All cases
Theft and Desecration in Church of Serravalle
July 23, 2013, ItalyThieves broke into the church of Serravalle, stole items, and left excrement and urine beside the altar.
Provocative Graffiti on Church of St. Louis en l‘lle
July 21, 2013, FranceUnidentified perpetrators spray painted the words: “Essayez les orgasmes” (Try Orgasms) on the church of St. Louis, France. The second phrase was “Omnia sunt Communia”, but written in a wrong way: “Ominia comminia“. It means "Everything in common" which is generally attributed to Thomas Munzer (1488-1527) a leader of the Peasants' War of 1525 in Germany.
Church and Graves Vandalised in Grandvilliers
June 13, 2013, FranceThe church and 37 tombs in the village of Grandvilliers were vandalised. The vandals stoned the stained-glass windows of the church and knocked over sepulchral items. They also damaged the signs of the tombs and displaced one tombstone.
Graffiti on Cathedral of Limoges
June 8, 2013, FranceSuspected “Antifa”-left wing activists spray painted the words: “Canon Law = Sharia”. Next to the Church on a construction site fence you could read: “To Clement, who was killed by the brown pest.” This is an allusion to the left wing activist Clement Meric, who had been thrashed to death by a skinhead some days before, blaming the Church for the tragedy of Clement’s death.
Cathedral of Nantes Vandalised and Desecrated
June 8, 2013, FrancePerpetrators found their way into the Cathedral and spray painted the altar, walls and floor with provoking symbols like 666 and Nazi slogans.
Graves Vandalised at in Crni Potok
May 5, 2013, CroatiaUnknown perpetrators vandalised an Orthodox cemetery in the village of Crni Potok, not far from Topusko. At this cemetery, 17 tombstones were damaged, numerous crosses were uprooted and parts of tombs were smashed. A criminal complaint was filed with the police for disturbing the peace of the deceased.
Church in Hauture in Fos-sur-Mer Vandalised
April 15, 2013, FranceDuring the night from April 14th, 2013, a Church in Hauture in Fos-sur-Mer was broken into by vandals. They broke into a window to get inside the church. After forcing open the tabernacle and finding nothing inside they stole money from the donation box for the candles. They left the church after defecating onto the organ, using the altar cloth for wiping.
Graffiti and Desecration to Church in Caorso
April 1, 2013, ItalyIn the night of Easter Sunday graffiti was spray painted in the churchyard of Santa Maria Assunta in Caorso. Drawings were made of satanic pentagrams with lots of red candles at both ends. A wafer was stuck on the door with the words "Animate vacuum" (empty soul).
Theft and Desecration in Church in Termoli
March 21, 2013, ItalyTwo youth entered the Church of St. Timothy in Termoli. One pretended to pray and when they were left alone made profane and sacrilegious gestures before stealing wafers and other sacred objects from the tabernacle. The theft was carried out on March 21 which corresponds to the satanic calendar as the "Second night of Tregenda”.
Coffins Opened and Graves Desecrated
March 6, 2013, CroatiaUnknown perpetrator(s) damaged two graves and opened the coffins. The damage was detected by a member of the family of one of the deceased. At an old concrete tomb of an unknown owner, the tombstone was moved and the coffin was opened, and there was another case involving the desecration of an earthen grave. Some of the earth that had covered the coffin, which was apparently opened, had caved in. Around the grave were scattered bones. The incident was recorded by the police who performed an investigation.
Satanic Graffiti on Church in Urbino Duomo
February 17, 2013, ItalyInverted crosses and 666 were found on two doors of the church. The three doors were dented as well, one whose neoclassical façade was rebuilt by Valadier in 1801, following a strong earthquake in 1789.
Polish Erasmus Student Arrested in Cadiz for Destroying a Crucifix
February 12, 2013, SpainA twenty-four year old Polish Erasmus student in Cadiz was arrested after purportedly entering a church and throwing a crucifix to the ground, breaking the arms and legs off of the eighteenth century religious piece. A church official tried to detain the youth, but he escaped and was later apprehended by police to await trial.
Graffiti on Walls of Church in Vigasio
February 9, 2013, ItalyTwo young girls entered the church and using black spray paint made a smiling devil who "hates the Vatican”, a slanderous stylized crucifix and wrote insults in English.
Reported Cases of Desecration to Graves in Italy
December 27, 2012, ItalyThe Holy See reported cases of desecration of graves on the following dates in Italy in 2012: 19 March 2012 22 March 2012 19 April 2012 20 June 2012 19 September 2012 24 September 2012 28 November 2012
Reported Attacks Against Places of Worship in Italy
December 3, 2012, ItalyThe 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)
Desecration of Graves in Germany
November 29, 2012, GermanyBetween July and November the Holy See reported cases of desecration to graves in the following places: ·27 July 2012 Herzberg ·26 October 2012 Duisburg (NRW) ·9 November 2012 Unterrath (Düsseldorf). ·13 November 2012 Güdesweiler (Saarland)
Desecration of Two Churches in Soissons
October 4, 2012, FranceOn October 4, two churches were broken into, robbed, and desecrated in Soissons. In the church of Sainte-Eugénie, the presbytery and the door were broken open, the tabernacle was opened, papers and money was stolen.
Graves Desecrated in Val d’Oise
September 14, 2012, FranceIn September 2012 the Apostolic Nunciature in France reported that 21 graves were desecrated by unknown perpetrator(s) in Goussainville, Val d’Oise, France.
Desecration of Graves in Lithuania
August 6, 2012, LithuaniaOn August 6th, 2012, graves in Balbieriškis were vandalised.
Graves Desecrated in Ardennes
July 9, 2012, FranceIn July 2012 the Apostolic Nunciature of France reported that 40 graves were desecrated by (an) unknown perpetrator(s) in Saint-Etienne-à-Arnes in Ardennes, France.
Writing on Church Walls in Lithuania
June 17, 2012, LithuaniaJune 17th 2012, the walls of a church in Vilnius were spray painted with writing.
Church Vandalised and Holy Sacrament Descrated in Châtillon
February 15, 2012, FranceOn Wednesday, February 8th, 2012, at about 1:30 p.m., the chapel of Saint Joseph in Châtillon was vandalized and the Holy Sacrament stolen.
Mockery of Christian Worship
February 13, 2012, ItalyA commercial advertising Red Bull broadcast on Mediaset mocked Christian confession and worship.
Graves Desecrated in Albi
February 8, 2012, FranceOn the 8th of February 2012 the Apostolic Nunciature in France reported that 70 graves were desecrated in a Catholic cemetery in Albi, France.
Blasphemous TV Show
January 23, 2012, ItalyDuring the TV show "Big Brother" a participant made blasphemous remarks and for this he was disqualified.
Dead Animals Buried in Graveyard
December 14, 2011, GermanyA member of the St Vincent Parish in Lenne found a dead cat in a family members grave when she went to tidy it. The cat had been buried right beneath the dirt with only the feet sticking out. Several weeks later half a chicken was found buried in another grave.
Catholic Cemetery of Sussargues Vandalised
November 12, 2011, FranceThe cemetery of the village of Sussargues in France has been vandalised. The perpetrator(s) damaged about thirty graves and memorials. Crucifix were broken or turned upside down, statuettes of the Virgin Mary were planted head in the ground. Satanists tags are visible on many graves.
Church Desecrated in Vauréal
November 12, 2011, FranceThe church of Sainte-Claire of Vauréal has been desecrated and Christian symbols specifically attacked. A city councilor criticizes the lack of response of governmental institutions.
Vandalism at St. Georg Church in Munich
November 5, 2011, GermanyFor several years local youth have been vandalizing St. Georg Church in Munich. They took tiles off the roof, sprayed graffiti on the outside walls, urinated into the holy water vessels and set fire at the local graveyard. The attacks were ongoing in November 2011. Some of the youth are known to the parish priest, who does not reported them to the police. One of the youth stated in a TV interview with blurred image that he was Moslem and felt uncomfortable with the majority denomination. The priest says that many youth are aggressive towards the Church due to emotional neglect they suffer at home.
"Occupy Rome" Activists Destroyed Sacred Icons During Demonstration
October 15, 2011, ItalyA group of youth who were marching as part of the anti-capitalist movement "Occupy Rome", detoured from the main stream of the parade, and made their way into Saints Marcellino and Pietro Parish, located between Labicana and Merulana streets. The youth, with their heads covered and handing sticks, broke into the parish house and took the statue of the Immaculate Conception and a crucifix. They carried the sacred icons outside the parish premises to the street, where both were destroyed and the debriefs left on the street.
Catholic Cemetery of Buxy Wrecked
September 13, 2011, FranceTwenty graves and tombstones have been desecrated in the small village of Buxy in Burgundy. The 2,000 residents of Buxy and their mayor are shocked and incredulous, the police has opened an investigation.
Vandalism at St. Ann's in Ascheberg
July 28, 2011, GermanyUnknown perpetrators urinated into a Holy Water vessel of St. Ann Catholic church, in Ascheberg. They also damaged organ pipes, several apostle statues and a censer. The damage amounts to several thousand Euros. The police has not yet convicted the vandals and does not rule out that they are a gang of teenagers.
Cemetery of Saint-Lys Desecrated
June 30, 2011, FranceThe cemetery of La Moutonne of Saint-Lys in the department of Haute-Garonne has been vandalized in the night from Thursday to Friday, June 30th, 2011. Memorial plaques were lying on the ground, damaged. A bench of the cemetery had been split into pieces, urn compartments had been opened and no less than twenty graves had received stroke of large stones flung against them, thus breaking plaques, ceramics and flower pots.
Vandalism in the Cemetery of Belleville-sur-Meuse
June 30, 2011, FranceFifteen Christian graves were damaged in the cemetery of Belleville-sur-Meuse and many crosses and statues broken into pieces. Ashes of three deceased have been scattered. Several crosses, marbles and plaques were broken into pieces and scattered on the ground. Statues of Christ were wrenched and let to lay on the floor.
200-year-old Greek Orthodox Chapel Demolished “By Accident” in Northern Cyprus
May 26, 2011, CyprusThe 200-year-old Greek Orthodox Chapel of Saint Thekla in the village of Vokolida, Cyprus was demolished, allegedly by accident. The demolition was condemned publicly by the Turkish Cypriot authorities and two individuals were arrested for destroying the church and a promise was made to rebuild it. Nevertheless, due to several reasons, this has not yet been performed.
Attacks on the Parish Church of Navalcarnero, Madrid
May 10, 2011, SpainThe parish church of “Nuestra Señora de la Asunción” suffered great damage on Sunday May 8, as several religious images made of plaster were destroyed. Local police arrested the assailant, a 35-year-old male local resident, who had made previous threats toward the church. As stated by Pastor Marcos Fermin, this is not only a financial problem for him - but bears also great emotional pain.
Church Vandalised in Echirolles
April 24, 2011, FranceThe church of Saint-Jean-Bosco of Echirolles has been victim of desecration. The main Crucifix was found broken on the floor. Missals had been flung to the ground and benches damaged and turned over. Apparently, the perpetrators had entered the church by forcing a side door. No theft has been reported.
Catholic Church Vandalised on Good Thursday
April 21, 2011, TurkeyTwo men armed with swords and knives broke into a Catholic Church in Adana last Thursday. After learning that the priest was not in the church, the 26 year old aggressors proceeded to vandalise the property.
Assault on the Church of Santa Maria Magdalena de Ciempozuelos (Madrid)
April 14, 2011, SpainOn a Thursday morning a group of vandals broke into the Church of Santa Maria Magdalena, destroying the altar shrine and the crown of the Virgin. The church suffered great damage, and the content of the collection box was stolen.
Anti-Chapel Demonstration in Valencia Called For But Failed
March 24, 2011, SpainAfter anti-chapel demonstrations had taken place at Computense University in Madrid and Barcelona University, students of the University of Valencia called to march against chapel service at the Valencia School of Medicine. At the end, the rally did not take place.
Fire Set to Catholic Church in Barcelona
March 23, 2011, SpainDuring the night of March 22th, early morning of March 23th, 2011, a group of radical feminists started a fire at the doors of San Vicenç Church, in the Sarriá neighbourhood, in Barcelona. According to the priest Manuel Valls this was the fifth attack against the church in the last three years.
Vandalism in Madrid Church
March 15, 2011, SpainThe Ascensión del Señor Church, located in the Madrid suburb of Carabanchel, a working class neighborhood, has suffered the loss of their most precious sacred items, the chalice with the Eucharist and the Holy Oils. The Church, build 60 years ago in a poor vicinity, has no item of value, and "the burglars knew about it", affirms Francisco Pérez, the church Pastor. Fr. Perez adds: "They only took the most precious treasure for our community, the body of Christ".
University Chapel Desecration at Complutense University in Madrid
March 11, 2011, SpainOn March 11, 2011, Paula Nieto, the President of the Students Union at the Complutense University in Madrid, reported incidents at the Moncloa campus law school chapel in a radio interview. According to Nieto, several students locked themselves in the chapel, smoked weed and drank beer, while making statements against the Catholic Church. Nieto argues the attacks come from an ultra-left student group named Contrapoder.
Desecration of University Chapel
March 10, 2011, SpainAt Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) a group of 50 young people stormed the chapel of the Somosaguas university campus to protest against the Catholic Church.
Statue of Mary, Mother of Jesus, Destroyed in Church
February 20, 2011, LiechtensteinUnknown perpetrators have destroyed a statue of the Virgin Mary by pulling it from the altar in a church in Schaan / Liechtenstein.
Church Partially Burned, Religious Symbols Put on Fire
January 16, 2011, FranceA Christian Church building in Hérouville-Saint-Clair, the outskirts of Caen, was vandalized at about 6 am on a Sunday morning. The Church of St. Francis, partially burned, cannot not accommodate the faithful until rebuild.
Church Shattered and Partially Burned
January 1, 2011, FranceOn Saturday January 1st between 12 a.m. and 3 p.m. the church of Montfermeil was severely damaged and partially burned. According to sources, a group of individuals forced and broke the door to the place of worship with the help of a car. They then set fire to a bunch of paper that was inside the church. Thus, three additional rooms, including the room used for worship of children, were damaged and must now be rebuilt.
Parish Several Times Severly Attacked by Muslim Youth
December 30, 2010, FranceFaithful of the parish St John in Avignon are being annoyed, often during the mass service, by insults and agressions, thefts, attempts of arson, and even a car bomb left by Muslim youth. The little community of Christians in a city which hosts an arabic-moslem majority begins to feel afraid of praying together. The parish priest understands that there is a "startling code of silence both for media and politics about the issue".
Steady Increase of Desecrating Acts in French Cemeteries
October 12, 2010, FranceOngoing: A report of the Gendarmerie Nationale underlines the fact that most desecrations since 2005 have been aimed at Christian cemeteries and other Christian places of worship.
Vandalism in Austrian Church Building
September 29, 2010, AustriaRepeated vandalism including defecation committed by youth in church building in Upper Austria.