of understanding and misperceptions of religion."

Christian Union Banned From Holding Meetings on College Premises

June 7, 2016, United Kingdom

A Christian union has been banned from holding meetings on college premises, as a result of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy "Prevent".

Islamists Attack Christian Refugees

June 7, 2016, Germany

A group of 30 thirty people, led by a self-proclaimed imam, attacked a Syrian Christian and his roommate at the Rottach-Egern refugee accommodation.

Relic of Pope John Paul II Stolen from Cologne Cathedral

June 5, 2016, Germany

German police report that unknown perpetrators stole a small piece of fabric with a drop of the Pope's blood.

Christian Refugees in Austria Harassed and Threatened

June 5, 2016, Austria

Christian refugees in various accommodation centers in Austria endured abuse at the hands of Muslim fellow refugees, including being forced to wake early in the morning to pray, being told they were impure, having belongings stolen, and instances of physical violence.

Court Case begins for Norwegian Doctor Fired for Exercising Right to Conscience

June 1, 2016, Norway

Katarzyna Jachimowicz, a Polish family physician working in Norway, became the first medical professional in the country fired because she exercised her conscience rights by refusing to administer abortifacients.

Church the Victim of Two Fires in One Day

May 24, 2016, Belgium

In Mont-Sainte-Geneviève, two fires significantly damaged an historic church. The first started in the sacristy. The fire fighters had just left the scene after managing to control that fire when another much bigger fire in the church roof was reported.

European Court of Human Rights Finds Turkey Interfered with Freedom of Religion

May 24, 2016, Turkey

The case concerned the inability of Mersin and Izmir Jehovah's Witnesses in Turkey to obtain an appropriate place to engage in worship due to restrictive laws. The ECtHR held that such restrictions amounted to a direct interference with their freedom of religion.

Three Incidents in Churches in the Same Region in Just Two Weeks

May 22, 2016, France

In a press release Father Benoît Delabre reported that on May 15th the altar in the Church of St. Madeleine-de-l'Île was set on fire in Martigues, about 800 kilometers south of Paris. On the same day, another unknown person desecrated the tabernacle which contained the consecrated hosts in the church at Jonquières in the same region. Additionally, Father Delabre himself was attacked a week later by a man he caught at the church door who appeared to be “trying to steal something.”

Green Party a Threat to Religious Liberty in Australia

May 21, 2016, International

Archbishop Anthony Fisher warned that religious liberty is at stake in Australia's national elections because of the Green's proposed $32 million "Safe Schools" Program which would charge parents, schools, and churches with discrimination if they fail to conform.

Catholic Pensioner Murdered in her Sleep; Left with Crucifix in her Hands

May 19, 2016, Germany

A 27-year old Muslim man was found guilty and given a life sentence for the murder of a 70-year-old woman in Bad Friedrichshall on May 19, 2016. After strangling the woman with a telephone cord, Abubaker C. left writing on the wall "It's payback time" and put a cross in the woman's hands. He then stole valuables and fled. The prosecution argued that the murderer's motive was both theft and to kill a "disbeliever".

Catholic Nursing Home to Stand Trial for Denying Active Euthanasia

May 18, 2016, Belgium

In 2011, after initially agreeing to euthanasia for a 74-year-old cancer patient, a Catholic nursing home denied the physician access to the patient. The patient had to be taken home where she could receive the doctor.

Evangelical Church Attacked in Manosque

May 18, 2016, France

An Assemblies of God church in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azurin was the victim of arson. Bibles and other books inside the church were stacked up and burnt, according to Pastor Alain Denizou.

Catholic and Protestant Churches Protest Exclusion from Population Information

May 17, 2016, Netherlands

Legislation puts an end to a program that helped churches keep track of their local memberships using data provided by the municipal administration.

Christian Refugees Face Discrimination in Austria

May 13, 2016, Austria

According to the NGO "Christian Solidarity International" (CSI), Christian refugees are being repeatedly discriminated against in Austrian refugee centers.

Greens Demand Ban on Pro-Life Presentations at Schools

May 12, 2016, Austria

In April 2016, members of the Green Party in Austria submitted a Parliamentary Question to evaluate possible actions to stop “pro-life” workshops in religious education.

Vandalism at Catholic School in Nantes

May 11, 2016, France

Catholic School Notre-Dame de l’Abbaye in Nantes was vandalized twice in two weeks.

Arms of Jesus on Crucifix Statue Broken

May 3, 2016, Germany

Twice in four weeks, an unknown perpetrator broke the arms off the Jesus figure displayed above hotels along a route frequently used by walkers and cyclists.

106 Catholic Websites Hacked by Tunisian "Cyberjihadists"

April 16, 2016, France

On April 16th, many Catholics discovered that their parish website’s home page was replaced with messages in English denouncing "terrorism against Muslims” in Burma by Buddhists, and in Palestine by "Zionists" or in Mali by the "French forces." The messages were set against a black background and topped with a Tunisian flag.

Television Presenter Calls Christian a "Homophobe"; Receives No Sanctions

April 12, 2016, United Kingdom

Piers Morgan will not face sanctions after asking a Christian who opposed same-sex marriage whether he was a "homophobe".

Pro-Abortion Activist Dresses as Bishop; Hands out Abortion Pills at "Communion"

April 10, 2016, Hungary

Pro-Abortion activists held a demonstration on April 10 in front of the Polish Embassy in Budapest to protest the tightening of Poland's abortion law.

Turkey Seizes Six Churches as State Property

April 6, 2016, Turkey

In the region of Diyarbakir, the Turkish government seized huge sections of property, including six churches. One of these is a 1,700 year old Syriac Orthodox Church.

Magistrate Removed from Office, Suspended from NHS Trust, for Christian Belief in Traditional Family

March 29, 2016, United Kingdom

A Christian magistrate Richard Page has been removed from office by the Lord Chancellor after sharing his personal conviction in a media interview that there is not enough evidence to show that placing children in the care of same-sex couples is in their best interest.

Arson in Calais Church

March 28, 2016, France

L’église Saint-Pierre suffered deliberate damage during the afternoon of Easter Monday: five separate fires started inside the building while it was open to the public. The abbot has filed a complaint.

Several Statues Vandalized over Ten Days in Lyon Churches

March 22, 2016, France

On March 22nd, several statues of St. Joseph, located in the chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges and the church of Saint-Pothin, were destroyed by vandals.

Attack at Brussels Airport and Metro Killed 32 People; Injured over 300

March 22, 2016, Belgium

ISIS took responsibility for three coordinated suicide bombings in Brussels: two at Zaventem Airport and one at Maalbeek metro station which killed 32 people from around the world and injured over 300. The Islamic State announced "By the grace of Allah and His gratitude alone, a security detachment from the soldiers of the Caliphate, may Allah dignify it and support it, launched to target Crusader Belgium..."

Vandals Hit a Chapel in Upper Bavaria

March 19, 2016, Germany

During the night of March 19, unknown perpetrators entered a small chapel in Obervockling, removed a statue of the Virgin Mary, and set a plastic flower vase, small altar cloths, and some branches on fire inside the chapel.

Series of Suspicious Fires in Blois Cathedral

March 18, 2016, France

Firefighters responded quickly to extinguish the fire, which originated with burning furniture in the Cathédrale Saint-Louis during the afternoon of March 18th.

Chapel Vandalized in Mailleroncourt-Charette

March 14, 2016, France

A small chapel dedicated to St. Léger was the victim of vandalism and attempted theft. Unknown perpetrators broke through the iron doors and dismantled the limestone slab floor, with the apparent intent to steal the materials.