All cases
Vandals Pour Sugar From Food Donations Into Holy Water
July 5, 2022, GermanyBetween the evening of July 4 and the morning of July 5, unknown vandals poured a kilo of sugar into the Holy Water font of the Church of St. Joseph. The sugar was taken from the pantry with food donations in Lindlar - the baskets had been put up in the Church for a while so donators can place the food there. This has not been the first distasteful prank taking place in the Church of St. Joseph in recent months. Heinz Otto Höher says, even though nothing was stolen "we want to know who is behind it", now considering installing a surveillance system in the church, to avoid the recurrence of similar cases. Nonetheless, a good thing came out of this bad situation: "After it became known in Kirchdorf, we received numerous food donations that more than compensate for the loss of sugar".
Polish Graves in Belarus Profanated by Belarusian Authorities
July 5, 2022, BelarusThe headquarters of the Home Army Polish soldiers who died in 1944 was destroyed by Belarusian authorities. None of the 22 crosses that stood on the memorial remain standing. Nasz Dziennik, the government plenipotentiary for Polish Diaspora and Poles Abroad, considered this vandalistic act a provocation to escalate the relations between Poland and Belarus, fearing that this might only be a "prelude to further disgusting acts of provocation". He added that the Belarusian regime means to distance itself from the family of European Christian States, but that the desecration of the graves and destruction of the memorial site will be received with equal indignation both by Poles in Belarus and by Belarusians.
Destruction of Another Roadside Shrine in Sowina
July 5, 2022, PolandOn the night of July 5-6, unknown perpetrators destroyed a roadside shrine located in the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sowina. In the roadside chapel of Przymiarki, the glass of the enclosure in which the statue of the Virgin Mary is placed was broken. Flower pots were also knocked over.
Wipperfürth: Church Vandalised Several Times within Three Months
July 5, 2022, GermanyDuring the night of 4-5 July, a kilo of sugar "taken" from the donations of the faithful to the solidarity grocery shop of St. Joseph's in Wipperfürth, was emptied into one of the church's holy water fonts. Parish members report that this is (at least) the third case of vandalism in a few months, the Easter candle and the church's sound system having been damaged in the past.
News: New EU Commissioner for Religious Freedom Appointed
July 4, 2022, BelgiumThe Italian Mario Mauro was appointed the new EU Commissioner for Religious Freedom after the position was vacant for 9 months, ever since the previous Commissioner, Stylianides, resigned. Before Stylianide's appointment, the post was vacant for 10 months, which indicates that it is not a priority for the European Commission. It only attempted to fill the vacancy after some politicians, and other figures pressed the issue.
Pitsmore Christ Church in Burngreave Fell Victim to Suspected Arson, No Services Available
July 4, 2022, United KingdomPitsmore Christ Church in Burngreave, a district of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, is no longer able to hold services after being damaged in a fire on the night of 3 to 4 July. The authorities and the parish consider the fire to be arson. An investigation has been launched.
Theft of Hosts and Sacred Object from Church in Baigts-de-Béarn
July 3, 2022, FranceThe parish of Baigts-de-Béarn reports the theft of hosts and a monstrance offered by the Empress Eugénie during the reign of Napoleon III (1851-1870) from the parish during a burglary on the night of 2 to 3 July. The door of the sacristy was broken open and "88 hosts in two boxes" were stolen, among other sacred objects. It is important to not that the Hosts are the most holy for Catholics because they embody the real presence of Christ. They are often stolen by Satanists to perform satanic rituals.
Security fencing shall stop church vandals
July 1, 2022, United KingdomDue to repeated vandalism and criminal damage the local council has been forced to install fencing and warning signs around All Saints Church in Ridgmont, Bedfordshire. Furthermore, the area around the church is now patrolled by the police.
Historic Crown Stolen From German Church
June 30, 2022, GermanyUnknown thieves stole a historic 17th-century crown from a church in Weikersheim. According to the information provided by the police, the thieves also stole two cable drums from the church. The total amount of the valuables stolen is in the five-digit range. It was the 3rd reported theft at the church only in the month of June and the police "are examining a connection between the crimes". In the previous thefts, the unknown perpetrators stole construction equipment and building materials.
2,000 Euros of Property Damage in St. Pantaleon Church
June 29, 2022, GermanyOn the 29th of June, between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., unknown people entered the church of St. Pantaleon in Walpertshofen and vandalized it. First, they damaged the entrance door of the church and inside tore a tile out of the wall. Then, they ripped out the pages from the hymn and prayer books and scattered them through the church. The vandals continued to damage the church by lighting candles and spreading the wax on the floor and on the pews, in addition to knocking over chairs and flowers. They fled the scene leaving significant property damage behind, which is estimated to amount to 2,000 euros. The case was reported to the police who started an investigation to find the perpetrators.