All cases

NHS Trust Agreed to Christian Sunday Services after Threat of Legal Action

July 30, 2019, United Kingdom

A Christian patient’s request to have Sunday worship services at a medium secure mental health unit in East London have finally been granted after a year-long legal battle with the NHS on the grounds of religious discrimination. As a result of his weekly requests falling on deaf ears, Freddie O'Neil turned to the Christian Legal Centre (CLC) for support. A pre-action letter was then sent to the East London Foundation Trust in October 2018 stating that, as a Christian, Freddie needed to attend Sunday Christian services each week as well as receiving Holy Communion. After a year, and further threats of legal action, the Centre finally began offering weekly Sunday Christian services on Sunday 7 July 2019.

Several Swastikas Painted on Oratory in Ireland

July 30, 2019, Ireland

Several swastikas were spray-painted on the oratory and a cross in the Comeragh mountains overlooking Clonmel by unknown vandals sometime before July 30th. A team of volunteers of the Holy Year Cross Committee in Clonmel had come up to the site to prepare it for the annual August bank holiday Monday mass when they discovered the graffiti. Gardaí investigated the incident.

Fire in Historic Evangelical Church

July 30, 2019, Germany

Construction workers noticed the smell of burning wood and smoke when they arrived at the Nikolaus-Kirchlein ("little church") in Buchenberg, Königsfeld in the Black Forest in the morning of the 30th of July. They alerted firefighters who were able to extinguish the fire before too much damage was done. The more than 800-year-old church remained mostly unscathed, as only one pew was damaged by the fire. Police are estimating a property damage of 5,000 euros and speculate that the fire began in the area of the altar, but an investigation was opened.

Arson at St. Magnus Church at Schussenried Abbey

July 29, 2019, Germany

An unknown arsonist set fire to a cloth in the St. Magnus church of the Schussenried Abbey in Bad Schussenried on July 29th. The fire then extended to pictures and a wooden cross nearby. A witness noticed the fire and was able to extinguish it. Police are investigating.

The Church in Corlay Was Looted And Vandalized

July 28, 2019, France

On Sunday 28th July, the Church of Corlay was looted and vandalized by unknown perpetrators. The vandals tore out a sealed trunk from the altar and emptied the contents, they also ripped off a painting and soiled the interior of the church, including the furniture, paving and choir floor, with a chemical fire extinguisher. In the region, there have already been a series of burglaries to churches, including Plélo, Saint-Brieuc, Saint-Quay-Portrieux, Uzel and Merdrignac.

Priest Brutally Assaulted in Szczecin Church

July 28, 2019, Poland

A Catholic priest was beaten up just before celebrating Mass by three men in the sacristy of the Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Szczecin. One of the perpetrators apparently used a rosary as a "brass knuckle."

Church Hymnals Set On Fire

July 27, 2019, Germany

Unknown perpetrators set a row of hymnals on a shelf on fire in the St. Mauritius Catholic Church in Kippenheim in the early evening of July 27th. Witnesses noticed the fire and notified the police who were able to extinguish the fire and are now investigating.

Four Stations in Way of the Cross in Fatima Vandalized

July 26, 2019, Portugal

Four of the 14 chapels of the Valinhos Way of the Cross or the Shepherd's Way in Fatima were vandalized with yellow spray paint during the night between July 25th and 26th. The unknown perpetrators sprayed the heads and intimate areas of the figures, along with obscene words. The Shrine of Fatima covered the chapels and will carry out the extensive cleaning work required to remove the paint.

Break-in And Theft in Augustdorf Church

July 26, 2019, Germany

Unknown burglars forcefully opened a door of a church in Augustdorf and stole the money from the offertory box for candles between July 26th and 27th.

Belgian Radio Station Promotes Festival with Provocative Poster

July 26, 2019, Belgium

"Pure," a Belgian [French-speaking] public service radio station run by the RTBF, promoted a pop music festival with poster campaign with a sexualized image of a man and a woman, dressed with priest's collar and nun's head covering.