In the German public service broadcaster ARD’s talk show “Tough but Fair” (“Hart aber Fair”), on Monday, December 3rd, the question whether homosexual couples should be allowed to adopt children was debated. Women’s and Family Rights activist Birgit Kelle argued that children need a mother and a father. Following her appearance on the show, a journalist of the said ARD commented on his twitter account: “I think she is a witch. Witches get burned.”
One or more unknown persons broke into the Church of St Rambert in Lyon, France, and proceeded to damage the tabernacle, desecrating the Eucharist. Several liturgical objects were stolen and the altar damaged. In response, the parish priest convened an evening of prayer.
On a school trip to the nearby Cathedral of Saint-Jus, students of the local school Therese Leon Blum where warned against making the sign of the cross upon entering the Cathedral. As a punishment, the teacher mentioned three hours of after-hours at school. One of the parents wrote to the council to complaint but did not receive a response.
In Bielefeld the sacred Heart Church was depredated. The tabernacle on the high altar was broken into and consecrated hosts were defiled.
In Munich on 4th December 2012, an Orthodox church was desecrated, icons destroyed and the devotional profaned.
The Apostolic Nunciature of Germany reported that on the 4th of December 2012, unknown perpetrators defiled an Orthodox church in Munich, Germany. Icons were desecrated and devotional objects profaned.
On December 4th, a unknown man locked himself into the little Greek-Orthodox church in Salvatorstraße. The man destroyed the glass window of an icon of Marie and stole the items that were left there by thankful believers. Later he escaped through the sacristy.
Vandals destroyed two ceramic figures representing St. Francis and St. Clare. The figures were displayed in the wall of the church of the Sacred Name of Jesus.
The Holy See reported attacks against places of worship in the following places in Italy 27 June 2012 Teramo 16 August 2012 Foggia 08 September 2012 Gonnosfanadiga in Sardegna 18 October 2012 Oristano 15 November 2012 Luino (in provincia di Varese) 29 November 2012 3 December 2012 S. Chiara (Venezia)
A controversial campaign by the oppositional Social Democrats directed against the Church Property Restitution Bill has turned into a major brawl with Czech Catholics and other churches.