All cases

"Jihad" and "Dead" Graffiti Sprayed on Church

September 3, 2018, Sweden

In the morning of September 3rd church staff discovered that the Alhem Church in Skellefteå had been sprayed with black graffiti, including "Jihad" and "Dead" with a Nazarene symbol for Christians. The police stated in a statement that they took this form of hateful attacks against churches very seriously, and that they do not equate them with regular hip-hop graffiti and so-called "tags."

Graffiti on Valencia Church

September 1, 2018, Spain

The facade and windows of the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in la Plaza de Benimaclet were smeared with paint and graffiti and on the sidewalk in front of the church, the anarchist slogan "NI DIOS; NI PATRIA; NI AMOS" was written in paint. Local politicians expressed their regret, saying it was "dirty" and "damaged one of our most emblematic monuments." They also added that they are tired of "uncivil and intolerant people." A councilman in the city of Valencia, Alberto Mendoza, publicly denounced this act of vandalism and called for more security cameras to be put in place.

Repeated Vandalism in Ansbach Churches

August 31, 2018, Germany

On the 31st of August, police reported that between August 17th and 30th, 2018 there were several incidents of vandalism in the Kirche St. Ludwig. Confessionals and offering boxes were damaged in the amount of 700 Euros. A church in Eyb was also vandalized between the 20th and the 30th of August. A window was smashed and several meters of copper sheets (window panels, gutters), valued at about 2000 euros, were stolen. The material damage was about 300 euros. The police began an investigation.

Precious objects stolen from the sactristy of Simorre

August 31, 2018, France

During the night from Thursday to Friday, 31st of August 2018, people broke into the Church of Our Lady of Simorre. The intruders cut the gate leading to the magnificent collection of objects kept in the sacristy using a portable deburring machine. In addition to that they burst the glass behind which rare valuable pieces, some of them dating back to the 16th century, were presented. The burglars were able to steal four 19th century objects before alarms went off and the thieves fled. The incident was reported to the police by the person in charge of opening the church the follwing morning. An inventory of the objects was undertaken and the premises was secured better than before.

Spanish TV Cuts Holy Mass Broadcasts

August 30, 2018, Spain

According to reports, RTVE, the Spanish national public radio and television service, will stop airing a weekly Sunday Mass, ending a tradition of almost 40 years. Although it is the most-watched program on the channel, the decision was explained by the government, which presented the proposal in March 2017, as necessary to become a "neutral" public television station that does not favor any belief or religion.

Man Arrested for Fires at Methodist Church and Sikh Temple

August 29, 2018, United Kingdom

A 49-year-old man was charged on suspicion of arson in connection with two fires that were set in Edinburgh in the early hours of the 28th of August 2018. One fire was set with a petrol bomb at 5am at the Sikh temple Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Sheriff Brae, which is situated in the building of a former church, and the other was set at 7am at the Methodist Church in Junction Place. No one was injured, but the temple suffered smoke damage. The man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, 30th of August 2018.

Church Saint Giuseppe Timpuni defaced by spray cans

August 29, 2018, Italy

The rupestrian church of Saint Giuseppe Timpuni in Modica was defaced in the night by unknown people using spraycans. They thereby caused damage to an ancient building that can hardly be repaired.

Stones Thrown at Lutheran Church

August 29, 2018, Germany

Witnesses called the police at about 9pm on August 29, 2018 to report six teenagers throwing stones against the facade and windows of the building of the St. Simeon Lutheran church in Kreuzberg, Berlin. The group fled the scene crying "Allahu akbar!" According to the police the building was damaged. It is not the first time this church has been subjected to such acts. Furthermore, a window was broken the following Sunday. The chuch is a so-called "Refugee Church" as it has opened its doors to refugees and runs multiple projects to assist them. The police opened an investigation, assigning the department dedicated to politically motivated crimes.

Man Sentenced to Prison for Terrorist Threats against Reims Cathedral

August 28, 2018, France

On the night of the 21st of July 2018 after the light show "Rêve de Couleurs," on the facade of the cathedral, a drunk individual shouted "Allahu Akbar! Long live Daech! I will butcher you!" at all the people he met in front of the cathedral. He further threatened: "I'm going to attack! I'm going to blow up the cathedral!" A passerby who tried to interfere was slapped. The perpetrator has been identified as 19-year-old Tony Brébant from Reims who recently converted to Islam. He was sentenced to fourteen months in prison on the 28th of August 2018.

Image of Madonna Defaced

August 26, 2018, Italy

There was an act of vandalism in the small church of Madonna Addolorata di Lopi in the municipality of Castiglione del Lago on August 28th, 2018. The face of the Madonna in a seventeenth-century painting was smeared with black paint. In addition to that, the same paint was used to spray the small squares of the Via Crucis and blasphemous words were written on the walls of the church. The damage done to the painting of the Madonna cannot be repaired. The police were informed about the incident.

Offensive Graffiti on Information Panel of Church

August 26, 2018, Italy

Vandals wrote offensive slurs on the information panel on the facade of the church of Grottaglie.

Belgian Minister of Culture calls for Ban on Religious Broadcasting after Bible Reading

August 26, 2018, Belgium

Verses from Paul's letter to the Ephesians were broadcast on radio and Flemish TV station VRT from a Catholic Mass in the town of Grimbergen. A lay reader quoted Ephesians 5 22-33: "Women, be submissive to your husband as the husband to the Lord. For the man is the head of the woman as Christ is the head of the church." This sparked a row over whether religious broadcasting should be stopped and caused the Belgian Minister of Culture, Sven Gatz to tweet "No outdated, woman-unfriendly statements ... please. What if, for example, an imam would have said this?" He told the newspaper Het Nieuwsbald " The fact that they come from an old book is not an argument for letting them go to our people. This is not of this time, and that it is broadcast on the VRT for the whole of Flanders is already completely crazy."

Mayor Offers Reward to Catch Church Vandals

August 25, 2018, Italy

After tourists used black and red spray paint to deface the white wall of the 14th century church Madonna del Soccorso on the island of Ischia, the town's mayor offered a reward to 500 euros for anyone who provides useful information to find those responsible for the vandalism. This incident caused sadness and indignation among the people who live in the village.

Police Investigate Vandalism of Brussels Church

August 25, 2018, Belgium

The walls of Saint-Antoine de Padoue Church in the district of Forest in Brussels was sprayed with obscene graffiti during the summer holidays between mid-July and mid-August 2018. The house opposite was also vandalized. As of late August, the graffiti remained on the buildings, as the municipality was required to wait for authorization from the police before it could proceed with clean-up.

Córdoba Parish Vandalized with Anarchist Graffiti

August 25, 2018, Spain

The phrase "De tumba en tumba y tiro por que toca. Fachas" was discovered written exterior wall of the Iglesia de la Trinidad, along with an anarchist 'A' symbol.

Statue of Virgin Mary Destroyed at the Grotto of Maupas

August 24, 2018, France

The acts of vandalism were discovered by a visitor who regularly comes to the grotto of Maupas (a replica of the grotto of Lourdes) to light candles. The face of the statue of the Virgin Mary was completely destroyed. The news spread quickly in the village and left many people dismayed and upset. The president of the association Saint-Ours, one of the organizations that manage the cave, has filed a complaint with the police.

Statue wearing Cross Vandalized

August 24, 2018, France

A small statue of a woman wearing a cross around her neck carved into a stone wall dating back to the 13th century was defaced. Workers building a bridge discovered the damage, the same day the mayor had ordered protection for the site. The face was completely disfigured and the bust and the cross necklace were marred. The municipality filed a complaint for property damage.

Fire Set in Mühlheim Church

August 23, 2018, Germany

On the 23rd of August, 2018, the chaplain of the church in Mühlheim discovered that unknown perpetrators had moved an umbrella stand into the vestibule of the church and set a fire in it. However, the fire was immediately extinguished and the only damage was to a carpet in the amount of 150 euros. The police opened an investigation.

Robbery at Church of Mondéjar

August 20, 2018, Spain

In the early hours of the 20th of August there was a robbery at the church Santa María Magdalena of Mondéjar. The parish priest discovered the theft when he went to the church the next morning to prepare for Mass. The thieves had entered the church through a side door after breaking the lock. They broke three other door locks until they were able to enter the sacristy. They left the sacristy looted and stole more than 400 euros as well as three large sacred artworks of bronze. The artifacts date back to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. The civil guard was notified and investigated.

Statue of Virgin Mary and Child Decapitated in Noirmoutier

August 19, 2018, France

During the night of the 18th to 19th of August, the 3.5 meter public statue of the Virgin Mary and Child was decapitated. Residents were shocked and searched the nearby forest for the missing heads but found nothing. Parishioners were dismayed, as the statue has stood in the community since 1949. The priest, who called the incident violent and shocking, filed a complaint with the police.