All cases

Church in Satrup Graffitied

March 30, 2022, Germany

The Laurentius Church in Satrup was vandalized with paint on March 30th. The façade was covered with phrases written in black paint which expressed contempt for the church and now have to be taken off by a specialist company.

Russian Occupied Crimea Orders Law to ban Ukrainian Orthodox Church

March 30, 2022, Russian occupied Crimea

Law makers were ordered, by Sergei Aksyonov head of Russian-controlled Crimea, to draft a law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Black Sea Peninsula. The working list was planned to be finished by the end of the week, at which point, it would be adopted by parliament. This reflected the tension which existed for a number of years in the Orthodox Church, but saw a resent rise as the war developed.

Update: Finnish Court Upholds Free Speech in Major Trial

March 30, 2022, Finland

On March 30th, the Helsinki District Court unanimously dismissed all charges against MP Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola in a major freedom of speech victory. Päivi Räsänen was prosecuted for sharing her faith based beliefs on marriage in a tweet, and Juhana Pohjola had published a pamphlet, by Räsänen containing these beliefs, 17 years earlier. The ruling of this high-profile case stated that “it is not for the district court to interpret biblical concepts," ordered the prosecution to pay the legal costs of 60,000 EUR, and gave the prosecution seven days to appeal.

Sacred Relic Stolen from Church in Brianza

March 30, 2022, Italy

On the 30th of April, an antique silver cross was stolen from a church in Barlassina. The cross, which was kept in a small box that was forced open, was of little monetary value which makes the theft particularly sacrilegious. Investigations were underway to find out who committed the theft.

Orthodox Priest Kidnapped in Kherson, Ukraine

March 30, 2022, Ukraine

Sergey Chudinovich, an Orthodox priest from the church of Serhiy Chudynovych in Kherson, was kidnapped on March 30th. Three men, who claimed they were police officers, searched the documents of those present and then drove off with Sergey Chudinovich, who was said to be a well know public figure. He is one of the many religious leaders who has been abducted in Russian occupied areas of Ukraine.

Stone Wall of Notre-Dame des Conches Chapel Vandalised

March 30, 2022, France

At the end of March, the isolated Notre-Dame des Conches chapel was vandalised by people who attacked the stone wall with a crowbar to gain entry. They were unsuccessful, as they only made a large hole in it.

59 Religious Buildings, Mostly Orthodox, have been Damaged by Russian Military

March 28, 2022, Ukraine

Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 21st, 59 religious buildings have been badly damaged by Russian attacks in 8 different regions. The Ministry of Information Policy and Culture of Ukraine reported that most of these building had been Orthodox Churches while others were synagogues, mosques, and religious education institutions. The Kremlin claims to "protect Orthodoxy" but these statistics tell a different story.

Sacred Objects Stolen from Couhé

March 28, 2022, France

A ciboria and chalices, both of which were in the sacristy or tabernacle, were stolen from the Couhé church on March 28th. Consecrated hosts were also taken, which implies the perpetrator was targeting the celebration of the Eucharist as hosts can be sold for high prices in some satanic circles. The theft of these objects of worship was a hateful attack on the religious traditions of the church.

Church in Bärenkeller Vandalized

March 27, 2022, Germany

The church in Bärenkeller experienced considerable damage on the night of the 27th of March. A window in the basement was damaged and a church pew was ripped right out of the ground. The police are looking for witnesses for the investigation. According to the police, the damage to property is around 500 Euro.

Cross Stolen from St. Michael's Church

March 27, 2022, Germany

On March 27th, a cross made of cast bronze was stolen from the crypt of St. Michael's church in Fulda. It was not known who did it but the police were investigating.