All cases
Evangelical Event Attendees Harshly Ridiculed
June 17, 2019, AustriaMany Christians complained about being offended and insulted for their religious faith after verbal attacks by Rudi Fußi on the Austrian talkshow "Fellner! Live: Rudi Fußi vs. Andreas Mölzer" which aired on June 17th on OE24.TV. As a guest on the program, Fußi launched into a tirade calling the estimated 10,000 Christians gathered at an evangelical event “lunatics” and mocking the act of praying for the Republic of Austria and the former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, calling it "completely cuckoo, totally sick" after the show host had introduced the topic.
Explosion Near Syrian Orthodox Church in Södertälje
June 14, 2019, SwedenThe national bomb protection agency was called in to investigate an explosion at an events hall at the St. Afrem Syrian Orthodox Church in Södertälje in the early morning hours of June 14th. The blast was reportedly strong enough to be heard 100 meters away. The same building, owned by the church, was the target of an explosion in September.
Theft of Virgin Mary Statue in front of Church of Saint-Maurice de Cambes
June 13, 2019, FranceThe Virgin of Cambes statue was discovered stolen from outside the Church of the Saint-Maurice de Cambes on June 13th. The inhabitants of the small village of Figeacois, where the statue has been visible since the 19th century, were outraged and upset by the disappearance.
Two Statues Degraded in Hombourg-Haut
June 13, 2019, FranceOn the night of Friday 13th to Saturday 14th of June, one statue of Saint Barbara and another statue of Saint Christopher were destroyed in Hombourg-Haut near St. Catherine`s Chapel and the cemetery. The statue of Saint Babara was beheaded and the other one was damaged too. The head of the statue is still missing. A complaint was filed and the police are investigating.
Arson in Vienna Church; Tourist Extinguished Fire with Holy Water
June 12, 2019, AustriaA tourist discovered that fires had been set in confessionals in the Dominican church of St. Rotunda during the afternoon of June 12th and extinguished them with holy water. This incident was announced on June 19th, the same day as a series of arson attacks in Graz, including at the city hall, courthouse, district administration building, and the main station. A 45-year-old Iraqi was arrested by police after the fire at the station.
Reliquary Stolen from Portuguese Church
June 11, 2019, PortugalOn June 11th, unknown thieves targeted the church of the convent of São Domingo in Viana do Castelo (Minho) and stole a gilt metal reliquary containing the bones of Blessed Bartholomew of Braga (Bartolomeu dos Mártires) who was a former Archbishop of Braga and is well known and greatly revered in Portugal. The bishop of Viana do Castelos called the theft an "attack on the feelings" of Catholics. The parish priest of Igreja de São Domingos said the stolen gold-plated reliquary "does not have great commercial value, but what was in it, the bones of Bartolomeu dos Mártires, is of incalculable value."
Priest Stabbed on the way to Mass: Updated
June 10, 2019, PolandA Wroclaw priest, Fr. Ireneusz Bakalarczyk was attacked by a a 56-year-old man and stabbed with a knife on his way to the morning Mass on Pentacost Monday. The attacker, identified as Zygmunt W., was arrested and on June 11th he was brought before a court. News reports indicate that the man confessed to the crime and was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. Prosecutors have not released any details about his motive. A spokesperson from the Archdiocese of Wrocław said there was no indication that Fr. Bakalarczyk was personally targeted, but that the suspect likely intended to attack any "man in a cassock."
CitizenGo Website Hit with Cyber Attack
June 10, 2019, SpainThe websites of HazteOir (a Christian advocacy group) and its international platform, CitizenGO, were the victims of a cyber attack on Monday, June 10th. The Spanish hackers were explicit about their ideological reasons for the attack, saying: “Are you enjoying the web attack? Delete all your content... related to LGBT. Delete also the sexist content and the content against abortion. If you don’t do it before the weekend, this will be a war and you will regret it.”
Vandalism of a Hundred Graves in Toulouse Cemetery
June 9, 2019, FranceDuring the night between June 8 and 9, a hundred graves in the Terre-Cabade cemetery, the largest cemetery in Toulouse were damaged by vandals. According to reports, crucifixes and crosses on the graves were broken and scattered, as well as flowers and planters. Jewish and Muslim graves in the cemetery of 300,000 graves were unharmed.
Manhole Cover Used to Break Window in Attempt of Theft on Pentecost
June 9, 2019, GermanyUnknown offenders unskrewed the outside barring of a window of the Protestant Johannes Church in Tostedt in the night of June 9th, Whitsunday to Whitmonday. They then broke the window by throwing a manhole cover at it, however, they were not able to gain access due to another set of window grills on the inside of the window.