All cases
Theft at the Cathedral St. Sebastian in Magdeburg
June 8, 2020, GermanyAround 3:00 a.m. on June 8, 2020, Sister Adelgitt heard banging on the sidewalk in front of St. Sebastian's Cathedral in downtown Magdeburg. Early the next morning it was clear what she had heard. Unknown thieves had stolen two bronze wings from the 'Angel Gate' which stands in front of the 'Gate of Paradise' at the west entrance of the cathedral. Since this is not the first time that parts of the gate were stolen, the remaining sections of the gate have now been secured by welding them together. A few days later, police received a tip from a witness who had found sawn-up bronze pieces near a garden property in the Fermersleber Elbweg between the two Salbker See lakes. They were later identified as the stolen parts. Narcotics were found on an adjacent property.
St. Johannes in Troisdorf Girls Discover Church Fire - Now The Police Investigates
June 8, 2020, GermanyAlthough there is no yet concrete evidence of arson, the police are investigating the fire in the church of St. Johannes. Two girls noticed smoke billowing out of the church and alerted the fire department. Apparently, too many candles had been lit on the metal stand in the vestibule.
Report Shows Increase in Violence Against Christian Believers in Spain
June 8, 2020, SpainThe Observatory of Religious Freedom (OLRC) based in Spain, reported a decrease in the attacks towards fundamental rights and an increase in violence against Catholic believers and places of worship (mostly Christian), on June 8th. According to Maria Garcia, President of the OLRC, 80% of the attacks have been directed against Christians. The report also shows political parties like "Podemos", the left party and the PSOE party as clear opposers of religious freedom involved in acts against Christians. The most affected cities are Madrid, Andalucia and Cataluña.
Window Church in Burscheid Smashed For the Second Time
June 6, 2020, GermanyOn 6th June, the windows of St. Laurentius Church in Burscheid were smashed again. They were already repaired one week after the first attack. There were four fist-sized holes found on the window, the metal frames were bent, and the stones were found inside the church by the opposite wall. The church remained closed, due to another act of vandalism in New Year's Eve, when a drunk man tried to set fire to the nativity scene.
Church Vandalized with Graffiti in Morlaix
June 5, 2020, FranceThe group Protège ton Église (Protect your Church) reported vandalism of the exterior walls of the église Saint-Martin in Morlaix during the week of June 5th.
Catholic Church Chapel Vandalized in Dijon
June 5, 2020, FranceOn the night of the 4th to 5th of June, a Catholic Chapel was vandalized with graffiti by unknown vandals in Dijon. One of the inscriptions says "Death to the Pigs". The same Chapel had already been victim of graffiti and anarchist symbols in February 2019.
Statue of Christ Decapitated and Vandalized
June 5, 2020, SpainIn the early morning hours of June 4, unknown individuals assaulted the monument dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in La Roda de Andalucía and broke the face and hands of the image to pieces.
Catholic Seminary Defaced During "Black Lives Matter Vienna" Rally
June 5, 2020, AustriaA "Black Lives Matter Vienna" protest on June 5th led to anti-church demonstrations and vandalism at a seminary near the US embassy in Vienna-Alsergrund, according to the seminary director. The outer wall was extensively smeared with graffiti and defaced, and he reported the resulting financial damage to the police.
Saint-Joseph Parish Church Vandalized
June 4, 2020, FranceAt the end of the first week of June, broken glass was discovered in a corridor of the parish church of Schœneck caused by the throwing of a large stone of about one kilo against a church window. The projectile had been thrown from outside the church and loosened the metal frame of the masonry. In front of the entrance to the crypt, the impact of a projectile against a window pane caused a crack that spanned its entire length. Another window was broken in the sacristy. Additionally, the large metal entrance gate at the side of the grotto of the Virgin was damaged, and two crossbars were twisted and torn off.
Fire Set in Bockhorst Church
June 4, 2020, GermanyUnknown perpetrators set fire to an altar cloth and an organ book in the Maria von der immerwährenden Hilfe (Our Lady of Perpetual Help) church in Bockhorst at around 5:00 p.m. on May 29th. The fire was extinguished promptly by the person who discovered the fire. Property damage of several thousand euros was incurred.