All cases
500-year-old altar damaged
April 7, 2025, GermanyOn 7 April, a vandal broke into the historic Abbey Church in Öhringen and seriously damaged the church's 500-year-old wooden high altar. The unknown offender broke off and destroyed the sword from a figure of the Apostle Paul and stole a valuable altar cloth.
Fire in church: Police suspect arson
April 6, 2025, GermanyUnknown persons have apparently attempted to set fire to the grounds of a church on Harffer Strasse in Neuss-Erfttal. According to initial findings, a wooden flowerpot was set alight inside the church building.
Christian woman convicted for holding sign "here to talk if you want"
April 4, 2025, United KingdomA 63-year-old Christian woman, Livia Tossici-Bolt, has been convicted for breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) by holding a sign that read "here to talk, if you want" near an abortion clinic in Bournemouth. This case raises significant concerns about the impact of such orders on religious freedom and the right to free expression.
Thousands in Damages Every Month
April 4, 2025, GermanyChurches in Cologne's city centre, including the iconic Cologne Cathedral, are regularly targeted by vandals, causing thousands of euros in damage each month. Dr Dominik Meiering, the leading priest for Cologne's inner city, expressed concern about the repeated desecration, theft and graffiti, describing it as a serious burden on the Church and a threat to its public mission.
Vandals destroy shrine and cut off arms of Jesus statue
April 3, 2025, PolandUnknown perpetrators desecrated a religious site on the roadside between the villages of Podlesie and Sławno, destroying a statue of the Mary, tearing the body of a Jesus figure from the cross and breaking off its arms and damaging a painting of the Passion. The incident caused outrage among the locals.
Church crosses destroyed in Paternò
April 2, 2025, ItalyOn 2 April 2025, vandals destroyed two large crosses outside the Chiesa Madre in Paternò, Sicily. The attack follows other recent incidents in the same town, including an attempted theft of a sacred painting and verbal abuse during a Christian procession, raising serious concerns about growing hostility towards the local Christian community.
Repeated urine, faeces and riots in Mainz churches
April 1, 2025, GermanyIn recent weeks, several churches in Mainz have suffered serious acts of vandalism, including the desecration of holy water with urine and the destruction of confessional doors. These incidents have deeply distressed local clergy and parishioners, and have led to discussions about possible church closures to prevent further offences.
Church walls defaced with Swastika
April 1, 2025, GermanyBetween 30 March and 1 April, unknown persons sprayed graffiti on the walls of St Martin's Church in Hermeskeil. The graffiti included a swastika on the outside of the church.
Man smashes church windows and attacks priest
March 31, 2025, GreeceIn Volos, Greece, a man vandalised a local church by smashing its windows before attacking a hieromonk, striking him multiple times. The incident has deeply unsettled the local clergy and parishioners.
Desecration of crosses at the sanctuary
March 30, 2025, SpainOn the night of 29-30 March, vandals destroyed two crosses near the Sanctuary of St Michael in Aralar, in the Spanish Archdiocese of Pamplona and Tudela. This is the second attack on the site in recent months.