All cases

Authorities Confirmed Arson to Church in Lessen

July 18, 2022, Germany

On the early evening of July 18, two people attending the church in Leezen noticed smoke building up in the rear area of the church and alerted the authorities. According to the police's preliminary investigations, a box with candles was lit on fire inside the church, deeming this case an "attempted serious arson". However, the extent of the damage caused could not be assessed yet. The police are looking for witnesses who might have seen people acting suspiciously on the church grounds. The arson motive was confirmed later on.

Mayoral Candidate Fired for Voicing Christian Beliefs

July 18, 2022, United Kingdom

A Christian mayoral candidate for Lewisham, Maureen Martin, has launched legal action after being sacked for her statement on Christian beliefs about marriage in her election manifesto. She was dismissed by her housing association employer L&Q for "gross misconduct" following three complaints of "hate speech" against her, as she expressed her belief that a marriage between a man and a woman was a "fundamental building block in society" and the "safest environment to raise a child".

Destruction of Crucifix in Płoty

July 18, 2022, Poland

Unknown perpetrators have destroyed the missionary crucifix located at the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Sorrows in Płoty. The investigation found that the act of devastation was carried out between July 18 and 20.

Window Smashed with Stone in parish of St. Andreas

July 17, 2022, Germany

Unknown persons broke a window of the rectory of St. Andrew's parish on the night of 17 and 18 July. The sexton of the parish noticed the damage early Sunday morning and the stone that was used was found in the room behind it. The damaged window faces the Andreasplatz, but there was no intrusion into the premises. The police started an investigation and are looking for witnesses.

Vandalism in St. Martini Cemetery

July 17, 2022, Germany

A citizen reported to the police that four benches had been thrown into the pond at St. Martini cemetery in Stadthagen. It is not yet known if the benches were damaged by this act, nor who threw them into the water. The police are investigating the case.

Repeated Property Damage in the Catholic Church in Dierdorf

July 17, 2022, Germany

Between July 16 and 17, a glazed door of a Catholic Church was destroyed by unknown people. During the previous week, another attack took place in the same church, in which unknown perpetrators destroyed a stained glass window. Both cases were reported to the police who opened an investigation.

Three Vandals Break-In in Church, Steal Religious Objects and Ring Church Bells

July 17, 2022, Poland

During the night between the 16th and 17th of July, three young people, aged 20, 21, and 25, broke into a church in the Świebodzin Commune, while under the influence of alcohol. They entered the church by breaking the padlock and, inside, stole the chalice, cyborium, and message boxes, worth a little over 400 euros. However, according to the police, after leaving the church building, they left the stolen objects in the bushes and entered the bell tower, rang the bells and hence woke up the town residents. The perpetrators were identified and detained by the police. They were charged with "theft with burglary" and can face up to 10 years in prison.

Group of Young Men Harassed and Humiliated Priest

July 17, 2022, Slovakia

Bishop Halko in the city of Pohoda was attacked by a group of drunken young men, who broke bottles, banged on his cabin, and soaked him with water before other people who laughed at the scene. The incident took place during the night and was reported on 17.07.2022. The priest also recalls that the people shouted at him with insults and hung an LGBT Flag on his cottage. It seems that the group attacked the priest after he had expressed his opinion regarding the LGBT movement on TV.

Walls of Roman Pantheon Sprayed With The Words "Aliens Exist"

July 16, 2022, Italy

Unknown vandals sprayed blue paint graffiti on the outer facade of the nearly 1900-year-old Roman Pantheon, where it could be read "aliens exist". As the area outside the Pantheon is not under complete surveillance, the security cameras were not useful to help find the culprits. However, the case was reported to the police who immediately launched an investigation. The Pantheon is one of the best-preserved buildings from Roman antiquity and experts are working on removing the paint from its walls.

Ukraine: Orthodox Priests Tortured By Russian Forces

July 16, 2022, Ukraine

Dymytrij Rudyuk, the Lviv Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OKU), accused the Russian army and the Moscow Patriarch Cyril of being responsible for torturing Ukrainian Orthodox priests. In an interview, he claimed that "the majority of OKU priests had to flee the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. Those who stayed are often tortured. Five Orthodox priests were shot and a priest-monk was cruelly tortured to death".