All cases
Vandalism of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gallipoli
August 1, 2020, ItalyDuring the night of August 1st vandals toppled over and smashed a stone holy water stoup in the small arena where religious masses are celebrated outdoors in the summer at the church of the Chiesa della Beata Vergine Maria Regina in Baia Verde di Gallipoli. The priest of the parish, Don Salvatore Leopizzi was immediately informed and saddened by the incident, which was not the first one to happen in his church. A police report was filed.
Under Investigation: Fire in Front of Church Saint Maximin in Wülfrath
August 1, 2020, GermanyIn the early morning hours of August 1st, the Wülfrath fire brigade was called because of a fire on the premises of Saint Maximin Catholic Church endangering the church building, which is currently under construction. The fire was contained after 45 minutes and did not cause any damage to the church. The cause of the fire is unknown and arson has not been ruled out. The police are investigating.
Open Air Church Vandalized and Urinated
August 1, 2020, ItalyOn the 1st to 2nd August, in the small village of Porto San Paolo, the Open-Air Chapel was vandalized. A group of people urinated in the stoup and threw the Statue of the Madonna to the ground. They also damaged a rear window of a car parked nearby.
Arson in Church in Spain Caceres Caused 420,000 Euros Damage
August 1, 2020, SpainIn August 2020 some reckless minors set fire to the church of San Martín de Plasencia in Cáceres, Spain. After analysing the damage caused by the fire to the church's roof and altarpiece bishop José Luis Retana, bishop of Plasencia, announced that the restoration will cost 420,000 Euros. Four Spanish institutions have agreed on collaborating to repair the church. The elements most damaged by the fire were the roof and the altarpiece, which was a 16th-century Mannerist style piece by Luis de Morales. Bishop Retana hopes for the restoration to begin as soon as possible so that the church can be reopened in time for a sacred exhibition of Castilla y León in Spring of 2022. It is unknown whether or not the culprits have faced legal consequences.
Stained Glass Window in Saint-Cadou's Chapel Vandalised
August 1, 2020, FranceThe chapel, which dates back to the XVI century ,has been vandalised. The perpetrators smash a stained glass window, which was already damaged and restored again in 2018. The costs for another restoration of the ancient window are estimated at 900€.
Window Facade of Saint-Paul Church in Saint-Nazaire Damaged
July 31, 2020, FranceDuring the night of July 31st the window facade of Saint Paul Church in Saint-Nazaire was severely damaged, apparently collateral damage of a wider outbreak of gun violence occurring throughout the city. Despite the extensive damage the church community gathered to celebrate Mass on Saturday evening.
Vandalism and Theft in Two Schwieberdingen Churches
July 31, 2020, GermanyDuring the night of July 31st, an unknown perpetrator gained access to the Protestant Georgskirche in Schwieberdingen through the sacristy, stole an antique chalice, and went on to smash a crystal window of the main building of the church. Only a few days earlier, the Catholic Church of St. Peter and Paul had been attacked. An unknown person broke open the offertory box as well as the cash box of the prayer candles and stole the small amount of cash contained in it. A police spokeswoman said that no clues to the perpetrator have been found so far. However, she said, one could assume a possible connection between the two crimes.
Priests Not Allowed to Give The Sacraments to the Elderly in Residential Homes
July 31, 2020, SpainThe Bishop Lopez of Salamanca expressed his concern that the priests were not allowed to entry residential homes of elderly in residential homes. The elders requested the sacraments in the final stage of their lives. The bishop calls for the respect of the Organic Law of Religious Liberty that guarantees religious assistance for every person. He also argues that there are no regulations during the pandemic that impede the exercise of the right to religious assistance in the vicinity of death. Using the example of the Hospitals in Salamanca, he believes with the proper hygienic standards, religious assistance should be allowed.
Politically-Motivated Vandalism of Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth
July 28, 2020, FranceOn the morning of July 28th parishioners discovered graffiti sprayed on the walls of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth in Vaison-la-Romaine. One tag read "vaut mieux une paire de mères qu’un père de merde" ("better a pair of mothers than a shitty father"). On another side of the cathedral, the word "sorcellerie" ("witchcraft") was painted. The vandalism appeared a day after Monsignor Cattenoz, Archbishop of Avignon, wrote an open letter to the deputies and senators of Vaucluse as well as to the local press denouncing the pending bioethics legislation in France. In his letter (in full below), he noted that if the law passes, "a woman will be able to give one of her fertilized oocytes to her partner, it will be implanted in her uterus so that they will both be mothers, erasing any reference to the importance of a father ... for the growth and life of a child."
Activists Hang Rainbow Flag and Anarchist Bandana on Statue of Christ in front of Warsaw Basilica
July 28, 2020, PolandDuring the night of July 28th activists from the self-described "anarchist-queer" community launched what they termed a "rainbow assault" across Warsaw. They placed a rainbow flag on the statue of Jesus Christ carrying the Cross in front of the Basilica and attached a purple anarchist bandana over Christ's face. Several of Warsaw's other famous monuments were similarly targeted. The activists left cards with a "manifesto" beginning with the phrases "This is an assault! It's a rainbow. It's an attack! We've decided to act." The message went on to say their provocative actions would continue until Polish society accepted them.