All cases
Statue beheaded and replaced with Nazi photos
October 12, 2024, PolandOn 27 September, in Witaszyce, an unknown person cut off the head of the statue of Mary in a forest shrine. On October 12, five photos of the faces of Nazi soldiers were placed inside the shrine.
Church attacked after postings inciting violence against Christians
October 3, 2024, AustriaOn the morning of 3 October, a group of masked individuals used climbing equipment to scale the balustrade of St Charles Church in Vienna and remove a banner promoting the March for Life. Left-wing extremist groups are suspected of having damaged the property of the Karlskirche over a long period of time and of having verbally abused and threatened the elderly priest.
Fire and damage to a Unesco-listed medieval church
October 3, 2024, FranceThe Church of Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand in Poitiers (Vienne), the medieval monument listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, was targeted by arsonists on October 3, causing considerable material damage and damaged works of art.
Church in Metz burglarised and desecrated
October 2, 2024, FranceThe church of Sainte-Famille in Metz was broken into and desecrated during the night of 2 October. Unknown perpetrators broke in through large windows, damaged and stole different objects and desecrated the tabernacle.
Vandalism in Rheydt's St Mary's Church
September 27, 2024, GermanyOn September 27, unknown perpetrators knocked over the baptismal font of holy water, the ornate bronze dome and the font bowl in St Mary's Church in Mönchengladbach. Wax from the candles was scattered all over the church and flowers were thrown into the rubbish bins.
Head of statue of Mary torn off
September 27, 2024, PolandAn unknown perpetrator desecrated Cyranowska shrine at Karol Olszewski Square in Mielec, as reported on September 27. According to a witness to the incident, the glass of the chapel's cavity was broken, a statue of Mary was pulled out and its head was torn off.
Church in Neunkirchen devestated
September 26, 2024, GermanyAs reported on September 26, the protestant church in Neunkirchen has been devastated. Vandals tore up hymn books and destroyed the altar Bible and other property. This is the second incident at the Protestant Johanneskirche in Neunkirchen.
Church Facade vandalised
September 24, 2024, ItalyThe church of Santa Lucia was vandalised. The first 3 letters of Santa Lucia have been torn off. "We discovered the serious sacrilegious act this morning", said the president of the Guild of Masons of Santa Lucia, Franco Spiga, "after untying part of the writing, they threw it to the ground and tore it to pieces".
St. Luc Church in Brest Desecrated: Tabernacle set on Fire
September 21, 2024, FranceOn Saturday 21 September 2024, a serious act of vandalism took place in the chapel of Saint-Luc church in Brest. The tabernacle on the altar was smashed and then set on fire. As a result, the church will remain closed to the public until 2 October.
Repeated vandalism at Chester church
September 20, 2024, United KingdomRepeated incidents of vandalism at the 700-year-old St Peter's Church in Chester have caused the historic stained glass windows to shatter and necessitated extensive repairs subsequently. Now the St Peter’s Church has submitted an application to Cheshire West and Chester Council to fit stainless steel protective guards to six windows.
Suspected Arson at Coptic Orthodox Church in Bristol
September 20, 2024, United KingdomA man has been arrested in connection with a fire in a church courtyard. The blaze broke out at St Marina Coptic Orthodox Church, Bristol in early morning on September 20.
Valuable religious artefacts stolen from church
September 19, 2024, NorwayUnknown perpetrators broke into the church in Vallset and stole valuable religious artefacts.
Church facade and cemetery wall vandalised with paintball
September 18, 2024, AustriaA recently renovated church in the community of Wernberg, Austria, was vandalised with paintball bullets. The facade, cemetery wall and forecourt of the church were smeared with a brownish substance. The parish has published pictures showing numerous brown dots.
Church in Wijchen targeted with theft, arson and vandalism
September 15, 2024, NetherlandsOn 15 September, two statues of Mary were badly damaged and personal belongings and devotional objects were set on fire in the St Anthony Abbot Church in Wijchen, Gelderland, both in the Marian Chapel and in the nearby Lourdes Grotto.
Fire at Parish of Migliarina
September 14, 2024, ItalyOn 14 September, the oratory of Migliarina church in Viareggio caught fire. The police suspect arson. The interior of the building was completely destroyed. According to the parish priest, young boys were in the oratory when the fire broke out and had to be evacuated by the fire brigade.
Church vandalised with nationalistic graffiti
September 14, 2024, PolandThe facade of the sanctuary of Our Lady of Entrustment in Tarnowiec was painted with blue spray with vulgar inscriptions and symbols associated with nationalistic ideologies.
Altar of Bissendorf church smeared with pentagrams
September 14, 2024, GermanyOn the night of 14 September, unknown persons smeared inscriptions in the form of pentagrams on the altar, pulpit and doors of St Michael's Church in Bissendorf. They also stole a plate with a chalice and a small figure of an angel.
Objects in church damaged with fire
September 13, 2024, GermanyOn 13 September, unknown perpetrators set fire to and damaged several objects in the church of St John the Baptist. They also tried to open the collection box.
Church in Mill vandalised with fire
September 13, 2024, NetherlandsOn 13 September, unknown persons entered the Willibrordus church in Mill, the Netherlands, and set fire to the candle stand by putting paper on the candles, causing a thick layer of candle wax on the floor and leaving the church covered in soot particles.
San Fernando Cemetery Vandalised
September 10, 2024, SpainOn 10 September, the San Fernando cemetery in Seville was the scene of vandalism. More than 60 graves were damaged during the night, with crosses and gravestones overturned and even some coffins damaged. Nothing was stolen.
Vandals destroy church altar
September 9, 2024, GermanyOn September 9, the altar of St Mary in the Catholic parish of St. Peter and Paul in Grevenbroich, Germany, was overturned and smashed to pieces. The front part of the church remains closed due to the severe damage caused by the vandalism.
Burglars wreak havoc in church in Skara
September 8, 2024, SwedenOver the weekend of 7-8 September, unknown assailants broke into the Skånings-Åsaka church in Skara. They smashed the doors, windows and safe. The church's pastor says: "It's a real mess". The whole sacristy was turned upside down.
Man insults faithful during mass
September 8, 2024, PolandOn Sunday September 8, a 40-year-old man entered the church in Tarnobrzeg during mass on a bicycle. According to witnesses, he rode several laps in front of the altar while shouting vulgarities in English and making offensive gestures.
Muslim Politician uses Christian images for shooting exercise
September 7, 2024, SwitzerlandThe Zurich municipal councillor and Bosnian Muslim, Sanija Ameti, published photos of herself using a reproduction of a an image of Mary and Jesus as target practice at a shooting exercise on Instagram on September 7. The pierced heads of Mary and the baby Jesus could be seen on the picture.
Statue of Mary vandalised
September 7, 2024, PolandOn September 7, the Statue of Mary at the parish cemetery of St. Bartholomew in Goraj was doused with oil. The attack caused sadness among local parishioners.
Arson Attempt: Marian chapel in Gennep targeted for the third time
September 7, 2024, NetherlandsOn September 7, the Mariakapel at the Touwslagersgroes in Gennep, North Limburg, was the target of vandals for the third time in a short period of time.
Bomb threat against Kosice Cathedral
September 6, 2024, SlovakiaA bomb threat was sent by email to the Cathedral of St. Elisabeth in Kosice, Slovakia. It was claimed that explosives were hidden in the premises. Consequently, the church had to be evacuated and was searched by security forces.
Man throws knife at woman and vandalises Sacré-Cœur church in Nice
September 6, 2024, FranceThe police arrested a man for defacing the Sacré-Cœur church in Nice on September 6. He smashed several statues and threw a knife at a woman.
Parish house ransacked and sacred objects stolen
September 3, 2024, GermanyOn the night of September 3, unknown perpetrators broke into the parish house of Corneliastrasse in Unkel through a window and ransacked the premises. They also stole sacred objects from the church.
Church in Merat targeted with fire and theft
September 3, 2024, ItalyOn September 3, an attempted theft was noticed at the church of San Giorgio di Pagnano. This is the third time that the church has been targeted within a few months: At the end of May, a wooden candle box was set on fire inside the church. The priest was able to extinguish the fire before it could spread much further. A few weeks later, parcels for the members of the Bezece event disappeared.
Shrine in Otwock vandalised
September 3, 2024, PolandOn September 3, unknown vandals destroyed the shrine of "Our Lady of the Immaculate". The shrine was renovated 3 years ago by local people.
Arson Attack on the Immaculate Conception Church in Saint-Omer
September 1, 2024, FranceOn the night of 1 September, a 39-year-old man set fire to the sacristy of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Saint-Omer. The flames then spread to the naves and then to the whole church. The bell tower and the roof were completely destroyed.
Arson Attack on Church of England in Greenisland
September 1, 2024, United KingdomA large fire broke out on Sunday, 1 September at the Parish Church of the Holy Name in Greenisland, Northern Ireland. Police are treating the fire as arson. To local parish community is shocked by the incident.
Fire set to church in Mazara
September 1, 2024, ItalyIn the night between September 1 and 2, unknown persons set the fire to the side door of the "Church of the Miracle" which is located in Via Casa Santa, in Mazara. The attack is a worrying sign of the continuation of criminal acts in the town.
Muslim woman enters church and threatens pastor: 'I am here to kill the God of the Jews'
September 1, 2024, United KingdomOn September 1, a Muslim woman entered the evangelical Angel Church in Islington, London, screaming 'Allahu Akbar' and that she was 'here to kill the God of the Jews’. She became more aggressive after she was asked to leave the building.
Severe damage caused in church theft
August 30, 2024, ItalyOn Friday 30 August, unknown persons broke into the sacristy by smashing the glass of one of the two entrance doors to the church in Mercatale di Vernio, Italy. Four chalices and three pyxes worth over 3000 euros were stolen.
Two church arson attacks in St Johnston
August 28, 2024, IrelandA 27-year-old man has been charged with a series of alleged arson attacks in St Johnston on 28 August. He is accused of attempting to set fire to three religious buildings, namely the Irish Catholic St Baithins Church, the Protestant Orange Hall and a local Masonic Hall.
Church smeared with hateful graffiti
August 27, 2024, NorwayHeggen Church in Buskerud was vandalised. The church is located in Vikersund, where there has been a very tense atmosphere in the last two weeks after a serious incident of violence in the village.
Arsonists Set Pilgrimage Church Altar on Fire
August 25, 2024, GermanyIn the night of August 24 to 25, unknown perpetrators tried to set fire to a pilgrim church in Dorschhausen, Bad Wörishofen. They also tried to set fire to the tablecloth on the altar, causing severe damage of several thousand euros.
Ukraine bans Ukrainian Orthodox Church
August 24, 2024, UkraineUkrainian lawmakers have approved a bill banning the Russian Orthodox Church. The text targets the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of the Moscow Patriarchate and has raised concerns about the safeguarding of religious freedom in Ukraine. The law requires the UOC to cut all ties with the Russian Orthodox Church or face a process that would lead to its dissolution.
Several church windows smashed
August 24, 2024, GermanySeveral church windows at Friedrich-Ebert-Staße were smashed with stones by unknown persons. Police are investigating.
Desecration of Greek Orthodox Cemetery
August 24, 2024, TurkeyOn August 24, staff at the Agios Eleftherios cemetery in Istanbul found that the barbed wire fence around the cemetery had been cut, gravestones desecrated, holes dug and the cemetery's guard dogs sedated.
IS claims Knife-Stabbing in Solingen was an Attack Against Christians
August 23, 2024, GermanyOn 23 August 2024, a 26-year-old Syrian man attacked several people at a city festival in Solingen. IS claimed authorship of the attack and announced via Amaq (IS news agency) that it was "directed against Christians." The attack left three people dead and eight wounded.
Vandals Destroy Easter Candle and Smear Altar
August 23, 2024, GermanyBetween 20 and 28 August 2024, unknown persons entered the Höchheim church and damaged the Easter candle. They also scribbled on the white altar ceiling with a burnt-out candle cloth. The damage is estimated at around 200 euros.
Serina cemetery: Church and chapels vandalised
August 22, 2024, ItalyDuring the night of 21-22 August, unknown perpetrators ransacked the church of the Sirena cemetery and vandalised up to 5 private chapels on the cemetery of Serina, Bergamo. Pews, religious objects, flower pots, candles and glass were strewn about and partly destroyed.
Churches in Switzerland facing a series of break-ins
August 22, 2024, SwitzerlandIn August 2024, thieves broke into several churches in Frick and stole valuable church ornaments: silver-plated candlesticks. In Wegenstetten, a crucifix was stolen. In Zeiningen, various gold-plated jewels were stolen. The losses were estimated at several tens of thousands of francs.
Vandalism Leaves Church in Bra Devastated
August 20, 2024, ItalySerious damage inside the Church of the Assumption in Bra on August 20 has caused deep concern. Unknown persons broke into the building and destroyed the furnishings and furniture. The altarpiece depicting the Assumption of the Mary was damaged with numerous holes, the face of the statue of Mary was smeared with black paint, crucifixes were broken and damaged, the curtain of the canopy over the altar was torn, and the marble and tiles were removed from the floor under the miniature of the Lourdes grotto.
Church Desecrated and Robbed
August 20, 2024, SpainAs reported on August 22, unknown perpetrators desecrated the church of Samartín de Güerces and stole objects of great religious and historical value: a chalice, a monstrance; lanterns, crosses and even lamps.
Theft of religious objects and cemetery vandalism
August 20, 2024, ItalyIn August, someone stole money, keys and the personal belongings, including devotional objects, of a canon from the archpriest at the church of Saints Simon and Jude in Cartigliano. Earlier that month, someone destroyed flowers and vases on several graves in the town's cemetery.
Payout for Christian woman who was fined for silent prayer, but government planing new restrictions
August 19, 2024, United KingdomA Christian charity volunteer has received a £13,000 payout and an apology from police after claiming her arrest for silently praying outside an abortion clinic was unjust and violated her human rights. While many see this as a victory for religious freedom, the new UK government is planning to introduce national legislation banning prayer outside abortion clinics.