All cases

Primary School Teacher Suspended after Reading Bible Verses to Pupils

March 3, 2017, France

After a group of parents sent a letter of complaint, the school's headmaster suspended the Malicornay teacher. The teacher will remain under suspension pending an investigation into whether he was proselytizing in violation of secularism laws or simply studying the texts with the students. The city's mayor has denounced the suspension as extreme.

Spanish Councilman Officiated Wedding Dressed as a Priest

March 3, 2017, Spain

Councilman Javier Botella of Levatemos El Puerto officiated at a wedding of his childhood friends in a priest costume. He was wearing an F.C. Barcelona scarf as a stole and a black cassock with golden edges. He posted a picture of himself and the newly married couple on Facebook and was immediately criticized for ridiculing the Church and the sacrament of marriage in his public capacity.

Two Street Preachers Convicted of Public Order Offenses

February 28, 2017, United Kingdom

Michael Overd and Michael Stockwell were convicted on February 28, 2017 after a public prosecutor claimed that quoting parts of the King James Bible in the context of modern British society "must be considered to be abusive and is a criminal matter". After a four-day trial, the men were found guilty under Section 31 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, for using "threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress, thereby, and the offence was religiously aggravated."

Government Announces Compulsory Sex Education

February 28, 2017, United Kingdom

The government announced that sex and relationships education will become compulsory in all of England's schools. Relationships education will be compulsory for all pupils from the age of four years, but parents will have the right to withdraw their children from sexual education program. Critics view the law as weakening the influence of parents' right to educate their children about sex and relationships.

Oxford Lecturer Refused to take Christian Convert's Questions about Islam

February 27, 2017, United Kingdom

A trainee Church of England priest at Oxford University, an Iranian-born convert from Islam, claimed he wasn’t allowed to ask critical questions about Islam during a seminar and has accused the university of discrimination and bias and made a formal complaint.

Polish Prosecutors Investigate Play for Offending Religious Sentiments

February 22, 2017, Poland

The Polish prosecutor's office began an investigation of a theater play that contains a scene of an actress simulating oral sex on the statue of Pope John Paul II, and other sex scenes involving crosses. Another scene hints at murdering a top PiS (Law and Justice) party leader.

General Pharmaceutical Council Launches Guidance on "Religion, Personal Values and Beliefs in Pharmacy Practice"

February 22, 2017, United Kingdom

In May 2017, the British Pharmaceutical Council published new professional standards, stating that pharmacists would have to “take responsibility for ensuring that person-centred care is not compromised because of personal values and beliefs.” The previous conscience "opt-out" provisions were removed. Previously, a pharmacist who did not wish to issue an abortifacient drug could refer the patient to another colleague. In June 2017, the Council developed new guidance called “In practice: Guidance on religion, personal values and beliefs.” This guidance made clear that in some circumstances, pharmacists were expected to dispense a drug against his or her conscience.

Elderly Priest Brutally Attacked in Parish Home

February 22, 2017, Spain

Fr. Arturo López, 77, was brutally beaten by three masked men during an assault on February 22, 2017 at the rectory of Saint Peter and Saint Paul Church in Coslada, a city in Spain's Community of Madrid. The three unidentified men assaulted and tied up Fr. Lopez after they entered his rectory to steal valuables and money.

French Civil Protection Federation Removes Cross from New Logo

February 22, 2017, France

When asked about why the new logo did not contain the cross, the federation's communication director said the removal of the cross in the center of the original logo was a "non-subject" and there was no particular reason for its removal, and that it never had a religious character to begin with.

National Secular Society Proposes Removal of Bishops' Bench from House of Lords

February 21, 2017, United Kingdom

The group made the recommendation to a parliamentary inquiry to examine how to reduce the size of the Upper House. The House of Lords currently has more than 850 members, and the Bishops' Bench contains two archbishops and 24 bishops who can vote on legislation.

Granada Bishop Accused of Hate Speech

February 20, 2017, Spain

The Spanish Observatory against LGBTfobia filed a hate speech complaint on February 20, 2017 against Archbishop Francisco Javier Martínez for a homily delivered on February 12, 2017 in which he criticized gender ideology in the education of children. The complaint accused the bishop of promoting "hate speech against LGBT persons."

Parliamentary Group Called for a Ban on Broadcasts of Mass on Public Television

February 20, 2017, Spain

A parliamentary group in the Congress of Deputies presented a proposal calling for broadcasts of Mass on public television be prohibited, which they ask to be considered/debated by a commission that oversees RTVE, Spain’s public television station, and its affiliates.

Cemetery Ransacked in Saint-Pol-sur-Mer Cemetery

February 19, 2017, France

According to reports, some time during the night of February 18-19, 2017, unknown perpetrators damaged and scattered around 30 gravestones in a cemetery in the prefect of Dunkirk. Many of the damaged plaques appear to be from Christian graves. Police are investigating.

Religious Statue Prohibited from Front of Church as "Too Religious"

February 16, 2017, France

After complaints by the group Libre Pensées (Free Thought), a statue of Notre Dame de Granitiers commissioned by the Diabète Coeur association, is prohibited from being displayed in the forecourt of the church of Brusvily because it is considered a public place. The Church and State Separation Act of 1905 prohibits the display of religious objects in public places. 72% of readers of a local newspaper objected to this decision.

France Passed Law Banning Pro-Life Websites

February 16, 2017, France

The National Assembly passed a law which bans pro-life websites which attempt to discourage women from having abortions if the sites do not openly state “who they are, what they do and what they want.”

Work Begins to Remove Monumental Cross in Sant Carles de la Ràpita

February 16, 2017, Spain

After the town council decreed that the cross outside the "Torre de Guardiola" fortress was erected in commemoration of General Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War, it was ordered removed in compliance with the Historical Memory Law of 2007. Critics of this move note that the plaque linking the cross to Franco had already been removed.

Statue Stolen from Christian Grave

February 14, 2017, France

The statue known as "La Pleureuse" (the Mourner) was stolen from the cemetery of Saint-Germain-Lembron. Police are investigating.

Humanists Demand Religious Radio Program include Non-Religious Perspectives

February 14, 2017, United Kingdom

The British Humanist Association sent a letter to the BBC demanding that its publicly-funded "Thought for the Day" Radio 4 program, which includes reflections from Christians and other faiths, also include non-religious speakers.

Graffiti against Catholic Parish Church in Murcia

February 13, 2017, Spain

The external walls of the parish of San Francisco Javier in Murcia were painted with threatening messages such as "Arderás como en 36" (You will burn like in 36; clear reference to the burning of churches during the Spanish Civil War) and also "Highway to hell".

Gendarmerie du Haut-Rhin Investigated Degradation in Church and Cemetery

February 12, 2017, France

During the night of February 11th and 12th, unknown perpetrators broke a door and vandalized the church of Saint Etienne de Réguisheim and vandalized the nearby cemetery, as well.