Between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., on 16. June, a Catholic Church was broken into by unknown people, who got access to the church through the entrance of the sacristy. They stole several objects, but it has not been clarified yet how many valuables were stolen. Nonetheless, the total damage caused to the property is estimated to be around several thousand euros. The case was reported to the police on the 19th of June, which opened an investigation to find the ones responsible for the burglary.
On June 13, between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. unknown vandals broke into the Catholic Church in Helden, where they vandalized several furnishings and stole the microphone that was on the altar. The property damage is estimated to be in the four-digit euro range. Also, between June 12 and 13, unidentified thieves stole decorations from a grave in the cemetery located behind the church. It is unclear whether these acts were committed by the same perpetrators.
On June 13, a fire was set to a palm tree in the garden of the church of San Leopoldo Mandic, in Padua. The friars reported the case to the police, whose investigations led to the 17-year-old teenager from Ponte San Nicolò, then held responsible for the damage. Fortunately, no significant damage was recorded, apart from that caused to the plant.
During the night, between the 11th and the 12th of June, the church of Sant'Antonio di Padova was the target of an act of vandalism. Unknown people entered the church, by breaking a window, possibly looking to steal money or some valuable items. The vandals did not steal anything, but started drinking inside the church and vandalized it. Consecrated hosts were found scattered on the floor and the tablecloth on the altar had traces of blood. The blood found is suspected to be from one of the thieves who might have been injured while breaking into the church. The case was reported to the police, who started conducting investigations and collected the bloody tablecloth hoping it leads them to the culprits.
Between June 12 and 16, four Protestant Churches were harassed in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, by soldiers and officials. Three of the churches are located in the Donetsk region - Central Baptist Church, the Church of Christ the Saviour in Mariupol, and a church in Manhush - and the other one is a church in Vasilievka in the Zaporizhia region. According to Dr. Hyun Sook Foley, representative of the Voice of the Martyrs Korea, officials conducted searches in these churches, demanded to see documents, confiscated equipment, and even forced church members to exit the building.
A 26-year-old man was arrested for painting inscriptions on the façade of a church in Złotoryja, as well as some other buildings. He used spray paint and his vandalistic act was recorded by surveillance cameras. He could face up to 5 years in prison.
On the 8th of June, an unknown vandal destroyed a statue of the Virgin Mary at the Kluki commune in Poland. The residents were shocked by the hateful act and recalled other religious sights that had been damaged in the area. No official report had been submitted to the police yet.
During a debate on 8. June in the European Parliament, triggered by the massacre of Christians in Nigeria that happened in a Church during a Pentecostal Mass, Commissioner Valdis Dombrovski severely downplayed the attacks by attributing them to "underlying causes beyond faith" such as "scarce resources", and "poor education", "unemployment", among others. These affirmations ignore that the perpetrators belong to the jihadist terrorist organization Boko Haram. Such statements push the narrative away from the issue of the terrible human rights violations of religious freedom in Nigeria, which has already claimed the lives of thousands of Christians in the last years.
At an LGBT+ pride march in Cremona, Italy, participants carried a half-naked mannequin dressed as the "Mother of God". The blasphemous display which took place during the LGBT+ Pride offended many Christians. Bishop of Cremona, Antonio Napolioni commented on the incident: "They do not fulfill any educational role, they do not communicate any values or rights. Their presence is a gesture that serves no one, but it hurts many people."
On the 7th of June, the Church of Saint-Menet in Marseille was broken into and looted by unknown individuals. They forced open a locked drawer of the altar and stole a Bible with a golden cover, a large silver cross, and a tablet of the Ten Commandments. The priest of the church, finding it turned upside down, noticed the theft and alerted the authorities. The scientific police went to the crime scene and opened an investigation to find the culprits.
The evangelical Sacrower Heilandskirche in Potsdam was vandalized with large amounts of graffiti on the 6th of June by unknown people. The damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which the police were investigating, will cost tens of thousands of euros to repair. The slogans written said "No God; No State; No Patriarchy" and portrayed an anarchist symbol.
An unknown arsonist set fire to the billboard of the Catholic church in St. Margrethen sometime between 12:00 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. on the 5th of June. The fire went out on its own but damage of several hundred francs was caused. The St. Gallen police were looking for witnesses who could provide more information about the incident.
Bishop Santiago Gómez Sierra of Huelva spoke in a Mass on Pentecost Sunday and reminded Catholics of the importance of upholding the values of life and family when they vote in the upcoming election. He said that he was not trying to enforce anything but rather encourage "moral principles" that "should be above the different party strategies because they are issues required by reason, natural law, and true humanism.” For this speech, he was accused by left-leaning media and politicians of being homophobic and attacking "rights won by the left."
The Maria Santissima Immacolata church in Fragagnano, was broken into on during the night of June the 3rd by a 38-year-old Moroccan. The man tried to steal money from the offering box as well as sacred objects, but was caught by the carabinieri who then retrieved the stolen goods. In trying to access these items, he caused a large amount of property damage that will cost around 1,000 euros to repair.
On June 2nd, the San Giuseppe Church in Grosseto was vandalized by a person who was caught on camera but has not been identified. A man in his 40s entered the sacristy and upset drawers that contained linen for the altar and objects for worship. He didn't steel anything but smashed a wooden door. This was one of several thefts and vandalism that have happened to churches in this area in recent weeks.
The group "Pro-Life Europe" has launched a petition to be admitted at the University of Regensburg. Since 2020, they have been refused a place in 6 universities in German speaking countries; a serious challenge to freedom of speech. In 2021, the students tried to be accepted as a group at the University of Regensburg to discuss the topic of abortion with scientific approaches. Despite asking three times and complying with the guidelines, they were rejected without reason; while other groups were given full support. Similar opposition was met at other universities including TU Munich, the University of Wuppertal, the University of Augsburg, the Johannes Kepler University , and the University of Vienna which denied them a stand. The organization is not religious, but many belonging students identify as Christians and are representative of religious groups with similar opinions.
For the 7th time, a vehicle of the Catholic help group "HOME Base" Salzburg, was spray-painted, covering the name, logo, and slogan on the van. This time it happened on the 30th of May. The victims later wrote on Facebook "Thank you, dear 'Antifada' confused neighbors." They also called on the City of Salzburg to do something to prevent such attacks.
The Catholic Church of St. Joseph in Schömberg experienced an extensive vandalistic attack on May 29th. Paper towels were strewn all over the floor and one was used to snuff out the eternal light. The altar cloth was left soiled and crumpled, and evidence suggested that the altar was walked on. The unknown intruder had also urinated in the baptismal font. Those who take care of the church were shocked by the incident.
On May 26th, on Ascension Day, a pool of disinfectant was set on fire in the Nonnenweier church, and hymn books were thrown around with their pages torn out. The property damage was around 1000 euros but there were no good clues as to who the perpetrators could be. Pastor Christine Egenlauf, expressed her shock and lamented the incident, also mentioning that someone could have been hurt. The police had started investigating.
A few days before the 23rd of May, the façade of the Santa Catalina church in Tacoronte was splashed with red paint by an unknown person. The primary target of the graffiti was a plaque that has been in place since 1938 and bears the name of the founder José Antonio Primo de Rivera on it. Although he was a political figure which could be the motive for the attack, a church has also suffered the consequences and it will take around 3,000 euros to restore.