All cases
Arsonist Caught At St. Peter Basilica
February 3, 2026, ItalyOn 2 February, a 35-year-old man was arrested in Vatican City after attempting to enter St Peter’s Basilica while carrying flammable substances and ignition devices at the start of the Pope's mass. According to police and prosecutors, the suspect is believed to be an arsonist linked to earlier fires at churches in central Rome.
Christian Pro-Life March Attacked in Koblenz: Two Hospitalised
February 2, 2026, GermanyIn Koblenz, activists associated with left-wing extremist groups attacked a public information event organised by the Christian pro-life initiative SOS Leben, resulting in injuries to two volunteers who later required hospital treatment.
Arson At Clères Church: Altar Cloth Set on Fire
January 29, 2026, FranceAn attempted arson attack was reported at the parish church in Clères, in the Seine-Maritime department of Normandy, authorities confirmed. The incident marks the third attack on a church in the region within only 15 days.
Altar Among Targets: Two Fires Are Set Inside Huttenheim Church
January 28, 2026, GermanyOn Wednesday afternoon, 28 January, two deliberately set fires were discovered inside St Peter’s Church in Huttenheim, a district of Philippsburg, including one fire lit directly on the altar. Thankfully, the fires were extinguished before causing major damage.
Church Vandalised With Blasphemous Graffiti
January 28, 2026, PortugalA historic church in Viseu was targeted by vandals who painted an offensive message on the exterior wall of its mortuary chapel.
Bergisch Gladbach Church Closed After Arson and Vandalism
January 27, 2026, GermanySt Laurentius Church in Bergisch Gladbach was closed following repeated acts of vandalism, including arson, damage to pews, and theft of items from the interior.
Third Attack Hits Feldkirchen Church
January 26, 2026, AustriaVandals left a trail of destruction in the Maria im Dorn church in Feldkirchen, Austria, where the interior was found heavily damaged, leading to its temporary closure.
San Giacomo Church Evacuated After Nativity Scene Set on Fire
January 25, 2026, ItalyA fire that broke out on 25 January 2026 inside San Giacomo in via del Corso in Rome, initially believed to have been caused by a technical malfunction, has since been linked to deliberate arson. Investigators now attribute the fire to a suspect later arrested for attempting to carry flammable materials into St Peter’s Basilica.
Arson At Basilica of San Lorenzo
January 25, 2026, ItalyA fire that broke out on 25 January 2026 in the courtyard of Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina in Rome, initially investigated as a separate incident, has since been linked to deliberate arson.
Man Attacks Woman and Sets Fire to Church in Brasov
January 25, 2026, RomaniaA 29‑year‑old man attacked a woman selling candles and set fire to a church in Braşov, Romania, in an incident reported late January.
Sviatohirsk Lavra Skete Targeted in Theft and Vandalism
January 25, 2026, UkraineIn Donetsk region, Ukraine, a skete of the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra was targeted in a theft and act of vandalism during the night of 24–25 January 2026, resulting in the theft of bells and sacred objects from the religious site.
Main Altar Cross Stolen at Saint‑Winoc Church
January 25, 2026, FranceA theft at the Église Saint-Winoc in Plouhinec, Finistère, was reported on 25 January when the cross from the church’s main altar was removed by unknown perpetrators, parish authorities confirmed.
Vienna Court: Prayer Vigil Outside Abortion Facilities Permitted
January 23, 2026, AustriaIn January 2026, the Vienna Administrative Court ruled that a peaceful prayer vigil held in the proximity of an abortion facility in Vienna falls within the scope of the constitutionally protected freedom of assembly. The decision overturned an earlier prohibition issued by the Vienna police authorities.
UK Police Ban Christian March Over Fear of Muslim Community Reaction
January 23, 2026, United KingdomThe Metropolitan Police blocked a UK Independence Party “Walk With Jesus” march scheduled for 31 January in Whitechapel, east London, citing fears it would provoke a hostile reaction from the local Muslim community and lead to “serious violence and disorder.”
Vandals Damage Religious Statue Inside Church
January 21, 2026, FranceA statue of the Virgin Mary was found to have been deliberately knocked over and damaged on 21 January 2026 inside the Église Saint-Sylve in Toulouse, where the parish priest discovered the overturned figure after the morning Mass.
Missal Set Ablaze in Alessandria Chapel
January 19, 2026, ItalyOn the morning of 19 January 2026, an unknown individual set fire to a liturgical missal inside the Chiesa del Monserrato in Alessandria.
Zamora Suffers Another Vandal Attack on Church
January 18, 2026, SpainOn 18 January 2026, vandals defaced the rear façade of the Iglesia de Santiago el Burgo in Zamora with a slogan: “More housing and fewer churches”.
Buncton’s 11th‑Century Church Attacked
January 18, 2026, United KingdomAll Saints Church in Buncton, West Sussex, suffered extensive damage after almost all of its windows were smashed and fixtures vandalised between 13 and 18 January.
Sacred Objects Damaged During Prayer in St Peter Basilica
January 17, 2026, ItalyAn incident took place inside the Cappella del Santissimo Sacramento at the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome, where a man threw several sacred objects from the altar to the ground during Eucharistic adoration.
Golfo Aranci Church Vandalised
January 16, 2026, ItalyVandals targeted the Nostra Signora del Monte church in Golfo Aranci, causing damage to the outdoor altar and destroying surveillance equipment.