All cases

Golfo Aranci Church Vandalised

January 16, 2026, Italy

Vandals targeted the Nostra Signora del Monte church in Golfo Aranci, causing damage to the outdoor altar and destroying surveillance equipment.

Call to Remove Religious Symbols Hits European Court

January 16, 2026, France

In July 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) communicated Union of Atheists v. Greece (Application No. 001-244533), a case seeking the removal of Christian icons from Greek courtrooms. The application reflects a broader attempt to eliminate longstanding religious symbols from public institutions across Europe, raising concerns about whether state neutrality is increasingly interpreted as requiring the erasure of religious heritage from public life.

Allershausen Church Targeted in Arson Incident

January 15, 2026, Germany

A deliberate fire was set inside St. Josef church in Allershausen, Bavaria, causing damage to the interior.

Inverted Cross, Scattered Ash and Property Damage in Lutheran Church

January 14, 2026, Germany

Vandals targeted the Lutheran Church in Bad Marienberg, Westerwald, Germany, overturning furniture, scattering ash, and inverting a wooden cross, causing damage to both property and religious symbols.

Woman Stole and Burned Church Gospel Book

January 14, 2026, Poland

Police identified and detained a 41‑year‑old woman who stole a Gospel book from a church in Nowy Tomyśl and later burned it, with residents assisting in her identification.

Fifteen Nativity Figures Taken from Church in Doganella di Ninfa

January 12, 2026, Italy

At a church in Doganella di Ninfa, 15 nativity scene statues, each measuring about 30 centimetres in height, were stolen.

Church in Metz Vandalised Again

January 12, 2026, France

On 12 January, a church in Metz was vandalised, marking a repeated attack on the Église de la Sainte-Famille.

Granzette Church Desecrated with Human Waste Near Altar

January 11, 2026, Italy

A small church in the Granzette cemetery was vandalised over the weekend, with human waste found near the altar.

Nativity Display Destroyed in Cordovado

January 11, 2026, Italy

Vandals destroyed a nativity scene displayed on the church forecourt in Cordovado, in the province of Pordenone, during the night of 10–11 January 2026, prompting condemnation from local authorities.

Historic Zamora Church Vandalised

January 10, 2026, Spain

Vandals defaced Zamora’s Church of Santa María la Nueva with slogans accusing the church of being "accomplice" of Franco and anarchist graffiti.