All cases
Perpetrators Set Container on Fire and Push It Into a Parish Hall Building
October 23, 2022, GermanyUnknown persons set a container on fire in front of a church parish hall and pushed the container into the building, burning the entrance and part of the façade. This incident happened in the city of Bielefeld on the 23. October and has shocked the members of the church of St. Nikolas. According to the news, the parish hall of the St. Nikolai Church and the entry of the church would have to remain closed until the end of the year or longer, due to the reparation work. The police are investigating.
Unknown Vandals Damage Bible, Candles and Hymn Books in German Church
October 22, 2022, GermanyOn the 22. October, vandals entered a church in Nidda (Germany) and threw down hymn books, damaged candles and spilt candle wax on the altar and on a Bible. The damage of the church took place during the opening hours in the afternoon and the damage amounts to about 150 Euros. The police in Büdingen are asking for information from witnesses.
Unknown Persons try to break into German church Leaving thousands in damage
October 22, 2022, GermanyAccording to the police, unknown perpetrators tried to break open the two doors and three windows of an annexe to a Catholic church in Sontra (Germany) between the 16. and 22. October. They did not get inside the building, but in the process, the perpetrators caused damage of about 3,000 euros.
Baptismal font stolen from church in Germany
October 22, 2022, GermanyThe consternation over the theft of a baptismal font from the Apostles' Church in Münster has spread far and wide, reports Westfälische Nachrichten. The baptismal font was stolen on the 22nd of October. Pastor Dr Christoph Nooke has been contacted not only by shocked parishioners and people from Münster, but also by a couple from Lüdinghausen who learned of the crime from Westfälische Nachrichten and now offered to replace the stolen baptismal font.
Church Tagged with Graffiti in Belgium
October 20, 2022, BelgiumIt was reported on the 20. October that the walls of the Sint-Elisabeth Church in Kortrijk were vandalized with crossed-out crosses and the word "F*CK" written with black spray paint. This is not the first time the church has faced vandalism. The pastor of the church, Guido Cooman, said that he is going to file a complaint with the police.
Entrance Door of San Felice Church Stolen by a Man
October 20, 2022, ItalyOn October 20., a 49-year-old man was arrested by the military, after he had stolen the entrance door of the Church of San Felice Martire in the centre of the town. The military found the stolen door in the garage of the subject and proceeded to arrest him, which prompted the man to react aggressively and throw objects at them. The man will have to answer for the criminal offence of stealing ecclesiastical cultural property, a specific conduct recently provided for in the Criminal Code.
Stained Glass Windows of Church Broken by Vandals in France
October 19, 2022, FranceAirsoft bullets damaged the stained glass windows of a church in France, as Actu France reported on the 19. October. The windows of the church Saint-Ténénan, in Guerlesquin, show notably significant damages following airsoft shootings.
Russian Orthodox priest attacked in Lisbon
October 19, 2022, PortugalThe Russian Embassy in Portugal denounced that Fr Sergiy Borsky, of the All Saints Parish of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Lisbon, "has received several threats to his life and physical integrity" and had been criminally attacked.
Destruction of a cross at a forest in Poland
October 18, 2022, PolandOn October 18, 2022, local Polish media reported the destruction of a cross in the Rudki forest. An unknown perpetrator cut down a century-old wooden cross located in a forest complex on the edge of Lublin and Krężnica Jareja.
Vandal destroys statue of Pope John Paul II in Poland
October 17, 2022, PolandOn the 17. October, the police in Lubasz were notified that an unknown vandal had severely damaged the statue of John Paul II, which was estimated at a loss of PLN 1,500. The 20-year-old perpetrator has been caught by the police and now faces up to 5 years imprisonment for the crime he committed. However, the final punishment will be decided by the court.