All cases
Church Tagged With Women's Strike Symbol
November 7, 2020, PolandOn November 7th, vandals sprayed the "Women's Strike" symbols on the facade of the parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in the small town of Krępa Kościelna. The prosecutor's office in Leipzig investigated the damage caused to the historic monument and the offence of religious feelings. The police already identified the perpetrators.
Desecration and Profanation of Tombs in France Have Increased
November 6, 2020, FranceThe devastation of cemeteries in France is an unfortunate ongoing phenomenon. This includes crosses being knocked over, slabs and monuments destroyed, tombs are looted or profaned and symbols and "anti-christian" tags are also common. Dr. Pierre Vermeren, a historian of the Sorbonne University, remarks the increase of these acts in the last 20 years in an interview on November 6th. France has 40,000 active cemeteries. In 2019 alone 1,052 of them were vandalized, explains Dr. Vermeren.
"Christians Into Hell" Tag on St. Andrew's Church in Vienna
November 6, 2020, AustriaOn November 6th, the gate of the St. Andrew's Church in Vienna was smeared by unknown perpetrators with an anti-Christian inscription: "Christians into hell". According to "Heute" Newspaper, there was a signature from "Antifa 24", an organization that doesn't exist anymore. The spokesman of the police, Markus Dittrich, said that the perpetrator will be charged with serious damage to property and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is leading an investigation. This occurred in the same week as the terror-attack in Vienna, were four innocent people were killed by a perpetrator pledging allegiance to the Islamic State.
Vandalism and Graffiti on St. Pakratius Church
November 6, 2020, GermanyUnknown perpetrators smeared the St. Pankratius Church on Burgdorf between November 6th and November 9th. They left tags on various spots of the facade with a waterproof pen and destroyed a glass element of one of the windows. The police was notified and has estimated a property damage of around 500 Euros. The police is investigating.
Walls of Dijon Priory Vandalized by Antifa
November 6, 2020, FranceThe Priory of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X in Dijon was tagged with red paint and signed by Antifa. This happened during the night of November 6th. The same act was perpetrated a year ago.
Stained-Glass Window Smashed in Capuchin Church
November 5, 2020, ItalyUnknown perpetrators smashed one of the stained-glass windows, as reported by Il Sicilia, from the Capuchin Church of Caltagirone during the night of November 5th. The vandals entered the ruins of the adjacent agricultural institute and raided the Church. The mayor already contacted the police.
Spain Denies Asylum to Iranian Christian Convert Facing Life-threatening Persecution
November 5, 2020, SpainA 50-year-old Iranian has dealt with hostility for 16 years, since he converted to Christianity from Islam. He fled from Iran, where he was threatened with death by his family and ended up in Barcelona, where he was helped by an evangelical church. His asylum has been rejected three times and now he lives in an unregulated situation since 2018. The hostility and violence towards his Christian faith has also continued in Barcelona, by other Iranians. He tells his story in an interview published on November 5th.
Anti-Covid Tags on Church Wall
November 5, 2020, ItalyIn Vigano, vandals left insulting tags on the walls of the St. Vincent Church, which has just been renovated. The incident happened on November 5th, probably around the curfew time. The writing is anti-Covid and also talks about smoking drugs. The Mayor, Fabio Bertarini was very upset and is thinking about to establish even stricter measures.
Church and Monastery Install Surveillance Cameras due to Repeated Acts of Vandalism
November 4, 2020, NetherlandsDue to repeated acts of vandalism on the grounds of the Monastery and Dutch Reformed Church in Ter Apel, cameras will be installed on one of the entrances to the Monastery, as reported on the 4th of November. The Museum director of the Monastery, Margriet van Klinken explains that the door has been damaged several times. She says that vandals go and hang out by the porch, which is a quiet place and out of sight at night, leaving the door damaged and garbage outside. The police is investigating.
French Bishops Appeal to Lift Ban On Churches During 2nd Lockdown
November 3, 2020, FranceThe second Lockdown in France restricts people to only leave their homes for essential work or medical reasons. Schools and churches remain open but masses are not allowed to take place after the 1st of November. A group of Bishops and several other religious movements have appealed to the Council of State for the allowance of communal services of 90 minutes. This appeal was rejected on the 7th of November, but Vincent Neymon, President of the French Bishop's Conference will continue to seek an agreement.