All cases
Stolen Figurine of the Infant Christ Comes Back
December 23, 2021, United KingdomA church located in Oxfordshire celebrates after the return of Jesus to its nativity scene. The figurine was stolen a week before Christmas from St Mary's Church in Church Green in Witney, with local the police appealing for help on social media, in order to find its whereabouts. The appeal received a huge response, which lead to its return, even though slightly dirtier than before it was taken. Rev Canon Toby Wright told the BBC: "Baby Jesus is safely back and tucked up - it's great news for Christmas." The person who took Baby Jesus is still unidentified.
Christian Message for Christmas Censored in Barcelona
December 23, 2021, SpainA Catholic marketing association (ACdP) denounced on the 23rd December, that the three municipal public transport companies operating in Barcelona had censored a Christmas campaign that reminds people about the birth of Jesus as the centre of Christmas. The message that was meant to be displayed throughout the whole country was not visible in Barcelona. The slogan said: "Only one birth has changed the course of history. And it is not yours. Merry Christmas!". It aimed to vindicate the Christian meaning of this holiday with humour. The company Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona (TMB) censored the message because the authorities considered it "ideological".
St. Peter's Church Heavily Vandalised on Christmas Eve
December 23, 2021, United KingdomOn the night of December 23rd, a group of unknown people vandalised the St Peter's Church at Upper Arley in Worcestershire. The perpetrators urinated inside the church, damaged pews and a piano with graffiti, tore off a door and stole irreplaceable items. They urinated near the church altar and left the bell tower's doors open, which left the place unprotected against the rain. According to Louvain Beer, treasurer and lay minister at the church, the police did not attend the case until the 27th of December, and now they are investigating it as a hate crime.
Church Closed After Vandalism Act in La Roche-Maurice
December 23, 2021, FranceSevere acts of vandalism were observed in the Saint -Yves church in La Roche-Maurice on December 23. Christiane Le Goff, the staff member responsible for the church schedule, closed the church the next day. She tells, “The crib was overturned, hydro alcoholic gel was poured on papers and obscene drawings were been made on the register. It's the second time this week”.
Pastors Challenge Burgas Government over Discrimination to Non-Eastern-Orthodox Christians
December 22, 2021, BulgariaPastor Tochev and Pastor Kiryakov in Burgas, have challenged the local government's campaign to label all non-Eastern Orthodox Christian groups as sects and turn children against them at school. The case goes all the way back to 2008 when the City council of Burgas wrote a letter notifying the schools of the new policy and these two pastors were shocked by the content. Now, there case is being heard at the European court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France.
Theft at the Cherry Tree Nativity in Salerno
December 21, 2021, ItalyUnknown people have stolen from the Nativity Scene of the Cherry Tree. The mayor, Gianfranco Valiante, has expressed his disappointment against an act that he considers aberrant just a few days before Christmas "They are also robbing Jesus Christ!"
Around 2,000€ Stolen from a Convent in Poppi
December 21, 2021, ItalyThe convent of the Benedictine monks of Camaldoli was the target of theft, at the end of October, while the religious gathered for prayer. About 20 cells were reported raided, with a total amount of missing items around 2,000€. The case is being investigated by the carabinieri of the Bibbiena company.
Anti-Christian Tag on Bouteillerie Cemetery Wall
December 21, 2021, FranceThe phrase "F*** Christ the King" was written on the cemetery wall in Bouteillerie on 21. December and had dual meaning since it is located near the Christ the King chapel. This wall has been frequently used by ultra-left taggers to express their extrem opinion.
Statue of Virgin Mary Defaced in the Abbaye aux Hommes in Caen
December 21, 2021, FranceOn December 21, a small statue of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus was defaced with spray paint. Located in the Abbaye aux Hommes in Caen, Mary was depicted to be vanquishing Satan with her foot on a serpent. This most likely was the cause for the act.
Nativiy Scene Vandalised in Fiumicino
December 19, 2021, ItalyAs it was reported on the 19. December, the parish priest and the faithful of the church of Santa Maria Porto della Salute in Fiumicino found some Nativity scene figures destroyed. The life-size statues made of plaster and fibreglass of a shepherd and a donkey were thrown to the ground. The former had both hands cut off and the donkey had a broken ear. The other statues did not receive damage, as they were fixed to the structure.