All cases

Arson at Church in Castellon

October 29, 2021, Spain

The church of San Vicente Ferrer in Castellón was targeted by an arsonist on October 29th. The façade of the church was marred by a fire which was started by an old bed being left by the church and the set alight.

Repeated Acts of Vandalism at the Church in Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban

October 29, 2021, France

For several months, the church of Jesus the Worker in Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban was targeted by vile acts and thefts that left the church in a terrible state. This included the thefts of condolence booklets and urine or excrement left in the church. These incivilities have only multiplied, according to the priest, and this has emotionally harmed many people.

Pornographic Video Filmed Behind the Altar of a Church in Bree

October 29, 2021, Belgium

A video of a couple having sex behind the alter of the Sint-Michielskerk in Bree was shared on a number of social networks and led to a police investigation. The pair have apparently been identified but not officially confirmed. The police commented, "these are criminal offenses. It concerns public indecency and the distribution of pornographic images. We cannot communicate anything further."

Arson and Vandalism at Church in Germany

October 28, 2021, Germany

On 28. October at around 7.15 pm., witnesses found that there had been several damages to property in the church in Hellenthal. The organ and other objects were smeared with wax, and a burnt hole was found in the pew, among other things. The damage amounts to a few hundred euros. The damage to the property must have taken place between 10 am and 7 pm. The police opened an investigation.

Man Damaged Crucifix and Dismantled Church for "Religious Reasons"

October 28, 2021, Germany

At around 12.30 p.m. on 28. October, the police received a report of damage to property in the evangelical Frauenberg church in Sangerhäuser Straße, Nordhausen. A 25-year-old Afghan man had gone into the church, emptied it for "religious reasons" and broken a Crucifix. The police have filed a complaint of damage to property. The amount of damage is not yet known, but the damaged Crucifix had a high historical value to the community, which will be immediately restored.

Church Walls Vandalized with Graffiti in Leipzig

October 28, 2021, Germany

On the 28. October at night, vandals sprayed messages in black paint on the walls of a church in Stötteritz. Some of the tags were also against the police and the damage to property is estimated at around 1,000 euros. The police filed a report are investigating the incident.

Repeated Acts of Vandalism and Theft in the Catholic Church of Reilingen

October 28, 2021, Germany

The Catholic in Reillingen suffered of multiple cases of vandalism and also in the year before several thefts. A gilded consecrated cross, was stolen from a pedestal in front of a Virgin Mary statue in Reilingen. A year later, the cross which was from the St. Wendelin church, has been replaced. This theft was after multiple candles and candlesticks were stolen in the preceding months.

Christians Attacked and Insulted while protecting a St.John Paul II Monument

October 27, 2021, Poland

On the 27th October 2020, unidentified pro-abortion protesters attacked, with telescopic batons, people defending the monument of St. John Paul II in Wołomin from being devastated during the local Women’s Strike. As a result of the perpetrators’ actions, one person was injured and had to be taken to the hospital.

Statue of the Virgin Mary Desecrated with Feces in Damasławek

October 26, 2021, Poland

A statue of the Virgin Mary, located in an outdoor space belonging to the local church, was found with traces of excrement on the pedestal on which it stands. The parish priest Father Grzegorz Iwinński explained how this was the most severe attack the church had experienced. The perpetrator, who was caught on camera, faces up to two years in prison for offending religious freedoms.

France: Vandalism and Tags on Church Walls Related to a Report on Pedophilia

October 26, 2021, France

On October 26, graffitis were found on the walls of Saint Blandine Church in Lyon. The paintings were related to the CIASE report that contains the number of pedophilia cases that took place in France from 1950 to 2020. The first deputy of the 2nd arrondissement, Jean-Stephane Chaillet, strongly condemned the act on Twitter. The case was reported to the police. A precedent has been also reported in Nantes, where a day after the report was released, tags saying "church of rapists" were painted on the walls of a Catholic high school in downtown Nantes, Saint-Stanislas, and a nearby convent.