All cases
Repeated vandalism of the "White Virgin of Madrid"
October 31, 2023, SpainAccording to news reports from March 2024, a statue of Mary in Madrid has been repeatedly vandalised. After Halloween, the statue was found with satanic signs on its face.
Man Attacks People Praying outside Abortion Clinic
October 28, 2023, AustriaDuring the prayer initative "40 Days for Life" a man and a woman holding signs and praying outside an abortion clinic in Vienna were attacked by a man. The man snatched the signs, which displayed the picture of a baby, from them and violently broke the signs into pieces. He also took one of the signs and ran away with it.
Churches in Alessandria Desecrated
October 28, 2023, ItalyIn the afternoon of October 28, the Church of San Giovannino was desecrated. A young man entered the presbytery, climbed onto the alter to reach for the crucifix and threw it on the floor, breaking it into several pieces. After that, he removed a crucifix from the wall at the front of the church and broke it. The incident was filmed by security cameras, though the man had put out the candles in the church as to not be recognized.
Scottish MP says she left her party after being 'unwelcome as a Christian'
October 25, 2023, United KingdomScottish MP Dr Lisa Cameron shared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour how she had felt marginalised in the Scottish National Party (SNP) because of her Christian faith and pressured to vote against her convictions. Now defected to the Conservative Party, Dr Cameron voted against the 2020 new abortion regime for Northern Ireland and disagreed with bills which sought to legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales.
Tablecloth on the altar of Saint-Symphorien Church
October 24, 2023, FranceOn October 24, the tablecloth on the altar of the Saint-Symphorien Church of Loué, Sarthe, was set on fire. As the alert was given very quickly the local priests were able to extinguish the fire and prevent further damages. Local authorities, however, expressed concern about the symbolism of this incident.
Historical 16th century crucifix destroyed in Seville
October 22, 2023, SpainThe historic crucifix located in the Santa Marta square in Seville was destroyed on the night of October 22nd by unknown perpetrators. It dated to the 16th century and had a carving of a crucifix on one side and a pietà on the other.
Sacred Objects Stolen from Church in Brenna
October 22, 2023, PolandUnknown perpetrators broke into the church of St. John the Baptist in Brenna on October 22 between 9:00 PM and midnight and stole sacred objects. According to Cieszyn police spokesman Krzysztof Pawlik, the thieves stole a gold-plated chalice and a reliquary.
Christian Hybrid School Forcibly Closed by German Authorities
October 19, 2023, GermanyThe Dietrich Bonhoeffer International School in Germany was forced to close for the year by German education authorities. The school has been open for 9 years with an award-winning pedagogical model. Germany has banned homeschooling, hybrid schools, and has tightened restrictions on private schools. German authorities wrote to the school that "the immediate enforcement of prohibitions is ordered", preventing students from continuing their schooling there for the rest of the year. The government has also fined the school 600 euros in administrative fees. Authorities stated that the school website was an "advertisement for the impermissible school", and was ordered to be shut down. The school is arguing that Germany is violating national and international human rights law - including parents' rights to educate their children in accordance with their philosophical and religious convictions - with its ban on homeschooling, along with other restrictions on education. An urgency lawsuit to reopen the school is currently pending.
Draft law would ban Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine
October 19, 2023, UkraineOn October 19, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) voted in favour of a draft law banning all activities of "organisations based in a country waging war against Ukraine". The text targets the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of the Moscow Patriarchate and has raised concerns about the safeguarding of religious freedom in Ukraine. The UOC said the draft law would be unconstitutional. The text, which has been presented in a first reading, is currently under revision.
Christian Preacher Faces up to Six Months in Prison for Holding Sign with Bible Verse
October 17, 2023, United KingdomChristian preacher, Stephen Green, 72, was tried in court on October 17, for allegedly having protested against abortion within a 'buffer zone' surrounding MSI Reproductive Choices clinic in Mattock Lane, West London on February 6, 2023. Green was quietly holding a sign with a Bible verse from Psalm 139:13 written on it, which reads: "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb". Appearing at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court, Green pleaded not guilty to breaking the public spaces protection order (PSPO). According to the Mail Online, Mr. Green's charge sheet accuses him of "[protesting] by engaging in an act of disapproval or attempted act of disapproval with respect to issues related to abortion services, by written means in that you were holding a large sign displaying the text ‘Psalm 139:13 (...) relating directly or indirectly to the termination of pregnancy."