All cases
Teenagers Try to Set fire to a Church
February 13, 2022, ItalyIn Pesaro, on the 13. February, two teenagers were caught on camera as they tried to cause a fire in the church of San Luigi Gonzaga. They spread hand sanitiser on the ground in front of the altar and then started a fire with a lighter. Luckily the fire went out after around 10 minutes. The parish priest left a sign on the door saying he forgives the boys who did it.
A Man Dismantles the Statue of the Madonna
February 13, 2022, ItalyA man dismantled the statue of the Madonna in Via di Ponte Galeria, Rome, on the 13. February. The residents who heard the noise alerted the police, who were able to arrest the man on the spot. The man threatened the police and tried to attack them, he was allegedly under the influence of alcohol.
Unknown Vandals Destroy Holy Water bottles in Laives Church
February 13, 2022, ItalyAbout 20 bottles of holy water, at the Laives parish church, were emptied and scattered around the churchyard on November 13th. These bottles were at the entrance of the nave for people to pick up and leave a donation. The perpetrators of the crime did not only destroy. the bottles, but they also showed complete disrespect for something of religious sentiment and then left a mess at the church property.
Extensive Fire Caused by Arson at Church in Glasgow
February 13, 2022, United KingdomThe Jackson Church of Scotland in Airdrie, a North Lanarkshire town near Glasgow, was deliberately set on fire on the morning of the 13. February. An investigation has been launched by the police, who are treating the fire as arson. According to the police, the fire was started around 3 am and the fire brigade was called around 4 am. The church building will remain closed and services have been suspended, as Kay Gilchrist, the church's reverend announced on the Twitter account of the church.
Statue Outside Church in Boitzenburg Vandalized
February 13, 2022, GermanyFor the 750th anniversary of the church in Boitzenburg, a woman, with her own money, had a wooden statue of a nun made for outside the church. The figure, which was 1.3 meters high, was found knocked over on February 2nd with its base broken. At first, the culprit was thought to be the recent storm but on further investigation, a white sticky substance was found on it which confirmed the act was done by vandals.
35 Graves Desecrated in the Ciempozuelos Cemetery in Madrid
February 13, 2022, SpainIn the beginning of February 2022, 35 graves were desecrated in the Ciempozuelos municipal cemetery. The perpetrators stole status of Christ, crucifixes and other metal and copper funerary elements that adorned the tombstones, while some of them were found broken and trampled.
Swedish Christian Teacher Fired Over Pronoun Dispute
February 11, 2022, SwedenA Swedish Christian teacher, Selma Gamaleldin, faced accusations of discrimination for refusing to address a student identifying as 'non-binary' with the gender-neutral pronoun 'hen', due to her personal belief.
Church in Königsbrunn Tagged by Unknown Vandals
February 10, 2022, GermanyUnknown perpetrators defaced the courtyard of the church "Maria Unterm Kreuz" in Königsbrunn with several tags on the 10. February. The incident was reported by the police at the weekend, they have estimated the damage caused by the graffiti at about 3,000 euros.
France: Report finds 38% Rise in Anti-Religious Violence
February 10, 2022, FranceInitial findings of a report were presented on the 10. February by French MPs Ludovic Mendes and Isabelle Florennes. They were ordered by the French Prime Minister Jean Castex to conduct a report on anti-religious attacks in France. The report found a 38% rise in anti-religious violence since 2019. Of the 1.659 anti-religious incidents in 2021, 857 were against Christians, which makes them the most targeted religion in France.
3 People Charged with Terrorist Attack Against Orthodox Church
February 10, 2022, GreeceTwo men and one women were charged with terrorism, endangering life, and damage to property after they threw a Molotov cocktail into the entrance of a Greek Orthodox church. They were expected to be part of a group called Organization Anarchist Action who have done similar attacks in the past. Thankfully this targeted attack caused little damage.