All cases
Relic Of St Thérèse Stolen In Clarens
March 23, 2021, SwitzerlandOn 23 March, the caretaker of the Catholic church in Clarens discovered broken glass and noticed that the piece of cartilage of the parish's patron saint, Saint Theresa of Lisieux, had been stolen from a statue. The chairman of the parish council says: "Materially, there's a bit of a market for relics, but I'm more inclined to think it was sacrilege." The police is investigating.
The Church of Notre Dame du Cierge Vandalized
March 23, 2021, FranceOn the 23rd of March, a message on a fire extinguisher was found in order to warn the two teenager perpetrators who set fire to the church of Notre Dame du Cierge in Épinal and emptied the fire extinguishers. One of them has been recognized on the 31st of March and the other on 18th April. The first perpetrator was seen in the church, while the other has been seen while entering the church. The police are investigating.
Vandalism and Desecration Of Hospital Chapel In La Rochelle
March 22, 2021, FranceOn March 22, the chapel of the Saint-Louis Hospital in La Rochelle got severely vandalised and desecrated. "When I knelt down at the altar to begin my prayer, I noticed that something was wrong," explained the chaplain. He noticed that the altar cloths were stained with a yellow liquid and that in front of one of the side chapels an imposing plaster statue of Christ was "pulverised". Matches and a cigarette butts that were found at the scene indicate that the perpetrators tried to set fire to the chapel. The police is investigating.
Catholic Priest in Ireland Fined for Not Restricting Access to Mass
March 22, 2021, IrelandA Catholic priest in Ireland has been fined 500 Euros because he did not close the doors to his church while we was celebrating mass, so people would not be able join the church service. Due to government health measures, public religious services in the country have been suspended since 7 October 2020. In a parish newsletter, Father P.J. Hughes wrote: “Next Sunday marks the journey of Holy Week. It is hard to believe that for a second year people cannot come to take part in the ceremonies of Holy Week. Despite the size of the church and the holy place that it is because of the presence of Jesus in the Holy Tabernacle, the church has been deemed a hot spot for the spread of the virus by the gardaí.”
Rioters Vandalize Church in Bad Rappenau
March 22, 2021, GermanyUnknown persons rioted inside a church in Bad Rappenau on Monday, 22nd of March between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The perpetrators entered the Protestant church on Kirchplatz and knocked over disinfection dispensers, tore up prayer texts and smashed an altar candle, among other things. They also tore down a picture and threw it on the floor. The damage is amounting to several hundred euros, according to the police. The police called for witnesses testimonies for the investigation.
Vandals Smash Window Of A Church In Catanzaro
March 21, 2021, ItalyDuring the night of March 20th, unknown perpetrators smashed a window of the Church of Santa Maria della Speranza in Catanzaro by throwing stones against it. According to Mayor Sergio Abraham, the vandalism "strikes directly at the heart of the neighbourhood church, which is a landmark for all residents". The police is investigating.
Vandalism At The Sacred Heart Church In Singen
March 21, 2021, GermanyUnknown persons destroyed windows at the Sacred Heart Church in Singen probably on the weekend of 19-21 March. Since the windows are leaded glass windows, the destruction causes much more financial damage than normal windows. According to the church's pastor, the vandalism is not an isolated case, as the church has been the victim of repeated attacks recently. The police is investigating.
Lazaretto Church Vandalized in Golasseca
March 21, 2021, ItalyOn the 21st of March, unknown persons entered the small Church of Lazaretto and vandalized its interior. the Parish priest, Fr. Hervé Simeoni, filed a complaint at the police. The Church was attacked a second time in April.
Two Anti-Christian Attacks In Churches In Nice
March 20, 2021, FranceOn march 20th, two perpetrators vandalised the interior of a small church in the Saint Isidore district, they also stole several consecrated objects. A few hours later the police arrested the perpetrators with the help of public video recordings. Another incident occurred in parallel at the Basilica of Notre Dame, the church where three Christians were killed by an Islamic Terrorist in October 2020. During this incident a perpetrator, who was later identified and arrested by the police, had praised the terrorist massacre during holy mass.
Rave Party In An Abandoned Armenian Monastery In Cyprus
March 20, 2021, CyprusOn 20 March, a rave party took place in the Armenian monastery of Sourp Magar in northern Cyprus, which was founded in the 11th century and has been empty since 1974. Although the rave party took place several weeks ago, it only became known this week through a video. The US Ambassador to Cyprus, Judith Garber, condemned the rave party: "The US Embassy strongly condemns the abuse of the Armenian Monastery of Saint Magar. Freedom of worship is a fundamental value and we join religious leaders in calling for all places of worship, whether in use or not, to be protected from abuse, vandalism and desecration."