All cases

Burglary inside Church and "Heil Satan" Sprayed On Church Door

October 11, 2020, Germany

On the days between 11. and 14. October, a group of unknown persons broke into a church in Altenburg and vandalized it. The vandals forced the back door open to enter, they also broke an intermediate door open. They did not steal anything from the church but they left an inscription saying "Heil Satan" and "666" on the door, referring to the number of the devil. The damage is estimated to be of several thousand Euros.

Repeated Acts of Vandalism and Desecration at Church of St. Peter and Paul in Steinhofen

October 11, 2020, Germany

The parish church of St. Peter and Paul in Steinhofen has been devastated inside and outside several times. During the night of October 11th the church was vandalized again. The exterior wall of the church was smeared with paint, the flowers and a sign were torn out of the ground and glass bottles were smashed in the forecourt of the church. The sacristan discovered the damage the next day. The parish has reported the crime and has publicly asked for witnesses.

Pride Parade in France Leads to Anti-Christian Attacks

October 10, 2020, France

On the 10th of October, during the Gay Pride Parade in La Roche sur Yon, anti-Christian attacks took place. The ICES, which is a catholic institute that has been criticized before as homophobic, was guarded by the police, while people held signs saying "Blow up the ICES", depicting Jesus in a rainbow background and other direct statements against the church. The mayor of La Roche sur Yon also attended the parade and did not react to the anti-Christian statements or attacks.

Theft of Sacred Objects from Church in Erkelenz

October 10, 2020, Germany

In the village of Erkelenz, thieves stole gold-plated sacred objects from a church. The police stated that the objects were probably stolen for ideational reasons, more than for the monetary worth of the two chalices, a chalice bowl for the hosts and a monstrance. The break-in and theft happened between the 10th of October and the first week of November. There is an ongoing investigation.

Burglars Break Into a Church in Naples and Vandalise it

October 9, 2020, Italy

On the 9th of October, a group of unknown vandals broke into the church Santa Croce al Mercato and caused a lot of damage. The Carabinieri intervened and the technicians of the municipality are estimate the damage. The entrance fence was opened by force and the marble was unhinged from the seat, some brass knobs that held marble plaques were also stolen. The Carabinieri think it was a vandal raid. Inside the sacristy some books have been damaged and some relics are missing.

Vulgar Graffiti Sprayed on the Walls of St. Stephen Chapel

October 9, 2020, Poland

In the evening of October 9th, an unknown vandal painted two vulgar inscriptions in front of the chapel of the St. Stephen's parish. The police are investigating.

Young Men Stole Laptop and Money From Church Worker

October 9, 2020, Germany

On Friday 9th October, some young men distracted a woman who works in the Church in Gütersloh to be able to commit the act of theft. While they were talking to her, two or three went in and out of the parish twice. Afterwards the employee went back to the church and discovered the theft. The police are looking for witnesses.

Student in Swedish School Asked to Remove Necklace with Cross for School Photo

October 9, 2020, Sweden

On October 9th, a 15-year-old boy was asked to remove his necklace with a cross on it for the school photo. The school is unknown to guarantee the anonimity of the boy. Other students at the school were allowed to wear their religious symbols during the photo was taken, like face or hair coverings according to the Muslim religion. The teenager was told, that the cross symbol could be offensive for other students. The headmaster of the school distanced himself from the incident and said the photographer had made a mistake.

French Parliament Debates Extension of Abortion Time Limit and Elimination of Conscientious Objection Clause

October 8, 2020, France

On October 8th, MEPs have approved the first reading of the proposed changes in abortion law in France. They wish to extend the legal time limit for abortions from 12 to 14 weeks and to eliminate the clause for contentious objection, which allows gynaecologists and obstetricians to reject to perfom an abortion when they consider it murder, or for other moral reasons. The Prime Minister, the President and the Minister of Health object, that the discussion has been one-sided, and demand the recognition of the opinion from the national advisory committee on ethics.

Vandals Smeared Church Facade With Insulting Graffiti

October 8, 2020, Poland

On 8 October, the parish of St. Cross in Szczecin was vandalized with paint-bombs and spray-paint by vandals with a LGBT message. They left a logo on the display case with the phrase "Only LGBT", and wrote "You have blood on your hands" on the wall. They also threw paint bombs with the rainbow colors on the wall. Bogna Chalczynska, an extreme-left activist and representative for women, compared these acts to a noble fight of the oppressed Polish people during the Soviet-German occupation. This has caused concern and outrage among the believers who demand respect for their religious buildings.