All cases
Saint-Laurent Church Vandalised on Holy Thursday
April 2, 2026, FranceOn Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026, the Saint-Laurent Church in Rosny-sous-Bois was broken into and severely damaged. The main doors were smashed, lamps torn down, and the sacristy door and frame attacked with axes.
Suspected Arson at Church Cemetery in Dorset
April 1, 2026, United KingdomA fire that broke out in the early hours at St George’s Church cemetery in Dorchester is believed to have been started deliberately.
Series of Fires and Vandalism Reported in Hildesheim Churches
March 30, 2026, GermanyA fire in the parish garden of St. Godehard Church in Hildesheim has raised concerns after church authorities reported further serious acts of vandalism affecting local churches. Among the incidents disclosed was the discovery of urine in a baptismal font, a particularly disturbing act of desecration.
Beheaded Statue of Mary in Klein-Winternheim
March 29, 2026, GermanyUnknown perpetrators beheaded a statue of Mary in a Marian grotto located in Klein-Winternheim. The offenders also damaged devotional objects and stole rosaries and other small religious items.
Supreme Court Acquits MP for Bible Verse Tweet, Convicts Over Church Pamphlet
March 26, 2026, FinlandFinland’s Supreme Court has unanimously acquitted parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen of “hate speech” charges related to a 2019 social media post in which she cited a Bible verse to express her views on marriage and sexual ethics. At the same time, in a narrow 3–2 decision, the Court convicted Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola over the publication of a church pamphlet originally written in 2004.
Vandalism in Garbenteich Church: Bible Damaged with Fire
March 22, 2026, GermanyA Protestant church in Garbenteich was vandalised, with fire damage affecting the altar Bible and altar area.
Catholic Priest Faces Criminal Investigation Over Statements on Church Teaching on Sexuality
March 20, 2026, IcelandMonsignor Jakob Rolland is facing a potential criminal trial after explaining Catholic teaching on homosexuality in a radio interview and stating that the Church offers spiritual guidance to persons with same-sex attraction who seek it. Following the interview, LGBTIQ advocacy groups launched a campaign calling for legal action, leading to a police examination of the Catholic priest under Iceland’s 2023 ban on “conversion practices”.
Arson and vandalism in Absam Parish Church
March 15, 2026, AustriaAbsam Parish Church was the target of a serious act of vandalism, two minors entered the church and desecrated the interior.
Multiple churches in Belfort targeted with vandalism and break-ins
March 15, 2026, FranceDuring the night of 14 to 15 March, Sainte-Croix Church in Chèvremont was vandalised, with doors forced open, consecrated hosts found on the ground, and sacred objects stolen. Authorities and the parish have filed complaints.
Attempted arson in Trzebinia Parish
March 15, 2026, PolandAn attempted arson was reported at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Trzebinia. A man set fire to kneelers in the vestibule and tried to ignite the main door but failed to enter.
Bible set on fire on altar of Protestant Church in Le Sentier
March 15, 2026, SwitzerlandA Bible was deliberately set on fire on the altar of a Protestant church in Le Sentier, causing damage and leading to the brief hospitalisation of the pastor due to smoke inhalation. A suspect has been arrested, and authorities are investigating the incident as arson targeting a place of worship.
Cemetery desecrated and crosses stolen in Niestępów
March 13, 2026, PolandAround 200 graves were vandalized at the parish cemetery in Niestępów. Crosses, brass letters, and other metal elements were stolen from dozens of tombstones.
Cross Removed from Church Façade and Discarded in Garbage
March 13, 2026, GermanyUnknown individuals dismantled a large cross from the façade of the Evangelical Methodist Church in Pleidelsheim, and discarded it in a nearby garbage can.
Gunfire Damages Fresco at Tuscania Sanctuary
March 13, 2026, ItalyUnknown individuals fired shots at the church of the Madonna del Cerro in Tuscania, damaging a fresco of the Madonna and parts of the church’s exterior. The Carabinieri have opened an investigation.
Church in Bilbao Defaced by Antifa-Affiliated Group
March 12, 2026, SpainA group of antifascists vandalised the Church of the Holy Johns in Spain with graffiti and posted a video of the act on social media.
Repeated vandalism and arson: Pastor Speaks of Being Victimised
March 12, 2026, United KingdomSalvation Chapel International, a pentecostal church in Laindon, has suffered repeated and escalating acts of vandalism, including a fire, destruction of toilets and church property, and graffiti.
Crucifix and confessionals vandalised in San Pietro a Vico Church
March 11, 2026, ItalyUnknown perpetrators vandalised San Pietro a Vico Church, destroying confessionals and breaking a crucifix.
St. Wenceslas Church in Prague Defaced with Hateful Graffiti
March 10, 2026, Czech RepublicThe Church of St. Wenceslas in Prague was vandalised by unknown individuals who sprayed a message stating that the cross and the Star of David are equal to a swastika.
Altar vandalised inside Saint Roch Church in Paris
March 9, 2026, FranceAn altar inside Saint-Roch Church featuring a large gilded structure resembling the Ark of the Covenant was vandalised by unknown individuals. The attackers damaged decorative elements causing significant damage to the 19th-century religious piece.
Catholic School in Barcelona Vandalised with Hostile Political Graffiti
March 8, 2026, SpainA Catholic school in Barcelona, affiliated with the Regnum Christi movement, was vandalised with politically charged graffiti during the weekend coinciding with International Women’s Day. The messages the messages expressed hostility towards the school’s educational model and prompted calls for increased security measures.
Viterbo Church defaced with satanic graffiti with inverted crosses.
March 7, 2026, ItalySatanic graffiti, including inverted crosses and “666,” was sprayed on the facade of a Catholic church in Viterbo. The messages explicitly referenced Satan and targeted the Christian place of worship. Police identified the perpetrator through surveillance footage, and a 34-year-old man has been arrested.
Linked arson attacks target two Catholic Churches in Westmeath
March 6, 2026, IrelandTwo Catholic churches in County Westmeath were deliberately set on fire over the weekend. Both incidents caused damage to the main entrances and are being treated by authorities as deliberate arsons attacks, which seem to be linked.
Vandalism and theft at Catholic church and Bosco School in Rosarno
March 5, 2026, ItalyUnknown perpetrators vandalised a Catholic school and the nearby parish church in Rosarno, Italy, stealing furnishings and parts of the church infrastructure. The attack targeted both a Catholic educational institution and a place of Christian worship. The incident reflects hostility toward Christian community spaces rather than a theft motivated by the value of the items taken.
UPDATE: Maltese court clears Matthew Grech of all charges
March 4, 2026, MaltaMatthew Grech, a Maltese Christian, has been cleared by a Maltese court following charges related to his participation in a TV show in April 2022. During the interview, Grech shared his personal testimony of leaving a homosexual lifestyle after finding the Christian faith. The case was brought under Malta’s ban on “conversion practices,” but the court concluded that the programme constituted a public discussion and that Grech had merely shared his personal experience about sexual morality.
Medieval Holy Water Stela Deliberately Damaged at Altenberg Cathedral
March 3, 2026, GermanyA medieval holy water stela was deliberately toppled and severely damaged inside Altenberg Cathedral in North Rhine-Westphalia. Parish officials ruled out an accident due to the size and weight of the object and are planning restoration.
Paper Bomb Causes Damage to Church in Lusia
March 1, 2026, ItalyA paper bomb struck the Church of Saints Vito and Modesto (Lusia), in an act of vandalism similar to a previous incident near the Church of San Biagio in Lendinara.
Holy Altar Destroyed in Gardiki Church
February 27, 2026, GreeceVandals broke into the cemetery Church of All Saints in Gardiki, Fthiotida, Greece, and demolished the Holy Altar during the night of 26–27 February 2026. The destruction was reportedly carried out while the perpetrators searched for gold sovereigns believed to be hidden inside the altar.
Repeated Burglary Targets Sacred Objects in Quarrata Church
February 27, 2026, ItalyIn Quarrata, three ancient chalices and some sacred furnishings were stolen from the Church of Catena but later recovered. Similar incidents have occurred in nearby parishes, pointing to a rising pattern of local church thefts.
Arson Attacks on Three Churches in Eden in One Week
February 25, 2026, NetherlandsA series of deliberate fires damaged three churches in Ede within five days, leading to increased security and an arrest.
Repeated church thefts in Rouen target sacred Christian objects
February 24, 2026, FranceTwo men have been arrested for a series of four church burglaries in Rouen, during which sacred objects of spiritual importance were stolen. The thefts targeted items essential to Christian worship, including consecrated hosts and liturgical vessels, from the churches of Val-de-la-Haye and Hautot-sur-Seine. The crimes were deliberate, and the stolen objects have not yet been recovered.
Repeated Vandalism at Parish Oratory in Quattro Castella
February 23, 2026, ItalyA parish oratory in Quattro Castella (Reggio Emilia, Italy) was repeatedly targeted by break-ins and vandalism in the past months. In February, two suspects were identified by the Carabinieri using images captured by camera traps installed inside the parish premises.
Suspected Arson targets West London Church
February 23, 2026, United KingdomA major fire severely damaged the former King’s Hall Methodist Church in Southall, West London. Police and fire investigators are treating the blaze as suspected arson.
Vandals Damage Forecourt of Romanian Orthodox San Sepolcro Church
February 21, 2026, ItalyVandals have repeatedly caused damage to the forecourt and exterior of San Sepolcro Church on Via Campagna, where the Romanian Orthodox community has been worshipping since 2018. The incidents, reported in February 2026, have left visible damage to the church’s surroundings and structure.
Vandalism Targets Historic Santa Susana Church in Santiago
February 20, 2026, SpainGraffiti with political slogans and other markings were found on the seventeenth‑century church, prompting renewed concern about repeated attacks on Santiago’s Christian heritage.
Consecrated Hosts Stolen from Two Rural Churches
February 20, 2026, FranceTwo churches in Buchy and Rouvray‑Catillon were broken into during the night, with consecrated hosts taken in what the Archdiocese of Rouen denounced as a grave act of desecration.
Repeated Vandalism Inside Notre‑Dame Church in Niort
February 18, 2026, FranceAuthorities in Niort lodged formal complaints after graffiti and burnt papers were discovered inside the Notre‑Dame church during two consecutive days of damage.
Religious Statue Vandalised at Bois‑le‑Roi Cemetery
February 18, 2026, FrancePolice investigated extensive damage to Christian funerary structures at the Bois‑le‑Roi cemetery, including the destruction of a statue of Mary and chapel stained glass windows.
Church of Christ the King in Valledoria Desecrated
February 17, 2026, ItalyThe Church of Christ the King in Valledoria was targeted in an apparent act of desecration after unknown individuals forced open the tabernacle.
Cathedral Vandalised During Carnival Event
February 17, 2026, FranceThe Archdiocese of Montpellier lodged a complaint after participants in a street carnival vandalised the city’s cathedral while police observed without intervening.
Repeated Vandalism Targets St. Olof’s Church in Falköping
February 17, 2026, SwedenSt. Olof’s Church in Falköping, Sweden, was again targeted in an act of vandalism reported on 17 February 2026, marking the latest in a series of attacks against the historic church. According to local reporting, the church has been subjected to several incidents of damage over recent months.
Court Orders Removal of Hilltop Cross in Robion
February 16, 2026, FranceIn February 2026, the Administrative Court of Nîmes ordered the mayor of Robion to remove a wooden cross located on a hill overlooking the village, ruling that it had been installed after the 1905 law on the separation of Church and State.
Police Investigate Suspected Arson at Loiret Church
February 15, 2026, FranceA fire on the altar of Chécy’s parish church in Loiret, France, prompted a police inquiry into suspected arson.
Man Vandalised Catholic Church in Steinenbronn
February 15, 2026, GermanyPolice entered a locked Catholic church in Steinbronn and found a 32-year-old man playing the organ after allegedly leaving a trail of destruction behind him. The damage to the church is estimated at €10,000.
Traditional Catholic activist murdered during clashes in Lyon
February 14, 2026, FranceQuentin Deranque, a young Catholic activist and recent convert to the Catholic faith, died this weekend after sustaining serious head injuries during an attack by radical left activists in Lyon. He had been providing security at a right-wing political protest opposing an appearance by MEP Rima Hassan at Sciences Po University.
Attempted Arson at Historic Church Felizzano
February 14, 2026, ItalyUnknown individuals attempted to set fire to the main door of Felizzano’s 16th‑century Church of San Rocco, prompting a police investigation.
Arson at Historic Former Scottish Church
February 14, 2026, United KingdomA deliberately set fire tore through the former St John’s Church in Camelon, leading to road closures and an overnight firefighting operation.
Amtzell Cemetery Vandalised
February 14, 2026, GermanyUnknown individuals ignited a campfire using wooden grave crosses inside the open prayer hall at the Amtzell Cemetery, later leaving an "apology" written in ash on the wall.
Repeated Vandalism at Hastings Church
February 13, 2026, United KingdomPolice investigated repeated deliberate damage to lighting bollards in the grounds of St John the Evangelist Church in Hollington.
Convent in Navarre Suffers Repeated Disturbances
February 13, 2026, SpainUnknown individuals again caused night‑time damage at the Immaculate Conception convent in Navarre by kicking the entrance door and forcefully striking its windows with a construction cone.
Threatening Graffiti Written on St Joseph’s Catholic Church
February 11, 2026, Bosnia and HerzegovinaA vandal wrote a death threat against Croats on the exterior wall of St Joseph’s Church in Teslić, prompting condemnation from civic and Church authorities. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Croat identity is closely linked to Catholic affiliation, the message carried both ethnic and religious implications.