All cases
Mallorca: Another Cross Demolished in Spain
October 21, 2021, SpainOn 22 October, the town council of Son Servera (Mallorca), which is governed by Natalia Troya, demolished the Cross of the Fallen in the Plaza de la Tercera Edad. There there was no inscription of any kind and the Cross and it had been peacefully part of the town's monuments for decades. There is serious suspicion of illegality hanging over the decision, given that in June an application was registered with the Consell de Mallorca for the Cross to be cataloged as a listed monument, and this file is pending a report which was mandatory to take any action on the monument. The town council used the "Law of Historical Memory", which was passed by the PSOE in the times of President Zapatero.
St. Marien Church in Bochum-Langendreer Looted for the Third Time
October 21, 2021, GermanyIn Bochum-Langendreer, criminals have been targeting churches for looting, the last time being on the night of 23. to 24. October. The Catholic community of St. Mary's in the former Langendreer station has been the target of three burglaries this year. In February, the parish office behind the church in Marien was devastated. This time the burglars had their sight set on the church. On the night of Wednesday to Thursday (20./21. October), they broke in through the side door and stole a projector, according to the congregation. And on the night of Saturday to Sunday (23./24. October) the main entrance was broken into and the offerings were stolen.
Break-in and Heavy Vandalism at Church in Heessen
October 21, 2021, GermanyOn November 21st, unknown intruders broke into the St. Stephen's church in Heessen and severely vandalized it. They broke the tabernacle out of its concrete base and used two fire extinguishers to spray foam around all of the rooms, and they also stole some money. The property damage was extremely high and the church had to be closed the next day due to forensic investigations.
Statue of the Virgin Mary Vandalised and Replace by a Garden Gnomo
October 20, 2021, FranceAt the end of September, a statue of the Virgin Mary of the parish church, placed in a public road in the village of Gironde, was vandalized and destroyed. A garden gnome was placed in its place. A complaint was lodged by the church's maintenance lady. A man had found pieces of the bust in a vineyard, and two days later, the head of the Virgin was placed in front of a school gate. Although the events took place at the end of September, the story first got coverage a month later. The Mayor of Le Pian-sur-Garonne was also very upset by the action, the police are investigating.
Update! Man who Knocked Down a Public Cross Faces Up To 5 Years Prison
October 20, 2021, PolandOn 18. October, a man knocked down a cross on a public road with a saw, while filming himself. He then uploaded the video on the internet. A day later, he was identified. The 31-year-old man ran a website called "Action for the liquidation of road crosses all over Poland", in whose description he motivated the desire to remove them on the grounds that they "disfigure streets and pose a threat to road traffic. He also attacked many believers and the Church. For the destruction of the cross and offensive religious sentiments, the defendant could face up to five years in prison.
A 23-year-old Vandalised a Church in Vienna
October 19, 2021, AustriaOn 19. October, A 23-year-old man vandalized the church Nepomuk-Kirche in Vienna by damaging the furniture in the church and throwing things to the ground. The young man from Bangladesh was arrested shortly after witnesses saw him and raised the alarm by calling the police at around 8:30 pm. The man told the police that the church would belong to him.
Hateful Messages on the Walls of a Catholic School in Poitiers
October 19, 2021, FranceThreatening posters were put on the a Catholic school in Poitiers on October 19th. The messages accused the school of homophobia and transphobia and contained "hateful" remarks about the "burning" of the Christian Union of Poitiers. A far left motive was suspected for the attack but it was not known for sure.
Cross Removed from a Public Place in Vinalesa
October 19, 2021, SpainThe town council from Vinalesa, governed by the Javier Puchol (PSOE-left wing party), demolished a cross-monolith in that was put in place in memory of eight people who were killed in during the civil war in 1936 in the town. Among the eight, was a Catholic priest who was murdered for his beliefs and some from the town saw this demolition has disrespectful to the deceased.
Man Destroys a Cross with a Saw While Filming
October 18, 2021, PolandA 31-year-old man was arrested after he filmed himself while sawing a cross in Zastalowski in Zielona Góra. The perpetrator posted the video of this vandalic act on the Internet. The police started the investigations to find the man, who was later successfully found and arrested. The local authorities have expressed their concern and surprise regarding this violent act. "This is the first time I have encountered such desecration in our city and I hope it will be the last time. We do not know the motives for the attack on the cross, but the incident itself is very heinous," said the Coalition Civica councilor. The secretary of the regional People's Party, Arkadiusz Dąbrowski also commented, "this is an unprecedented act of vandalism. We must respect religious symbols in our country.
Arson to Shrine Dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes in Scotland
October 18, 2021, United KingdomOn October 17, the Carfin Grotto, Scotland's National Shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes, appeared partially burnt and destroyed as unknown perpetrators deliberately made a pile and set it on fire. As Police reported, "Enquiries are ongoing and at an early stage". Meanwhile, the community has launched a micro-funding campaign to help pay the damages due to the lack of economical means. However they are even more concerned about the rise of attacks against religious places, "we hope it is addressed at a national level", said the spokesman, John Mallon.