All cases
Church Covered in Graffiti in Brescia
November 4, 2013, ItalyDuring a night raid the walls of the Church of Santa Maria Calchera in Brescia were covered with inscriptions in red paint. The whole length of the façade was covered.
Vandalism and Desecration at Church of Carmine in Ascoli
October 28, 2013, ItalyVandals entered the Church of the Carmine in Ascoli using scaffolding positioned for restructuring. They removed some crucifixes, holy objects and candles. The walls and furniture were also covered in paint and at the end they tried to celebrate a black mass.
Graffiti on Church of Casorate Sempione
October 26, 2013, ItalyThe outside walls of the church and churchyard were spray painted with white paint and with a number of sentences. One of these read: "most priests dead" (“più preti morti”). About a month before this happened, a symbol of "A" for anarchy was painted on the walls of the Caritas centre, and there have been acts of vandalism in the same church in the past.
Christian Parents Convicted for Home-schooling, Appeal Rejected
October 24, 2013, GermanyOn May 22nd the district court sentenced the parents of nine to pay a fine of 700 Euro each for their violation of the compulsory school attendance for all children in Germany. The public prosecution department demanded six months in prison for the married couple due to their repeated offense. An appeal was rejected in October.
Andalusia Discriminates against Teachers of Religion
October 22, 2013, SpainIn Andalusia, the Board of Education prohibits teachers of religion to watch students at recess. This is expressly due to the subject matter that they teach and not for economic reasons. The Centre for Religious Liberty and Conscience (OLRC), has asked the Ministry of Education to apologize for this discrimination and to allow teachers of religion to “practice their profession on equal footing with other teachers.”
Posters in Tarragona Mock Christians in Reaction to the Beatification of 522 Twentieth Century Christian Martyrs
October 17, 2013, SpainPosters on the streets of Tarragona depicted a lion chasing a priest with the inscription, “An ancient tradition. Blessed be the lions.” This in response to the beatification (the bestowing of the title of “Blessed” by the Catholic Church) of 522 Christian martyrs who were killed in the Twentieth century.
Profanities Shouted at a Parish Commemoration Presided Over by the Archbishop
October 16, 2013, SpainDuring a commemoration by the Archbishop of the fiftieth anniversary of a parish in Madrid, 20 people gathered outside and shouted profanities. Two people were arrested after they got past the police barrier. They were released the next day.
Vandalism in Church in Galazzano, San Marino
October 15, 2013, San MarinoVandals broke a crucifix in a church in Galazzano in San Marino. The church had never experienced vandalism before.
Statue of Our Lady Destroyed in Bordeaux
October 13, 2013, FranceIn the night to October 13, a statue of our lady was destroyed in Bordeaux. The statue had been attached about three meters high on a corner of an apartment building at Rue Neuve. The head of the statue could not be found which indicates a hate motivated act.
St. Eulalia, Patroness of Madrid, Secularized
October 10, 2013, SpainAn initiative driven by Ignasi Ventura Diaz hopes to reinstate the cross symbol on images of St. Eulalia, patroness of Madrid. Currently, public images of the saint contain a young girl on an eagle instead of the traditional cross upon which the saint was crucified at the age of thirteen. Groups such as e-Christians wish for the City Council to acknowledge the Christian roots of St. Eulalia, currently called “La Laia”, a nickname which also hides the Christian roots of the city’s patroness.