All cases
Vandalism at Immaculate Conception Church in Vohwinkel
October 12, 2011, GermanyOn October 12th unknown perpetraters vandalized the parish church of the Immaculate Conception in Vohwinkel. They damaged valuable pieces of art: a sword was pulled off a statue and attached to a crucifix, and a branch of a seven-branched candelabrum was torn off.
Vandalism in Presbytery in Rüthen-Menzel
October 12, 2011, GermanyStrangers set fire to the entrance door of the presbytery by means of petrol in Rüthen on Oct 12th. The fire had already made its way under the door and set the tapestry on fire when it was discovered and extinguished. Police asked the public for help.
Recurring Vandalism at Cemetery in Essen
October 11, 2011, GermanyRecurring instances of vandalism at Essen cemetery amount to 30 000 Euros in damage. The acts of vandalism include the stealing of vases, the removal of letters on graveyards, the ignition of over 50 compost containers in the time period of a few weeks. Several relatives of those whose graves had been attacked were under significant emotional distress.
Two Local Councils in South East England Told to Stop Holding Prayers at the Beginning of Council Meetings
October 11, 2011, United KingdomCrowborough Town Council and Mayfield Parish Council - both in East Sussex - have both been warned that prayers "should not be part of a council meeting". The warning comes from the Sussex Association of Local Councils, which is responsible for local government in the area.
Ongoing Outside Pressure on Ireland to Legalize Abortion
October 11, 2011, InternationalAt a UN meeting, delegates from Britain, Denmark, Spain and other countries called for Ireland to legalize abortion - with Denmark calling for legislation to allow for abortion on demand, constituting pressure seeking to undermine the Christian convictions of the majority of the Irish population.
City Halts Construction of Catholic Church With Legal Hardships
October 6, 2011, RussiaThe archbishop of Moscow, Msgr. Paolo Pezzi has critized the city of Pskow (North-West Russia) to discriminate against the Catholic Church by denying the prolongation of a building permit.
BBC Guidelines Suggest to Replace BC and AD with "Religiously Neutral" Terms
October 5, 2011, United KingdomBBC’s new guidelines of religious impartiality contain the suggestion to use religiously “neutral” terms instead of “BC” and “AD” during discussions of history on air.
Physical Assaults Against Christians in Nîmes
October 2, 2011, FranceA crowd of about one thousand people had gathered at the sanctuary of Our Lady of Santa-Cruz in Nîmes, for the annual procession organized by the ‘Joyeuse Union Don Bosco’ every year since 1982. But when they went back to their personal cars, several of them were surrounded, insulted and stoned by groups of violent youths.
Police Visits Christian Cafe for Display of Bible Passages
September 30, 2011, United KingdomUK, Blackpool: Jamie Murray, Salt & Light Coffee House's owner, has been visited by the Lancashire Police and threatened for the display of Bible versicles on a TV screen inside his property. The police told Murray that the Bible passages use offensive, insulting words, and this constitutes a violation of Section 5 of the Public Order Act. The officers warned Murray that if he didn’t stop, he could be prosecuted for hate speech. The coffee house TV screen connected to a DVD displays images with no soundtrack from "Watchword Bible", which contents verses from the New Testament.
Left Wing Extremists Violently End Pro-Life Rally in Düsseldorf
September 30, 2011, GermanyLeft-wing extremists prevented a pro-life group from showing a short movie about the development of the human embryo on the square in front of Düsseldorf’s main railway station.
Church of Langrune-sur-Mer Vandalised
September 30, 2011, FranceThe Church of Saint Martin in Langrune-sur-Mer (Calvados), a XIIIth century church, was targeted by vandals. Many damages were caused: flowers on the ground, flower pots smashed, prayer books ripped, candles broken into pieces... The police have also found signs that the vandals had the intention to put the church on fire but had not succeeded.
Singer Sinead O'Connor Says She'd Shoot the Pope If He Came to Ireland
September 29, 2011, IrelandThe popular Irish singer, Sinead O'Connor used social media to warn the Pope that if he comes to Ireland, there "would be a bloodbath". The singer posted the threat on her Twitter account after a poll was conducted on whether the Pope should visit Ireland. Previously, in 1992 during a TV show, O'Connor tore a photo of John Paul II into pieces and called him evil.
Graffiti Insults Christians in Vienna's First District
September 29, 2011, AustriaIn Postgasse, a fancy Vienna downtown street, a graffiti was placed on a residential house saying: "Pig Christians destroy the world", signed with a anarchy symbol.
Pro-family Groups Discriminated Against by PayPal Services
September 29, 2011, InternationalHomosexualist websites are boasting of victory in an ongoing campaign to induce PayPal, one of the world’s largest payment processing companies, to eliminate pro-family Christians from its service.
Marketing Campaign for Canal+ Series Smashes Holy Images
September 29, 2011, France„Borgia“ TV series produced by the French TV channel "Canal+" in association with EOS Entertainment and distributed by Beta Film GmbH, used holy symbols for promotional advertisements in a profane way.
Paint Bomb on Welcome Poster for Pope's Visit
September 19, 2011, GermanyIn the night from the 18th to the 19th of September, unknown perpetrators cast a paint bomb on a welcome poster at a Church in Berlin.
Vandalism at Cemetery in Schönau
September 17, 2011, GermanyA 16 year-old admitted being responsible for the desecration of numerous graves in Schönau on the 17th of September. He had knocked over memorial candles and gravestones, and had pulled out a wooden cross and destroyed it.
Pro Life Manifestation Attacked
September 17, 2011, FranceThe Christian pro life group "SOS Tout Petits" was attacked by pro-choice and anti-Christian activists during a manifestation in front of the Paris Hospital Tenon while praying peacefully.
Prayer Banned From Public Spaces
September 16, 2011, FranceFrance banned prayers from the streets beginning September 16th, 2011. The measure mainly aims to target Muslims and their Friday prayers. In support of the new regulation the French Minister, Claude Gueant, affirmed that prayers on the street are unacceptable in a secular country such as France, and police force would be used in case of disobedience. Marine Le Pen, a right-wing French representative, speaking of Muslim prayer meetings, described prayers on the street as a "Nazi occupation". The consequences of a regulation also undermines freedom of religion of Christians, with regard to traditional Catholic processions as well as street evangelisations and outdoor liturgies. It is unclear to the Observatory, whether there will be exceptions granted to such initiatives under the new law.
Major Social Media Sites ‘Actively’ Censor Christian Content
September 15, 2011, InternationalA new study has found that Google and other major social media sites such as Facebook have “actively” censored Christian and conservative viewpoints. The report examined the policies and practices of several major Internet-interactive “new media” communications platforms and service providers, including Apple and its iTunes App Store, Facebook, Google, and others.