All cases

Polish Court Rejects Appeal for LGBTQ Acquittal

January 12, 2022, Poland

The Plock court in Poland has finally rejected the prosecutions appeal after three pro-LGBTQ women were acquitted in March of 2021. They had been distributing posters of the Virgin May with a rainbow halo on her head and were prosecuted for "offending religious beliefs." The sentence would have been up to two years but the offence was not deemed severe enough.

Drunk Man Threatens Priest And Tries to Enter Church

January 11, 2022, Italy

Around 4 a.m. today, Tuesday 11 January, a 29-year-old young man with multiple past convictions began threatening the parish priest of the Collegiate Church in Moncalieri because he could not get into the church. The parish priest, worried about the possibility of vandalism, called the Carabinieri. When they arrived a few minutes later, the soldiers tried to calm him down, but the man attacked them and continued his fury even at the barracks, where he was taken to formalise his arrest.

Tabernacle Broken in Romainville

January 11, 2022, France

Vandals wrecked the church of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois in Romainville on January 11th. The Diocese wrote in a press release, "a trunk was torn off, the tabernacle was fractured, the sound equipment, stolen and the cupboards of the sacristy, stripped of several sacred vases". This act of desecration expressed a total lack of respect for these religious symbols.

Italian Parish Priest Demands Help After Continuous Attacks and Vandalism

January 11, 2022, Italy

The parish priest of the church of San Benedetto in Livorno, Don Tomasz Zurek, has said he can't stand anymore the intimidation and vandalism that happens outside his church every night. In the last incident, someone started a fire to a paper that was on the Church door. As he protested the violent acts he has to endure, he was pushed by the vandals. The priest says: "We ask for a permanent presence of the police and, if necessary, also of the army." He has organized a letter, together with people from a shopping centre nearby, also intimidated by the vandals that gather outside the Church at night. This was reported on the 11th of January.

Hundreds of Hosts Stolen from Saint-Pierre Church

January 10, 2022, France

Thieves broke through the stained-glass windows of the Saint-Pierre Church in Bondy to desecrate the tabernacle and steal hundreds of hosts. This act of desecration showed intense disrespect for some of the most sacred objects in the Catholic church. Father Jocelyn Petitfils explains that the tabernacle is "the most venerable place in the church, where the consecrated hosts are stored”.

Attempted Arson at Bakum Church

January 10, 2022, Germany

Between the 8th and the 10th of January, unknown perpetrators made an arson attack at the St.-Johannes-Baptist-Church in Bakum. According to the police, the fire was started on a paper and it damaged one table. The fire smoke also damaged the walls. The damage amounts to approx. 200 Euro. The police is now investigating and requesting clues from eye-witnesses.

Heavy Flagstones Stolen from Glossop Church

January 10, 2022, United Kingdom

Thieves targeted a church in Glossop and stole a number of ancient flagstones from the floor. The theft from the grounds of Glossop Parish Church of All Saints has left the local community saddened. The stolen flagstones were taken from the path outside the west end of the church overnight between Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 January. Tyre tracks were left nearby so it is believed a vehicle was used in the theft of the very heavy stone.

Nativity Scene Statue Stolen from Church in Forbach-Bermersbach

January 10, 2022, Germany

A nativity scene figure was stolen from a church in Forbach-Bermersbach (Rastatt district) on 10. January. According to the police, the figure, a "servant with a donation box", was stolen from the unlocked church. The damage is said to be of a non-material and artistic nature; the financial damage cannot yet be quantified.

Crucifix Stolen from Church During Funeral

January 10, 2022, France

A repeat thief stole a wooden crucifix off the condolence table at the Saint-Nicolas de Port Basilica near Dombasle, France. The absence of the liturgical piece was noticed shortly after the funeral had ended and upon viewing the footage from the nearby surveillance cameras, the police identified the thief to be Phillipe Languedoc. He has been in prison for the past 38 years for other offences and now will spend 12 more months behind bars for this crime. The lack of respect for religious sentiments was evident in the incident.

Church Windows Smashed by Unknown Perpetrators

January 9, 2022, Belgium

On Sunday 9. January, the church in Bouvignes was targeted by unknown vandals. The Stained glass windows were broken, probably through kicking. Father Jean-Baptiste Raty, parish priest of the church, called the action a : "gratuitous vandalism".