All cases
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.
Political Slogans Spraypainted on Catholic Church Building
November 23, 2013, AustriaUnknown perpetrators spray painted the famous Vienna church "Votivkirche" with political slogans such as "Refugees Welcome?“. This is particularly strange as the parish priest and the archdiocese of Vienna did not ask the police to end a months-long occupation of the church by refugees.
Church in Vienna Vandalised
November 18, 2013, AustriaIn the church Our Lady of the Martyrs in Vienna's 15th district, candle holders were stolen and a cross was vandalised.
Crucified Chicken Hurts Feelings of Believers
August 1, 2013, AustriaChristians in Austria were hurt by the depiction of a crucified chicken as a work of art by Deborah Sengl. The image was displayed in Wiener Neustadt in the late summer, ironically in a former church building.
34 Anti-Life Activists Arrested for Attacks and Violations of Freedom of Assembly against Praying Christians
July 26, 2013, AustriaA peaceful prayer-manifestation of young Christians in Salzburg was interrupted by aggressive pro-choice activists who blocked streets and insulted the Christian activists. Police officers had to rearrange the walking route of the march and finally arrested 34 pro-choice activists for the violation of freedom of assembly. Two pro-choice activists also attacked a police officer.
Minister Calls Contribution of Church “Inacceptable and Dispensable” in Public Debate
June 4, 2013, AustriaIn the public debate on stepchild adoption for homosexual couples, Mrs. Gabriele Heinisch-Hosek, minister for women’s affairs, calls the contribution of the Catholic Church “inacceptable and dispensable”. In German: “Die Wortmeldungen aus Kirchenkreisen sind in diesem Zusammenhang inakzeptabel und entbehrlich."
Monastery Raided by Masked Gunmen
June 3, 2013, AustriaThe Salvatorian monastery of Hörbranz in the Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg was raided by masked gunmen. A monk was threatened at gunpoint. The two men, allegedly in their 30’s, escaped with several thousands of Euros.
Pharmacists Do Not Enjoy an Explicit Right to Conscientious Objection
May 21, 2013, AustriaIn Austria, pharmacists do not enjoy an explicit right to conscientious objection. The so called “morning after pill” may be obtained either by prescription or in case of emergency without a prescription. Besides other functions, the taking of the morning after pill may result in an early abortion. The Austrian criminal code contains a conscience clause for medical staff with regard to abortion. But for pharmacists there is no such clause. It is therefore unclear, whether pharmacists have a right to conscientious objection or not. The professional representation of pharmacists says there isn’t. This body argues that there is a legal obligation to contract; and that not delivering would be an act of non-assistance to a person in danger. Therefore, pharmacists or employees of pharmacies do not dare to withhold the abortifacient drug for conscientious reasons. It is necessary to introduce a law in Austria which explicitly recognises the freedom of conscience of pharmacists.
Stalking Law Used Against Freedom of Assembly of Pro-Life Christians
May 21, 2013, AustriaAnti-stalking legislation is used against side-walk counselling or picketing. On October 25th, 2011, the state court of Graz, Styria, upheld a judgement of the first instance condemning pro-life side-walk counsellors to pay fines on the grounds of “stalking.”
(EU) Non-Discriminatory Hiring Laws Shown to be Problematic
May 21, 2013, AustriaIn transposition of EU – law, Austria has adopted strict non-discrimination legislation in the employment sector. When a Christian religious official was looking for a secretary, his legal advisor asked the equal treatment commission before publishing a job advertisement: would it be permissible to reject a headscarf-wearing Muslim woman? The answer was no.
Mother Forces Primary School to Remove Crucifixes
May 7, 2013, AustriaAt a primary school in Vienna crucifixes had to be taken off the walls because a mother felt that they were a “religious paternalism”. This was possible when it turned out that less than half of the pupils are registered as Christians. For the first time since National Socialism crucifixes were banned from class rooms.
Anti-Christian Graffiti on Cathedral of St Pölten
May 1, 2013, AustriaUnknown perpetrators spray painted "We do not want your crosses" on the outside wall of the Catholic Cathedral of St. Pölten in the night to May 1st. The graffiti included crossed-out signs in cross-shapes, a swastika and a so-called Kruckenkreuz (an Austrian historic sign for the right-wing government between 1934-38). Next to a clearly anti-Christian message, the Christian cross was unfairly paired with the Nazi swastika.
Common Greeting with Reference to God Discouraged in Department of Health
April 24, 2013, AustriaIn the course of a debate on the health care reform in the National Assembly of Austria, the spokesman of physicians of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), Andreas Karlsböck criticised Health Minister Alois Stöger of the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) because he had discouraged or even prohibited the use of the common German greeting “Grüß Gott” (a greeting which literally means “Greet God”) in the Department of Health.
Vandalised Churches in Austria in 2012
December 31, 2012, AustriaNumerous cases of vandalism against churches and church buildings took place in Austria in 2012. Find here a non-exhaustive list of recorded incidents.
Burglary of Churches in Austria in 2012
December 31, 2012, AustriaNumerous cases of burglary of churches and church buildings took place in Austria in 2012. Find here a non-exhaustive list of recorded incidents.
University Professor in Austria Calls for Death Penalty for Pope
December 28, 2012, AustriaDuring Christmas holidays 2012, Austrialian born Richard Parncutt, professor for music sciences at the Karl-Franzens-Universität in Graz, issued the official University website to call for death penalty for the pope as a punishment for opposing artifical birth control and condoms. The university deleted the comments and summoned Prof. Parncutt to a disciplinary meeting: “Safeguarding human rights belong to the most important principles of the University of Graz.” The professor apologized.
Three Churches Set on Fire in Amstetten
December 23, 2012, AustriaOn December 23, three churches were set on fire in the small town of Amstetten, lower Austria. One of the churches was severely damaged.
Series of Thievery in Austrian Churches
December 15, 2012, AustriaSince summer 2012 a series of thefts has been going on in Austrian churches around Melk. Figurines have been taken and in mid-December images have been cut out from flags used for processions.
TV Team Produces Satire on Church in Cathedral Without Permission
November 16, 2012, AustriaIn mid-November an episode of the satiric television serial “Wir Staatskünstler” (We official state artists) was filmed in the Catholic Cathedral of St Pölten without permission. Three actors working for the Austrian public service broadcaster ORF (state TV) were dressed up similarly to the group “Pussy Riot”, entered the church, imitated Islamic prayer moves and called upon “mother heaven”.
Left Wing Politicial Youth Insults Jesus
October 26, 2012, AustriaIn a newspaper of the "Young Greens" of Austrian region Vorarlberger depicts Jesus with a funny smile as a gay man holding a sign "gay Jesus". While the magazine gives explicit instructions for sexual behaviour of youth, it also recommends to wear three knotes in a belt, signifying "wealth, unchastity and disobedience" mocking the evangelical counsels of Christian tradition.