All cases
Fire Set to Church in Clermont-Ferrand
April 28, 2009, FranceSaint Joseph’s church of Clermont-Ferrand was partially destroyed by fire set to it on purpose. The fire started at 11:55 a.m. on Saturday, April 25th, and was mastered by the firemen only at 5 p.m. Philippe Kloeckner, the parish priest, explained that he had reported to the police a first attempt of fire against the church on Friday April 24th.
Cemetery Desecrated
April 27, 2009, ItalyOn the 27th of April 2009, the cemetery di Vezzo in the Comune della Provincia di Verbano Cusio Ossola was desecrated.
Several Acts of Vandalism Against Sarajevo’s Cathedral.
March 25, 2009, Bosnia and HerzegovinaFrom March 22nd to March 25th, vandals repeatedly destroyed windows of the Cathedral of Sarajevo.
Vandalism in Banja Luka
March 18, 2009, Bosnia and HerzegovinaVandals broke in the church of Banja Luka, destroyed stained glass windows, and stole holy objects.
Theft in Sarajevo’s Cathedral
March 18, 2009, Bosnia and HerzegovinaVandals broke in the cathedral of Sarajevo and stole the chalices and other liturgical appointments.
St Mary’s Church in Heworth Raided
March 14, 2009, United KingdomSt Mary’s Church in Heworth has been once more targeted by thieves and vandals.
Christian Party Office Vandalized after Publishing Add
February 28, 2009, United KingdomThe Christian Party office was vandalized days after the party launched a bus advertising campaign with the slogan, “There definitely is a God. So join the Christian party and enjoy your life.” The ad was a response to widespread atheist ads which carried the slogan, “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” The Metropolitan Police investigated the vandalism as a ‘religious hate crime’.
Cemetery Targeted For The Third Time in Maine-et-Loire
February 16, 2009, FranceFor the third time in less than a year, the cemetery of Saint-Laurent-des-Autels was vandalized on Sunday, February 14th, 2009. This time, tags were found on graves and on the door of the church. In the cemetery, one could see swastikas on trees.
Christian Bookshop Vandalized
February 12, 2009, TurkeyOn the 7th and 12th of February 2009, two youths vandalized the Soz Kitapevi bookshop of the Turkish Bible Society in the city of Adana. The aggressors are suspected to be Muslim militants.
Church Vandalized in Rugles (Normandy)
January 29, 2009, FranceThe tabernacle was forced opened, the chalice was stolen and some of the hosts were thrown to the ground. The parish priests Florent Babaka and Philippe Besnard reported the incident to the police.
30 Graves Damaged in Champlitte
January 27, 2009, FranceAbout 30 graves were damaged, crossse were broken or thrown to the ground. In the chapel next to the cemetery, stain-glass windows were broken and the door was damaged.
(California) Catholic Church Vandalized by Gays
January 5, 2009, United StatesA Catholic Church in San Francisco was vandalized by gays as a response to a public vote on gay marriage
Profanation of Cemeteries
January 1, 2009, FranceSeveral cases are reported on profanations of cemeteries as well as desecrations of churches and Christian holy objects in France.
Overview of 266 Cases of Anti-Christian Vandalism in 2008
December 31, 2008, FranceAccording to the French Internal Affairs Department 266 acts of vandalism targeted Christian sites in 2008. Please find a list of examples here.
Church Set On Fire for the Third Time in Hamburg
December 21, 2008, GermanyOffenders set fire to a church; the third one in two months. The sacristy of the church St. Bernard was completely burned out.
Fire Set in Catholic Church
December 11, 2008, BelgiumA Greek-Melkite parish was set on fire the night of Friday 12 December. Pastor could quickly contain and limit the damage.
(Michigan) Gays Storm Church
November 12, 2008, United StatesA band of about 30 gays stormed a church in Lansing, Michigan. shouting “Jesus was a homo”, etc. The church was vandalized, obscenities were shouted and worshippers were confronted.
Church Service Stormed, Pastor Beaten
April 2, 2008, RussiaPentecostal service stormed by perpetrators, pastor beaten, parishioners threatened with pistols held to their heads.
Socialist Pupils Association Encourages Members to Vandalize Churches
March 20, 2008, AustriaIn a newsletter Austrian "Aktion Kritischer Schüler" (Socialist Pupils Association) encourages members to take the occasion of the international day against racism (March 21st) to vandalize churches.
Countless Vandal Attacks Against Churches
January 1, 2008, United KingdomIn 2007 one out of every three Anglican churches suffered a vandal attack at some point during the year. Theft, arson and malicious damage is a problem for churches. Claims cost £1.8 million in total, a significant amount for petty crime. The average cost of these claims was around £900. These statistics don’t even take into account the smaller attacks which churches don’t report to their insurer because the damage is minor. It is therefore likely that many more thousands of churches suffer malicious damage every year.
Overview of Anti-Christian Vandalism in France in 2007
December 31, 2007, FranceMany acts of vandalism have occured in France in 2007. Please find here a list of examples of various incidents against Christian sites.
Fire Set to Catholic Chapel
December 24, 2007, RussiaIntentional fire was set at a Catholic chapel in the Cossack village of Leningradskaya, the Krasnodar Region. The motivation of the attack and its perpetrators remain unknown but it could be religious hate.
Clown Interrupted Mass and Destroyed Baptismal Font
November 22, 2007, SpainA 36 year old man, wearing a clown costume, entered into the Corpus Christi Parish in Granada during mass and interrupted it. Right after, he destroyed the Baptismal Font with a wrench. The media reported that regulars to the parish had noticed the aggressor in the adjacent areas of the church in the days before the attack.
Violence and Damages to Orthodox Church
August 20, 2007, Bosnia and HerzegovinaFour unidentified people allegedly broke into the Orthodox Church in a mixed settlement in Bugojno. They set a table and the priests’ robes on fire, and proceeded to desecrate the church. Two individuals were prosecuted for the latter event and sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment with a two-year suspended sentence. The Bugojno Municipal Assembly agreed to compensate the Church for the damage and installed video surveillance.
Desecration of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Békéscsaba
July 27, 2007, HungaryThe Romanian Orthodox church in Békéscsaba suffered an arson attack in the evening of July 24 by unknown people.
Orthodox Churches Attacked by Molotov Cocktails or Stoned
July 20, 2007, KosovoOn July 20th, in Kozarac, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Orthodox Church was stoned and the windows of the church were broken. In another incident on October 19th, a Serbian Orthodox church in Gjilan/Gnjilane, Kosovo was attacked with Molotov cocktails, but the interior of the church was not damaged.
Church Attacked in Kosovo
March 30, 2007, KosovoIn Dean/Decane, Kosovo, the wall of one of the Serbian-Orthodox church’s most revered sites, a 14th-century monastery, was damaged by an anti-tank missile. On 4 May, the Kosovo police service said they had identified a suspect, but no arrest was made.
Community Metal Cross Broken and Dragged Away
March 30, 2007, Bosnia and HerzegovinaIn Prozor, Bosnia and Herzegovina, four people broke down a metal cross that belonged to the Catholic community from a nearby village, and dragged it a few hundred meters away. The four defendants signed a plea agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office in Mostar, admitting their guilt. Three defendants were sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with a probation period of one year, and one defendant got a sentence of three months’ imprisonment.
Orthodox Churches in Process of Rebuilding Vandalized and Robbed in Kosovo-Metohija
January 30, 2007, KosovoA roof surface of almost 50 square meters of lead roofing was stolen from the Serbian Orthodox Church consecrated to Our Lady in Prizren which is in process of rebuilding after the devastation of Albanian mass riots in 2004.
Overview of Anti-Christian Vandalism in 2006
December 31, 2006, FranceAcording to National Sources, 172 acts of vandalism against all religions have occured in France in 2006. A large number of those were perpetrated against Christian places of worship. Please find in the following an exemplary list of indicidents.
Repeated Attacks Against the Orthodox Church in Kosovo
December 31, 2006, KosovoChristian sites, ministres and believers have been targeted by various attacks in Kosovo during the year 2006. Here is a non-exhaustive list of these actions:
Church Targeted by Molotov Cocktails
November 4, 2006, TurkeyThe Odemis Love Protestant Church in Odemis, near Izmir, was attacked with Molotov cocktails. The church, where the pastor and his family lived, had been the target of stone-throwing and harassment in the months prior to the event.
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.