All cases
Church Vandalised in Region of Neuchâtel
April 18, 2014, SwitzerlandA church in Chaux-de-Fonds in the region of Neuchâtel was vandalised during the night by a man who damaged the organ, destroyed the Easter decorations, and ripped out the speakers. The perpetrator appears to have been mentally unstable and was later escorted to a psychiatric hospital. The church intends to keep its opening hours in spite of the event.
Chapel Saint-François in Rennes Vandalised
April 9, 2014, FranceUnidentified people broke into the Chapel of Saint- François in Rennes on April 9th breaking open the door to the sacristy. They left lying on the floor the vestments, liturgical linens, and other sacred objects. The perpetrator(s) emptied the poor boxes, but most importantly, the tabernacle was opened and the ciborium tampered with.
Children Vandalized a Saint-Laurent de Rozoy-sur-Serre Church
April 9, 2014, FranceThree children at the age between 7 and 11 vandalized the church of Saint-Laurent de Rozoy-sur-Serre in France. They turned the seats of the church, threw objects on the altar and the prayer books scattered on the floor. The police was able to catch them because of the traces of their shoes.
Insulting Graffiti at the Vatican on Right Side of Bernini’s Colonnade
April 5, 2014, ItalyBernini’s Colonnade, which had been restored in preparation for the canonisation of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II, was found to have graffiti on the right side with the words, in poor English, “Catalic is Hitler.” Implying that a Catholic is like Hitler.
Religious Statues Broken in the District of Linz-Land
April 3, 2014, AustriaTwo saint statues were damaged between Friday, March 28th and Thursday, April 3rd. The statues had been located in a niche in front of the church of Hofkirchen im Traunkreis in the district of Linz-Land. The amount of damages was not officially known. The police have undertaken an investigation and are requesting leads in order to find the culprit(s).
Catholic Church in Târgu Mureş Targeted for Graffiti
April 2, 2014, RomaniaA Catholic church in Târgu Mureş, Romania, was found with the graffitied image of a swastika cross and suspicions lie with the extremist organisation called Noua Dreaptă (New Right).
Church in Havré Vandalised
April 1, 2014, BelgiumSt. Martin’s Church in Havré became again the victim of vandals who destroyed some of the area around the entrance, tearing off some slate from above the door.
Catholic Private School Graffitied in Périgueux
March 31, 2014, FranceThe Catholic private school Saint-Jean de Périgueux was graffitied with the phrase, “Quand je serai grande, je serai gouine” which means, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a dyke” (a crude way of saying lesbian).
Church in Mayenne Robbed of Hosts
March 31, 2014, FranceThe Church of Saint Peter in the community of Bouchamps-lès-Craon in Mayenne was robbed of its ciborium and the Eucharistic hosts inside. The police arrived on scene on Sunday, the 6th of April, and the bishop of Angers intends to celebrate a mass of reparation.
Four Churches in Vienna Heavily Vandalised
March 29, 2014, AustriaOn Saturday, March 29th, St. Stephen’s cathedral, the parish church of Breitenfeld (Josefstadt), the parish church of Neuottakring (Ottakring) as well as the Lazaristenkirche (Neubau) were vandalised. The spokesperson of the diocese said the attacks have never before been so hard.
Church of Sacré-Cœur in Lourdes Attacked
March 27, 2014, France“Robbers” entered the Church of Sacré-Cœur in Lourdes sometime during the night of March 27-28, 2014 and broke open the poor boxes. More importantly, they broke open the tabernacle and stole the ciborium with the consecrated hosts that it contained. The parish priest responded by organising a prayer session.
Man Apprehended for Fifteen Acts of Vandalism in Morbihan
March 25, 2014, FranceA series of vandalisms in the region of Morbihan has finally been explained with the arrest of a 34-year-old man who admits to fifteen acts of vandalism since June 2013 including the destruction of religious symbols and several attempts at burning a chapel. He was identified by his DNA and now awaits trial, although, there is some question of his mental balance; apparently he spent some time in a psychiatric hospital.
Cemetery Desecrated in Trémuson
March 24, 2014, FranceA local resident saw two men desecrating tombs in the Trémuson graveyard. When the police arrived on scene, they affirmed that flower pots had been moved around and funeral objects broken. The two 27-year-olds were later apprehended and will face a tribunal.
Christian Demonstrations Violently Attacked by Left Wing Radicals in Baden-Württemberg and Cologne
March 23, 2014, GermanyA new governmental sex ed curriculum of Baden-Württemberg has caused outrage among Christian parents. Several manifestions suffered serious attacks by left wing activists which were later identified as LGBT activists. Eyewitnesses reported in shock to the Observatory.
Tabernacles in Churches Pouancé and Bouchamp-lès-Craon Robbed of Hosts
March 23, 2014, FranceAt the end of March and the beginning of April, two churches were vandalised in France and the consecrated hosts were robbed from the tabernacle. One was the church in Pouancé and the other that in Bouchamp-lès-Craon.
Perpetrators Urinate in Holy Water Vessels in Two Churches in Memmingen
March 22, 2014, GermanyUnknown perpetrators urinated into the holy water vessel in the Assumption church and in the St. Josef’s church in Memmingen on Saturday, March 22. They also meddled with different objects in both churches.
Sacré-Cœur in Paris Again Victim of Vandalsim
March 22, 2014, FranceThe Sacré-Cœur basilica in Paris, after having been marked with graffiti indicating anarchist origins, was again found graffitied within a few days of the previous vandalism.
Montmartre Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Paris Graffitied
March 18, 2014, FranceThe forecourt and pillars of the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Paris were found graffitied with phrases such as “Fire to the chapels,” “Neither God, nor master,” “Fuck tourism,” and “Down with all the authorities.” The last, along with the phrase “Solidarity Monica and Francisco,” could be an indication that the vandalism was committed by an anarchist group. Monica Caballero and Francisco Solar were two militants imprisoned in Spain after the attempted bombing on the Spanish basilica of El Pilar.
St. Peter’s Church in Pléhédel Vandalised
March 16, 2014, FranceA church in Pléhédel, Brittany, was vandalised on Sunday, March 16th. The candles were smashed into the carpet and fire damaged the carpet and the cloth tabernacle altar covering as well as the steps leading up to the altar. It is reported that some youths were spotted at the time.
Church in Brie-Comte-Robert Robbed of Consecrated Hosts
March 11, 2014, FranceUpon arriving at the church on a Monday morning, one of the priests in charge of serving the parish of Saint-Étienne discovered that the door to the chapel was open and the tabernacle had been robbed. The hosts that had been stolen were consecrated ones, considered by Catholics to be sacred. The tabernacle was the only thing robbed. Police rapidly intervened and dusted the area for fingerprints. The community reacted in a spiritual way, organising a prayer session.