All cases
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.
Vandalism at the “Diálogo” Library in Madrid
May 10, 2011, SpainThe Diálogo library in Madrid suffered serious damage as an unidentified pertpetrators smashed the window in which books related to the beatification of Pope Juan Pablo II were displayed. The library is well-known for specializing in religious subjects.
Vandalism at Church in Anschar
May 7, 2011, GermanyVandals broke into the church of Anschar on May 7th, damaged several objects in the main church, threw down a crucifix and paintings in the sacristy, and tore everything out of the closets. Nothing was stolen, but fixing will be expensive. A new alarm system will be installed shortly to prevent any further attack. The incident was reported to the police.
Saint Statues Beheaded in Burgos
April 30, 2011, SpainThe sculptures of St. Peter and St. Laurent located outside the gate of San Esteban Church in Burgos were beheaded. The Church was built during the XIII century in a Gothic style; the sculpture of St. Peter had been restore six years ago while St. Laurent's image had been under renovation 12 years ago. The decapitation took place on the night of Good Friday.
Vandalism at Nathan-Söderblom Church in Reinbeck
April 30, 2011, GermanyA gang of about 20 youth has been rampaging repeatedly around the Nathan-Söderblom church in Reinbeck in the spring of 2011, including the urination into a work of art that represents the grave of Christ. Police and social service have not been able to calm down those involved, and are considering hiring a social worker to find a remedy.
Church Vandalised in Bonneval (Eure-et-Loir)
April 27, 2011, FranceThe church of Bonneval has been vandalised on Holy Thursday. According to Father François Muchery, the damage was quite substantial: on the prayer book one can see obscene drawings and words, statues have been damaged and urinated on and candles were smashed.
Statue of the Virgin Marie Beheaded in La-Roche-Sur-Yon
April 24, 2011, FranceOn the night of Sunday, April 24th, around 3:00 am, the statue of the Virgin Mary located behind the church of the Sacred Heart of La Roche-sur-Yon has been beheaded and then thrown on the ground. It’s head was transported to the other side of the park.
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.
Trespassing and Damages in Aladinici (Mostar)
April 21, 2011, Bosnia and HerzegovinaVandals broke into the mission church of Aladinici and cause substantial damage.
Church in Adana, Turkey Vandalised
April 21, 2011, TurkeyOn 21 April 2011 two men broke into a Catholic church and completely destroyed three statues. They also left marks on the altar, smashed window panes and threw flowerpots around.
Church in Altavista Vandalised
April 20, 2011, SpainFather-Claret Parish, located in Altavista (Lanzarote), was vandalised by burglars. According to the media, the criminals broke into the church searching for money. Once they realised no money was there, they vandalised the property, causing significant damage. Before they left, they threw away the vase containing the holy communion.
Fire Set to Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
April 19, 2011, SpainOn April 19, 2011 hundred of tourists were evacuated from one of the most popular places of worship in the world, the Sagrada Familia Basilica, in Barcelona. A fire was intentionally started at the sacristy, and a 65 year old man was arrested in possession of a lighter and pieces of fabrics that could have been used to set the fire. No major damage was reported to Gaudi´s masterpiece. The fire burnt for about 45 minutes according to El Pais newspaper. While the fire was set up intentionally, the reasons for the attack remain unknown. Media reported the man to be “gravely disturbed”. It is clear whether the fire setting was an intentional attack against Christianit or not.
Church Vandalised at Aulnay-Sous-Bois
April 18, 2011, FranceThe church of Saint-Jean of Aulnay-Sous-Bois has been twice vandalised in April. The parish priest and the numerous catholic community are chocked before such acts.
Vandalism in Christian Cemetery of Zavidovici
April 17, 2011, Bosnia and HerzegovinaChristian graves and tombstones were vandalized in Zavidovici on April 17th, 2011.
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.
Vandalism at Nathan-Söderblom Church in Reinbek
April 14, 2011, GermanyA gang of about 20 youth has been rampaging repeatedly around the Nathan-Söderblom church in Reinbek in the spring of 2011, including the urination into a work of art that represents the grave of Christ. Police and social service have not been able to calm down those involved, and are considering to hire a social worker to find a remedy.
Church Tagged in Vannes
April 4, 2011, FranceFour young men attacked the church Saint-Pie-X in Vannes, insulting believers and claiming to denounce «fundamentalism». They underlined the «political» nature of their behavior and claimed to defend «anti-clerical values».
Trespassing and Damages in Ovcarevo
March 31, 2011, Bosnia and HerzegovinaVandals broke into the mission church of Ovcarevo and caused serious damage.
Church Vandalised and Set on Fire in Pézenas
March 29, 2011, FranceThree young men entered the church of Saint-Martin of Conas at approximately 8:00 p.m. They broke a stained window, set fire in the sacristy, broke crosses, statues, benches and chairs and damaged the main altar. The damage which was discovered the next morning, are estimated to a cost of 50 to 100.000 euros.
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.
More Than 50 Graves Desecrated in Séjalan
March 19, 2011, FranceMore than fifty graves have been vandalized: funeral ornaments, flower pots and crucifix have been broken. Windows were damaged and tagged with the satanic number «666».
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.
Way of the Cross Vandalised in Castilla y Léon
March 10, 2011, FranceThe way of the Cross of the calvary of Bercianos de Aliste in the diocese of Zamora (Spain) was vandalised. Three ancient granite crosses were highly damaged. Father Lorenzo Martin, parish priest of San Mamed was shocked and filed a complaint.
Christian Grave Vandalised in Montecastello
February 28, 2011, ItalyA marble grave stone was destroyed and the tomb opened.
Thefts in Sarajevo’s Cathedral
February 23, 2011, Bosnia and HerzegovinaAn unknown number of people broke in the Cathedral of Sarajevo, stole various objects and damaged the interior of the Christian place of worship.
Church of Briosne-les-Sables Vandalised
February 22, 2011, FranceThe small church of Briosne-les-Sables was vandalized; the door was broken opened and the altar was damaged. Claude Trouillet, mayor of Briosne-les-Sables and the parish priest Father Jean-Marc have filed a complaint.
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.
Chapel of Caubin Vandalised
February 19, 2011, FranceThe Chapel of Caubin, a XIIth century Historical Monument was the target of vandalism on Saturday, February 19th. Three windows were broken open with stones, lanterns and projector destroyed and crosses of the cemetery broken into pieces.
Communion Vessels Stolen From Church in Majadahonda
February 18, 2011, SpainAfter a fire was set at the doors of Santa Catalina Mártir Church in Majadahonda on December 25th, 2010, the tabernacle containing two communion vessels was stolen in February 2011. The perpetrators used a lever to commit the crime, and took advantage of the fact that the Chuch doors remain open for prayers and meetings.
Cemetery Vandalised in Alès
February 12, 2011, FranceTen to twelve graves were desecrated in the cimetery of Silhol in Alès. Stone crosses were broken and thrown to the floor. Funeral ornaments were destroyed and the door of a tomb was damaged.
Stoning of a Church
January 17, 2011, Bosnia and HerzegovinaOn January 17th, 2011, the church of Blagan-Buna (Mostar) was attacked with stones and its windows crashed.
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.
Vandalism at St. Barbara's in Peißenberg
January 13, 2011, GermanyA group of teenagers was causing great damage in the parish church of St. Barbara in Peißenberg over a longer period of time. They tossed down lamps, lit numerous candles and burnt death cards, rumpled altar cloths and stuffed them into the holy water vessel; they threw altar candles around in the church, and wrote with chalk on the church’s door. The sacristan had to dump 40 liters of holy water twice, and clean the distribution vessel, in which the youth had urinated.
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.
Vandalism Against The Church of Aiguefonde
January 1, 2011, FranceThe parish church Sainte Claire of Aiguefonde (Tarn) was victim of series of vandalism attacks. Given the amount of the damage, the church will have to be completely restored in order to prevent the window and vault from collapsing.
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".
A Church Vandalised in Gourin, Brittany
December 5, 2010, FranceA man destroyed much of the furniture of the Church of Gourin, probably on Sunday, December 5th in the afternoon. Benches, the harmonium, flower pots but also the altar, the tabernacle and stain glass windows were the targets.
Harsh Persecution of Muslims Converted to Christianity
December 1, 2010, United KingdomIn Great Britain many converts from Islam to Christianity are forced to worship in secret at the risk of their own lives according to the report of the French Internet Portal “Observatoire de l’islamisation” which resulted in a report broadcasted 2010 on British TV.
Threats and Attempts of Fire in a Church Near Avignon
November 6, 2010, FranceSaint-John’s parish near Avignon has been the target of a number of threats and intimidations: insulting tags in the church’s walls, feces thrown on the church, a young man even entered the church during mass, urinated and screamed to the parishioners: “we’ll toast you all in fire, you and your church”. A fire was also started in a tree growing against the church, probably in order to burn the church itself. Father Gabriel, the parish priest, regrets and condemns “an increasingly aggressive and violent climate”.
Tabernacle and Holy Sacrament Desecrated in Billière
October 29, 2010, FranceVandals broke in the XIIth century church of Saint Laurent de Billière, near Pau, on Friday, October 29th. The tabernacle was forced opened and the consecrated hosts scattered on the ground.
127 Graves Desecrated in Igny-Comblizy
October 23, 2010, France61 headstones were revered and their crosses unsealed and another 66 graves also but less heavily damaged. Graves, headstones, flowerpots and funerary objects were thrown all around the cemetery.
Saint-Louis Church in Brest Tagged
October 21, 2010, FranceAnti-Catholic and Satanic symbols were found on the walls and doors of the church of Saint-Louis in Brest. Elected officials are shocked and say in a written statement: “All places of worship, whatever they are, are places that must be respected.”
Lutheran Church in Michalovce Vandalised
October 14, 2010, SlovakiaOn October 14, 2010, the Lutheran Church in Michalovce was found seriously damaged. It had been broken into, possibly by Satanist, who had turned the major cross upside down, burnt the altar vestments, damaged the baptismal font, and wrote insults to God and saints onto the altar.
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.
Call for “Islamic Crusade” Sprayed on Church in Strasbourg
October 12, 2010, FranceThe Catholic church of Saint Florent in Strasbourg was vandalised by Islamists who spray painted the door of the church, calling for an Islamic Crusade. One could read in black marker on both wings of the door: “Jerusalem to the Muslims” and “The Crusade for an Islamic Holy Land.”
Church Sainte Madeleine Tagged in Besançon
October 10, 2010, France“All catho are bastards” and other anti-Catholic symbols were tagged on the church Sainte Madeleine in Besançon. Mgr Lacrampe, bishop of Besançon issued a statement in which he says: "During the night of October 9th to 10th, individuals wrote on the door of the church of Sainte Madeleine in Besançon abusive language against Catholics. I strongly condemn these irresponsible acts which lack of respect towards the public building as well as towards the community to whom it is entrusted. I reaffirm that nothing can justify the hatred of others or contempt for people and their faith."
Theft and Desecration in Bazas’ Cathedral
October 9, 2010, FranceAn unknown number of burglars entered the cathedral, broke-opened the tabernacle and took a 1930 monstrance of brass and wood. They also broke several stained windows. For Father Arnaud, the parish priest, “this attacks the very essence of our faith.” He experienced this burglary as “a sacrilege and a desecration,” he said.