All cases
Doctor wins legal fight over total ban on public worship in Switzerland
May 7, 2021, SwitzerlandA swiss Court in Geneva ruled the ban of public worship as unlawful. As safety precautions regarding the spreading of COVID-19, Geneva banned religious services and events except for funerals and weddings with restricted capacity. Although religious gatherings were banned, public gatherings were still allowed to take place. Dr Sommeruga, who was assisted by ADF International took the ban to Court. He is "delighted to celebrate this win for religious freedom".
Bellevue Church Vandalized with anti-Christian Tags Again
May 7, 2021, FranceSimilar hateful tags to the ones in January appeared again on the walls of the Church in Bellevue, Fort-de-France. One tag said "Church of the Devil". The incident was reported to the police.
Stolen Baptistery Found in Frankenberg
May 6, 2021, GermanyA baptistery stolen from an evangelical church in the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg in Germany has been found. The baptistery from the 17 century has been found and brought back to its rightful place. According to the local authorities, the baptistery made of brass has been stolen from the evangelical church back in March of 2021. The police did not give any information about how they discovered the baptistery due to ongoing investigations. It is to be assumed that since the incident the church has not been able to carry out any baptisms.
Finnish Bishop-Elect Charged for 'Hate Speech' for Editorship of Booklet on Homosexuality in 2004
May 4, 2021, FinlandThe designated bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, Dr Juhana Pohjola, has been charged for 'incitement to hate speech against a certain group of people' by the Finnish Attorney General's Office. Similarly to the case of Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen, the reason for the charges placed against Dr Pohjola is his editorship of a booklet published by the Luther Foundation Finland (ELMDF) in 2004 and written by Räsänen. Beforehand, all charges have been dropped by the Helsinki Police because they could not identify any broken law by the booklet since same-sex marriage was only legalised in Finland in 2017.
17th century statue of Christ stolen from Saint-Nazaire church
May 3, 2021, FranceThe historic statute of Christ, classified as a historical monument since 1949, has been stolen from the church of Saint-François in Saint-Nazaire. The wooden statue, disappeared between 3rd and 10th April 2021. There is a high probability that the statute has been stolen during the opening hours in the middle of the day. A complaint has been filed to the police and an investigation has been underway.
In Only 15 days, the Saint Michel Church Vandalized 3 times
May 2, 2021, FranceOn the 2nd May, 6th May and on the weekend, the church of Saint-Matoury has been vandalized. The faithful have found that the perpetrators managed to break into the church from a broken window situated at the back of the church. They found that they stole the tabernacle and partly ransacked the nave. Later, the church has again been a victim of numerous robberies and thefts. The parish and political authorities condemned these acts and an investigation has been opened.
15th Century Limestone Statue of Saint Jacques Stolen
May 2, 2021, FranceBetween the 17 and 19 May, the 50 centimetres high statue of Saint Jacques has been stolen. The 15th century limestone statute has among the historical monuments listed in the supplementary inventory on the 4th of May 1988. It has been in the commune of La Pernelle, in the Manche region. There are worries that the virgin in the grotto and in the church or at the baptismal font could also be stolen. The police of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue or the town hall of La Pernelle are asking for clues and witnesses.
Perpetrators Vandalized Churches Along The Pilgrimage Route of Saint James
May 1, 2021, ItalyDuring the night of 30 April to 1 May, unknown perpetrators vandalised two churches, as well as, monuments and streetlamps illuminating the Barbaresco-Tower. Windows of the San Bernardo Chruch were smashed in with stones. The stones also damged the ambo, causing it to fall and break. Another Church along the Pilgrimage route of Saint James was also affected. It has been reported that the perpetrators smashed beer bottles against the walls of the thousand-year-old church of San Giorgio. A few monuments and streetlamps illuminating the Barbaresco-Tower have also been vandalized and damaged through stones. Residents reported the incident and Town-Councillor Laura Gandolfo ordered an immediate investigation.
The Graville Cemetery Vandalized and Religious Objects from the Chapel Broken
May 1, 2021, FranceDuring the weekend of 1st and 3rd May , ten graves were vandalized in the Graville cemetery in Le Havre. In addition, religious objects on the altar from the chapel of the Virgin Mary have been broken.
Church In Schlema Damaged
April 30, 2021, GermanyBetween 29 to 30 April, unknown perpetrators broke the window of a church in Schlema. According to the police a side entrance door of the church was smashed and an unknown liquid was applied to the facade of the building. The damage amounts up to 2.000 Euros. The police are investigating for damage to property.