All cases
Paint Bomb Attack on Pope’s Birthplace
September 10, 2006, GermanyOne day before the visit of Pope Benedict XVI. in his hometown Marktl (Bavaria), unknown perpetrators threw two paint bombs unto the front of his birthplace at about 5 o’clock in the morning. The building had just been completely renovated. After the attack, the lower part of the facade had to be completely redone. The perpetrators were not found.
Birth Place of Pope Benedict XVI Vandalized
September 10, 2006, GermanyOn Sept 10th, unknown perperators vandalized the birth place of Josef Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, in Marktl in Germany, by throwing colour on the newly restaurated front walls.
Parish Vandalized in Valencia
August 31, 2006, SpainThe parish Asunción de Nuestra Señora, located in the Benimaclet neighborhood of Valencia, was vandalized and the walls painted with anti-Christian messages and images. The parish priest Juan Luis Orquín pointed out that anarchists and gays group have been attacking the Church on regular basis. The priest added that local authorities have not taken any measure to reduce the harassment and the threat to the church. The local newspaper El Levante reported that before the arrival of Benedict XVI to Valencia, a fire was started at the parish doors and the damage caused is still visible.
Fire-raising on Catholic School and Chapel
June 23, 2006, FranceFire-raising on Catholic School and Chapel in Montpellier, France.
Christian Women Attacked in Serbia
February 15, 2006, SerbiaOn 15 February, a man locked two female devotees inside a building near Belgrade. He then started destroying their religious literature and attempted to drag them into the cellar. One of the two victims managed to escape and subsequently called the police, who rescued the other.
Greek Orthodox Church Damaged by Bomb Explosion
August 1, 2004, CyprusGreek Orthodox Church in Northern Cyprus was damaged by bomb explosion in Cyprus conflict.
Church Vandalized After Anti-Gay Homily in Newcastle
October 28, 1999, United KingdomJesmond Parish Church in Newcastle upon Tyne was covered with obscene phrases and pornographic graffiti after Rev. Holloway preached about homosexuality in the teachings of the Bible. The graffiti included drawings of men having sex, and insulting expressions such as "Holloway Out", "Bigot" and "Down with Holloway".
Church of Ayios Procopios, Cyprus Desecrated after the 1974 Turkish Occupation
July 1, 1974, CyprusAyios Procopios, a Byzantine church of the 11th or 12th century situated in the village of Synkrasi, in the Famagusta district, in the Republic of Cyprus, was desecrated after the military had occupied the region by force. The iconostasis was destroyed and the portable icons were stolen. The church is today a refuge for birds.
Wall-Paintings at Antifonitis Monastery in Cyprus Destroyed
July 1, 1974, CyprusAntifonitis Monastery, a Byzantine monastery, built at the end of the 12th century, was destroyed as a consequence of the Turkish invasion. The heads of the two Archangels in the apse of the church were ruined. Turkish illicit dealers in antiquities cut into pieces and removed from the walls the representations of the Day of Judgment and the Stem of Jesse, vandalising a large part of them.
Priest Attacked After Confronting Thieves in Church
January 1, 1970, ItalyAfter celebrating the midnight Mass, parish priest, Father Massimo Malinconi returned to the rectory where he found four burglars.
Vaucluse Church Vandalized
January 1, 1970, FranceThe stained glass window depicting Jesus Christ in the church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Tour was found smashed.
Catholic School in Bubry Sacked by Vandals
January 1, 1970, FranceThe kindergarten and elementary private Catholic school Sainte-Hélène Bubry was attacked and the damage is estimated at several thousand euros.
Graffiti Attack on the Family Home of St. Bernadette in Lourdes
January 1, 1970, FranceMunicipal services in Lourdes took two weeks to remove obscene drawings and inscriptions painted on the family home of the revered Saint, despite complaints by neighbors and an alert from the online journal “Lourdes-Info.” The perpetrators of the vandalism are unknown.
Burglary in the Staldner Parish Church And the Church in Davos GR
January 0, 0000, SwitzerlandIn the night from Saturday to Sunday, unknown perpetrators broke into the Staldner parish church St. Michael and stole a sum of money worth about 800 francs. Another burglary incident took place in the church in Davos GR. After the abbatial service, unknown perpetrators stole the collections, which were intended to be given to Kids Foundation to support children with liver disease.
Various Cases of Thefts from Different Churches in the United Kingdom
January 0, 0000, United KingdomA perpetrator stole the charity box from St. John’ church project, Shildon Alive. Other equipment such as video camera and items worth about £560 were stolen from Angelican church All Saints’. A burglar broke into Preston church and stole money intended to help asylum seekers and vulnerable people. At the Pentecostal Church on St John’s Road, a thief stole two wheels from a church minibus. Police are looking for witnesses and clues. Some thieves stole cash from St.Mirin’s Cathedral. Police are appealing for witnesses. Cash and tin have also been stolen from St.Brynach’s church. Seven lawn mowers have been stolen from St John the Baptist Church, in Farnham Road. Three men from the West Midlands admitted theft over 30 churches in different parts of the country, including Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire. Church of Little Massingham Church has also been a victim of theft.
Theft in the Kamionki Church And Priest Caught the Perpetrator
January 0, 0000, PolandThe Archdiocese of Poznan published a video on social media to expose the theft that had occurred in his parish of Kamionki near Posen. The church's donation box had disappeared. At that time the priest was at church and heard the noises of the perpetrators. The priest ran after one of the perpetrators and caught him. He is accused of at least four burglaries in churches in the area. The police opened an investigation and the perpetrator immediately confessed.
Wooden Fence and Sandstone Pedestal Sandstone At St. Josef Church Damaged
January 0, 0000, GermanyOn the 11th December 2020, unknown perpetrators damaged three sandstone bases as well as wooden fence. The police claims that there is a high probability that a large vehicle has been the main cause of the damage.
Monastery Vandalized in Monchengladbach
January 0, 0000, GermanyA picture of the Virgin Mary was damaged in the Marienkapelle of the Franciscan monastery when an unknown individual ransacked the place. This was not the first attack on this church but it even survived a bomb scare.
Burglary in Görlitz Church
January 0, 0000, GermanyAt 11:45 on January 28, the window grille was removed from the St. Peter's church in Görlitz and the window behind it smashed. The intruder then entered the crypt of the church and from there, stole two music boxes and a microphone. A small wooden organ was also significantly damaged in the process and the value of stolen goods amounted to around 1000 euros.
Church Windows of St. Aloysius Church in Iserlohn Smashed
January 0, 0000, GermanyOn April 7 two windows of St. Aloysius Church in Iserlohn were broken. The perpetrator, who could not be identified, also smashed a memorial candle.