All cases

Attempted Arson in Hüttersdorf Church

May 4, 2022, Germany

An unidentified arsonist tried to ignite the doors of a church on Berliner Straße in Hüttersdorf but failed. On May 4th, a witness saw from her place a lighted candle next to the wooden door of the church but before it could cause significant damage, it tipped over and went out. The Lebach Police were looking for people who could provide more information about the incident.

Several Thefts of Sacred Objects in Tuscany

May 1, 2022, Italy

In the last weeks of April, there were several thefts of sacred objects from churches in Tuscany. The carabinieri in Florence identified a Romanian individual who was behind most of the crimes as after his home was searched, a number of these items were found including paintings and statues. The police were investigating the crimes to find a possible accomplice.

Extreme leftist Mob Attacks Parishioners and Church in Angers

May 1, 2022, France

On May 1st during a trade union demonstration, a group of leftist activists - also identified as Antifa - attacked parishioners in front of the Notre-Dame des Victoires church in Angers. The group went by the name of "the Angevin Anti-Fascist Network (RAAF)." The parishioners were attending the 11-hour Mass, while others had positioned themselves in front of the church to prevent attacks. The mob still threw paint on the building and squashed eggs on the ground. They shouted "homophobic slogans" and later returned with a banner directed at Catholics that read, "We are here to challenge those who are dedicated to deifying themselves." The police had to intervene to stop further violence.

Spanish "TikToker" Attacked on Social Media for Being Catholic

April 30, 2022, Spain

Ignacio “Nacho” Gil Conesa, a well-known Spanish "tikToker", has been attacked by other influencers for being Catholic. He goes by the name Nachter, and a few months before May 1st, he devoted his time solely to making humorous videos about typical things that happen in the house. In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, he said "there are other influencers who have attacked me for being catholic," a situation he described as "ridiculous."

Property Damage and Attempted Theft in Pleyben Church

April 30, 2022, France

On April 30th, the volunteers of the Saint-Germain Church in Pleyben, were shocked to find significant amounts of property damage. The front door was damaged and judging by the broken display cases, an attempt was made to steal the religious objects. They did not know who did it.

Theft from Statues in Ischitella Church

April 29, 2022, Italy

Thieves stole jeweled necklaces from four statues in the church of Sant ' Eustachio Martire in Ischitella, on of them being the statue of Madonna del Carmine. Although the value of the jewels was not particularly high, the sacrilege, shocked the entire religious community.

Statue of Virgin Stolen from Pau Church

April 29, 2022, France

A statue of the Virgin Mary was stolen from the Saint-Martin church in Pau on April 29th. People saw the man walking through the streets with the 1.5-meter statue and quickly alerted the police who then arrested him. Father Jean-Jacques Dufau said: “She was perched on one foot, on the right side of the church as you entered. I don't know how [the thief] did it."

1500 Euro Worth Destruction and Vandalism in Attendorn Cathedral

April 26, 2022, Germany

The police were called to investigate a crime in the St. John the Baptist church in Attendorn on April 26th. The church said that the destruction was done to candlesticks, the Agatha altar, a holy water font, parts of a bench, and a disinfectant dispenser. Books and writings were also thrown around. The damage, around 1,500 euros, was thought to have been done by a slim young man, with dark hair, between the ages of 15 and 20.

Arson to Church in Rheinberg with Box Full of Candles

April 24, 2022, Germany

In the afternoon, on 24 April, a 62-year-old man visited the church of St. Peter on Kirchplatz in the city centre. When he entered the church, he smelled something burning and saw a burning box of Easter lights on a table. Quick-witted, he brought the box and the table to the front of the church and extinguished the fire with sparkling water. He then informed the police. The police found more burning tea lights in a large package underneath the candle holder and also extinguished the flames.

Muslims Group Attacks Coptic Christians in Turin

April 21, 2022, Italy

As it was reported on the 21. April, two Coptic Christians, who were smoking in the square in Turin, were approached by a Muslim group who told them it was Ramadan and they should not be smoking. The two men, who were wearing Christian crosses, explained their faith and that they were not Muslim, so this rule did not apply to them. The Muslim group then proceeded to attack the two with kicks and punches but left before the police arrived.

Goblets Stolen from Church in Florence

April 21, 2022, Italy

A 66 year old native of Sicily was arrested for stealing two golden goblets form a Florentine church in via di Caciolle. The police were alerted to the theft and managed to recover all the stolen goods as well as catch the man. Thankfully, the pyxes, which are used to hold the consecrated hosts, did not sustain any damage.

Vandalism and Theft in Grosseto Cathedral

April 19, 2022, Italy

The Grosseto Cathedral was raided by a masked man with a hat and gloves who fled with several items. On April 19th, he entered the Cathedral and took a brass candlestick from the altar, and then smashed the glass of the shrine that holds the ex-votos that people offer to Madonna with an awl. Some policemen, who were nearby, ran after him so he dropped the candlestick but held on to the votive offerings of devotional value.

Church Near Dieppe Closed after Repeated Acts of Vandalism

April 17, 2022, France

The church in Arques la Bataille, near Dieppe in the Seine Maritime region, which is open during the day, was closed during the Easter school holidays after two vandalistic incidents, in which young people scattered and lighted candles in the church and climbed up the rostrum, then threw music scores and songbooks from up there. It will still be decided when the church will b opened again.

Man Disrupts Easter Church Service in Athens

April 16, 2022, Greece

On Saturday the 16th of April, a man entered an Easter church service in the Church of St Panteleimon and shouted Arabic phrases into a microphone. Video footage showed the priest trying to calm the congregation and the offender was later arrested by the police in Athens.

Theft of Hosts at Church in Via Monte Massico

April 15, 2022, Italy

On April 15th, a 27-year-old broke into the parish of Santa Maria Assunta in Via Monte Massico with the intent of stealing a gold-coloured metal host holder. He was unsuccessful since the parish priest called the carabinieri who blocked the man and retrieved the item.

Theft of Sacred Object in Montesacro Church

April 15, 2022, Italy

A 27-year-old man was arrested by the Carabinieri for stealing a gold-coloured host holder from a church in the Montesacro district. The theft happened shortly before the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.

Valuable Relics Stolen from Church During Holy Week

April 15, 2022, Germany

During the Holy Week, anonymous intruders entered Neukirchen beim Heiligen Blut church and broke the glass on a case that contained some relics. They then took a cloth with brooches that contained bones from the saints as well as an angel sculpture from the high alter. The police were looking for witnesses and described the relics as having "inestimable immaterial value."

Crucifix Stolen from San Francesco Church

April 15, 2022, Italy

It was discovered on April 20th that the crucifix from the chapel of Sant'Antonio in San Francesco was missing. Upon further investigation, it was realized that the brass item, which is about 70 cm tall, must have been stolen as it could not be found. The parish priest Fr. Gabriele Monnanni lodged a complaint.

Hateful Anti-Christian Tags Found on Church in Foix

April 15, 2022, France

On April 15th, hateful inscriptions were painted on the Saint-Volusien Church in Foix. Phrases such as, "A good church is a church on fire," could be seen. Father Edouard de Laportalière said about the author who was not yet identified, "I recognised this writing already affixed to buildings in the parish that incited people not to believe in the Church. I invite this person to come and meet me, so that we can talk rather than write it on the church because it costs money to erase these messages." The Father said this was the third time the church has been targeted.

Easter Procession Attacked in Granada

April 14, 2022, Spain

An Easter procession on Holy Thursday had been going for about an hour and a half when objects began to fall on those attending. This occurred while the procession was going through Cuesta del Chapiz but luckily the police were quick to take action and a disaster was prevented. This was the second attack on Easter processions in Spain during the Easter week, both of which showed targeted discrimination of Christians.