All cases

Village and Church Tagged with Graffiti

July 5, 2018, France

Sometime during the night of July 5th, buildings in the small town of Saint-Alban-d'Ay were targeted with vandalism with anarchist and communist slogans in red and black paint. The church facade was sprayed with offensive slogans and the interior was ransacked.

Religious Flags Torn Down at "Campus of Religions"

July 4, 2018, Austria

Unknown vandals tore down the flags of the New Apostolic Church and the Vienna Jewish Community at the construction site for a "Campus of Religions" in the new housing complex 'Seestadt' in Aspern. The campus is supposed to become a place where different religions can coexist and meet each other peacefully. It is not the first time the site has been subject to vandalism. The Israeli flag had been attacked twice before, once at the start of the construction in 2015 and again in May 2018. Religious leaders of different Christian denominations have expressed their outrage about the act. The police began an investigation.

Demand for Apology after President of National Assembly Mentions God

July 3, 2018, Slovenia

A left-wing member of the National Assembly, Franc Trček, demanded an apology from Matej Tonin, the President of the National Assembly, for concluding a speech with the words "Bog živi Slovenijo," which can roughly be translated to "God bless Slovenia." Trček argued that the words violated the constitution of Slovenia which requires a separation of church and state. Tonin responded that he had no intention of apologizing and that the constitution also protects freedom of speech.

Activist Graffiti found on Church Properties in Poland

July 3, 2018, Poland

Graffiti was found on several church buildings in the wake of a discussion on stricter abortion legislation by the Polish parliament. The spray-painted slogans included “Behold my body, behold my blood, buzz off”; “women-murderers” and “We remember Rwanda.” The three damaged buildings included the curial offices of the Archdiocese of Warsaw, the rectory of the Church of St. John the Baptist, and the curial offices of the Diocese of Warsaw-Praga.

Statue Vandalized and Satanic Inscriptions Left in Church

July 3, 2018, France

A priest discovered that statues in the nave of the church of Saint Jean-Baptiste de Bourgoin-Jallieu had been vandalized and that satanic inscriptions were left defacing a prayer book. The police were notified and opened an investigation.

Door Set on Fire and Graffiti in Primary School Church: "I smell Christians"

July 2, 2018, Italy

An unknown vandal set fire to the entrance door to the church of the nursery/primary school institute Paul VI in Castel Gandolfo and wrote graffiti reading "I smell Christians" in Norwegian. A complaint was filed and the police began an investigation.

High Court Upholds "Buffer Zones" around Abortion Clinic; Appeal Filed

July 2, 2018, United Kingdom

The High Court of England and Wales upheld a “buffer zone” imposed by Ealing Council, west London, around a Marie Stopes abortion clinic. High Court Judge Mark Turner said that Ealing Council in London was justified in creating a 328-foot exclusion zone to prevent any pro-life gathering or speech, including prayer, within 100 meters of the clinic. Two women plan to appeal to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

Arson Attempt at Elche Basilica

June 30, 2018, Spain

An unknown person attempted to set fire to the Basilica of Santa Maria in Elche while Mass was being celebrated inside. By using paraffin from a chandelier, the perpetrator set a fire between two wooden doors. Fortunately a parishioner noticed the smoke and the flames could be smothered in time.

"Satan Punishes Homophobes" on Wall of Toulouse Chapel

June 30, 2018, France

Graffiti was discovered on the walls of the Saint-Roch-du-Férétra chapel in Toulouse. Slogans included "Church on fire", "Dirty priest" and "Satan punishes homophobes." An investigation has been started. It is suspected that the slogans were left by LGBT groups and anarchists.

Ex-President of Ireland calls Catholic Teaching on Homosexuality 'Evil'

June 29, 2018, Ireland

Mary McAleese, the former President of Ireland said that, in her view, the Church's teaching on homosexuality is "evil" and leads to homophobia which has caused people to commit suicide and live in "dark shadows." She said that the behaviour of the church towards the LGBT community was "unchristian" and "worse than uncharitable" and that the only person to change this is the pope.