All cases
Man Arrested for Setting Fire at Bayonne Church
January 11, 2020, FranceA man suspected of committing the January 11th arson attack on the Saint-Esprit church in Bayonne was arrested the following day. Investigators were able to quickly determine that the fire had been deliberately set and video surveillance images made it possible to identify the suspect who was seen in the images leaving the church a few minutes before the first smoke was visible. The fire, which left no one injured, was brought under control by the firefighters but the suffered extreme smoke damage.
Crèche Vandalized Near Rouen
January 11, 2020, FranceThe religious crèche of the Saint-André church in Mont-Saint-Aignan, near Rouen, was vandalized on January 11, with the decorations overturned and the figures broken. The statue of the baby Jesus was decapitated. After expressing his sadness to the parish and to the parish priest, Monsignor Dominique Lebrun, Archbishop of Rouen, deplored the incident as an "offense against the Christian faith."
Baby Jesus Stolen from Crèche in Lüneburg
January 11, 2020, GermanyThe Lüneburg police opened an investigation into the theft of the Jesus figure from the church on Friedenstrasse between January 10th and 11th.
Church in Milltown Co Kildare Ransacked and Tabernacle Stolen
January 11, 2020, IrelandOn January 11th, it was discovered that unknown perpetrators had broken into St Brigid's Church in Milltown, county Kildare, and stole the tabernacle, containing the ciborium with Communion hosts, as well as the sacristy safe and a candle shrine. The tabernacle was later found by the police in a nearby field.
Nativity Scene Vandalised in Saint-Hilaire Church in Faye-l’Abbesse
January 11, 2020, FranceOn 11 January, the Saint-Hilaire Chruch in Faye-l'Abbesse was found without the baby Jesus statue from the nativity scene. The pieces of the Jesus statue were found again at the back of the church. The body, arms and head were scattered. This adds up to recurring vandalism observed by the gendarmes. There have been looting, the cutting of the organ's power supply wire, the disappearance of the sheep from the nativity scene and the burning of music sheets and the curtains of a confess ional altar and coverings and many more.
Extensive Damage to Church in Jühnsdorf
January 11, 2020, GermanyOn the 11th January, unknown persons broke into the church of Jühnsdorf and stole a large metal cross, smashed a window, and damaged the organ. The church had been recently restored by the parish community.
Vandalism and Theft in Borgolavezzaro Church
January 10, 2020, ItalyJust before 4 pm on January 10th, at least three men entered the church of Santi Bartolomeo e Gaudenzio and broke through the thick glass case of the shrine carved out of a side altar containing the containing the urn of Santa Giuliana, patron saint of the town. Using a crowbar, the thieves also broke the glass of the urn and stole a rosary crown, a gold crucifix, rings, and other valuables worn by the patron saint's mannequin. The figure's left hand was the most damaged, with two destroyed wax fingers.
Paint Attack on Catholic Church in Berlin
January 9, 2020, GermanyDuring the night between the 8th and 9th of January 2020 unknown perpetrators vandalized the historic building of St. Elisabeth-Kirche in Berlin-Schöneberg with black and white paint, sprayed the words “Pro Choice” on its entrance doors together with other unidentifiable symbols and glued the parish hall doors closed. A purported confession letter was later posted on the extreme left platform de.indymedia.org, naming a Berlin feminist/left-wing radical alliance as responsible for the vandalism.
Nine Statues of the Virgin Mary Attacked in Less than Four Hours in Pyrenees
January 9, 2020, FranceOn the morning of January 9th, in the space of 45 minutes, five statues of the Virgin Mary, located in three different churches of Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques): Saint-Martin, Saint-Jacques and Notre-Dame, were destroyed. Similar vandalism continued in the churches of the Béarn communes of Lons, Artix, Denguin, and Mourenx, where, each time, a statue of the Virgin was destroyed. A 35-year-old man, described as homeless, was arrested in Mourenx at the end of the day and sent for psychiatric evaluation.
Sankt Martin Church in Berlin-Schönefeld Hit with Tar Bomb and Repeated Attacks
January 9, 2020, GermanyOn January 9th the Sank Martin Church in Berlin-Schönefeld was hit with a tar bomb that was smeared all over the church. It was not the first criminal incident that the church has faced. Offertory boxes were broken open, the holy water basin was soiled with urine, and candle sticks were stolen.