All cases
Devastation of the Church Of Saints Helen And Konstantin in Nafplio
September 14, 2014, GreeceUnknown vandals broke into the church of Saints Helen and Konstantin in Nafplio and totally devastated the sacristy and the courtyard. They damaged stairs and walls of the building and soiled the backyard. Priests appealed to the police to identify the peretrators and asked people to help them.
Vandalism and Death Threats at Church in Leoben
September 2, 2014, AustriaThe Stadtpfarrkirche, the main city parish church, of Leoben was vandalised and damaged in the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 2nd. The perpetrators ripped apart paintings, and destroyed crosses and candle holders. The altar was displaced despites its heavy weight, and on the altar cross the writing „death to priests“ was smeared. The parish priest was also personally threatened with the smeared words „Priest go home, otherwise we will burn down your church.“ A woman was identified a few days later who claims that voices told her to vandalize the church.
Vandalism of a Statue of Christ in Krems
August 29, 2014, AustriaAn unidentified vandal destroyed a Calvary statue of Christ on the Mount of Olives of 200 kg weight in the Piaristen church in Krems. The damage amounts to 5.000 Euro. A similar act of vandalism took place 9 years ago, when a vandal was caught and condemned by court.
Church in Liege Repeatedly Vandalized
August 26, 2014, BelgiumThe Saint-Pierre Church of the Province and the Diocese of Liege in Belgium was vandalized again. Stones were thrown through the windows of the church breaking ten of them. A trunk with candle offerings was also broken again.
St-Pierre Church in Liege Vandalized Again
August 26, 2014, BelgiumSaint-Pierre Church of the province and the Diocese of Liege in Belgium was vandalized once more. Stones were thrown into the windows of the church and ten of them have been broken. Beside, a trunk with candle offerings was broken into.
Theft of Consecrated Hosts at a Pilgrims’ Hostel in La Roche-sur-Foron
August 17, 2014, FranceThe renowned Christian pilgrims’ hostel Benite-Fontaine in La Roche-sur-Foron in France was burglarized during the night from 16th to 17th August 2014. Bottles of communion wine were drunk and the consecrated hosts were stolen from the tabernacle.
Vandalism against Sisters of the Lamb in Béthune
August 9, 2014, FranceOn Saturday, 9th August 2014, nuns of the Dominican Congregation the Sisters of the Lamb discovered that a caravan located in their premises that had been provided by a donor for various projects had been seriously vandalised. All of their tools were scattered on the floor, boxes of nails were overturned, there were several holes drilled in the roof, cabinets were ransacked etc. Books were piled under a bush indicating that the vandals were about to set a fire. Inscriptions on the door (their handwriting) give evidence that the vandals were probably young people.
Devastation of the Chapel of Saint Andrew in Kimolos
August 1, 2014, GreeceUnknown vandals broke into the chapel of Saint Andrew in Kimolos, destroyed Christain symbols and icons and totally damaged the altar of the place.
Burglary And Robbery In The Chapel Of Saint Theodore in Tripoli
July 31, 2014, GreeceUnknown vandals broke into the chapel of Saint Theodore in Tripoli and damaged it. Additionally, they stole objects from the altar such as a baptismal font.
(/Northern Ireland) Arson Attack on a Church in North Belfast
July 20, 2014, United KingdomThe Catholic church in Newtownabbey has been a target of several hate crimes already. On July 20th, it was an arson attack. The wooden doors of the church were damaged by flammable liquid.
Vandalism of Church in Trebes in Languedoc-Roussillon
July 2, 2014, FranceWhen the sacristan wanted to close the doors of the curch in Saint-Etienne in Trebes, he had the unpleasant surprise to find candles cut into pieces and scattered inside the ecclesia. Other candels were used to burn documents of the church office in the baptismal font. This was not the first time Saint-Etienne had been vandalized.
Vandalism and Theft in Saint Michael's Church in Leuven
July 1, 2014, BelgiumA Portuguese student destroyed and damaged the interior equipment, among these were counters with leaflets, candles, and he also has thrown two stones at the images of Peter and Paul who were placed in front of the main altar. He also stole money from the poor box. An eye witness called the police but the young man was able to run away.
Vandalism at St. Oswald Church in Traunstein
June 16, 2014, GermanyAn unknown person vandalised the church where Pope emeritus Benedict XVI celebrated his first mass as a Catholic priest in Traunstein, Germany. The perpetrator destroyed a statue of an angel and took off pieces of the altar. An arm and a foot of the corpus of the crucifix on the tabernacle were also broken off. The motivation of this attack is unknown. The motivation of this attack is unknown.
Vandalism at St. Clement Church in Nantes
June 14, 2014, FranceOn 14th June 2014, anonymous vandalists spraypainted the portal of St. Clement inscription: "Help thy neighbor?"
Defamation of and Threat against a Christian Pub in Paris by LGBT Person
June 4, 2014, FranceDefamations and threats were sprayed on a Christian pub in Paris saying: “Today tags, tomorrow bombs” or “Death to holy fuckers”. The claims were signed with LGBT.
Devastation Of Christian Symbols In a Church in Aigion
June 3, 2014, GreeceAn unknown vandal attacked a church in Aigion and destroyed the miraculous icon of Mother of God. Before the act, he asked prayers to leave him alone with the icon and explained he need to pray in peace. While he was alone, he devastated an image with stones, probably hidden in his pocket. This behaviour shocked local faithful and priests.
Notre Dame in Fribourg Vandalized by Minors
May 22, 2014, SwitzerlandTwo adolescents at the age of 14 and 15 were caught vandalising a Catholic church. They broke the paschal candle, pulled of one station of the cross, painted on the wall a leaf of cannabis and threw cigarette butts and papers around the altar.
St. George and Catharine Church Vandalised in Traunstein
May 20, 2014, GermanyAn unknown person attacked the St. Georg and Catharine Church in Traunstein, Germany. The invader broke a holy water vessel off the wall with a large stone. The motivation for the attack is unknown.
Arson in the Catholic School St. Mary Weg Riquet in Aubagne
May 20, 2014, FranceA fire broke out in a class room during the night of May 20th destroying four classrooms. The Police found out that many fires were set. The attacker is unknown. The St. Mary Weg Riquet School remained closed on the day after.
Basilica of St. Nicolas in Nantes Vandalized Again
May 13, 2014, FranceThe Basilica of St. Nicolas in Nantes was again victim of vandalism. The perpetrators wrote on the door satanic and anti-Christian motives. In March obscene graffiti was painted on the same building.
Attempted Arson and Vandalism at Notre-Dame de la Plaine in Billere
May 11, 2014, FranceOn March 11th the church Notre-Dame de la Plaine in Billère in Southwestern France was vandalised: The diocese of Bayonne, Lescar and Oloron said that „one or more persons burned the altar shrine and the cross in the sanctuary“. The police confirmed the vandalism and found some feces. The parish priest has filed a complaint and a police investigation is underway.
Bascilia of Saint-Sernin in Toulouse vandalised
May 10, 2014, FranceThe Basilica of St. Sernin was graffitied during the night by a group called G2M. The perpetrators sprayed on one of the portals on the court and on the wall of the Basilica. The CREW G2M is already known in Toulouse since 2010. The Basilica was also sprayed in March.
Arson Attack on Church in Vorarlberg
May 4, 2014, AustriaUnknown offenders started a fire at the entrance of the church in Vorarlberg. At 1:20 am people walking by discovered the flames and were able to extinguish the fire, but the two 52 year-old women had to be brought to the hospital as a precautionary measure. There were suspected injuries of smoke inhalation, however, they were soon discharged.
Karlskirche Vandalised in Vienna
May 4, 2014, AustriaDuring the night from Friday to Saturday unknown perpetrators vandalised the world famous Karlskirche in Vienna’s fourth district. The perpetrators threw several bags of paint on the stonework and some statues in front of the church. Also the words „on repression follows resistance“ were smeared on the walls. The police suspect several perpetrators. The incident was noticed Saturday morning. The damage is severe.
Church of Saint-Michel Vandalised in Locmiquélic (Bretagne)
April 30, 2014, FranceOn the 30th of April, in the afternoon, the church of Saint-Michel in Locmiquélic was once again the victim of vandalism. The candles were broken into several pieces and a hymnal was ripped apart. It was reported that adolescents were identified as having committed the crime.
Memorial of John Paul II Vandalised in Krakow
April 24, 2014, PolandThe monument to John Paul II in Krakow was graffitied with a star of David during the week before the Sunday canonisation of the late pope. The police set up a perimeter while the monument was being cleaned, but rest silent as to the origin of this act of vandalism.
Church in Villers-Cotterêts Robbed
April 21, 2014, FranceOn returning from the Easter Vigil, the local priest in Villers-Cotterêts discovered that someone had forced entry into the church. The sacristy was in disarray, and the poor box had been robbed. This box had already been padlocked because of an earlier theft, but the thief still managed to break in, leaving damages amounting to 80 euros. The box had been recently emptied.
Insulting and Blasphemous Graffiti Near Entrance to the Chapel of Locmaria
April 20, 2014, FranceNear the entrance to the chapel of Locmaria, which is part of the parish of Carnac, sometime during the night of Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday, graffiti was painted on a public signpost. This graffiti made blasphemous and insulting comments that made reference to Catholic fascists and a homosexual Jesus. The rector, Father Jérôme Sécher, filed a complaint with the local authorities.
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.
Graffiti on Church of Saint-Sernin in Toulouse
March 11, 2014, FranceAnticlerical graffiti was found on the church of Saint-Sernin in Toulouse. One of the inscriptions read “Fuck the Church.”
Obscene Graffiti on the Basilica of Saint Nicholas in Nantes
March 9, 2014, FranceObscene graffiti was found on the church of Saint-Nicolas in Nantes, France. The graffiti, located near the entrance of the church, said “Jesus Fucked.” The media was silent on this subject.