All cases
Graffiti on Church in Kronach
May 26, 2019, GermanyOn a Sunday afternoon, perpetrators tagged a church in Kronach with the tags "RCS" and "RCG" causing damage estimated at about 500 euros. The graffiti was found on the main entrance door and on a message board.
Corpus Christi Procession Parodied during Gdansk Equality March
May 25, 2019, PolandDuring the May 25th Tri-City Equality March in Gdansk, which was organized by the LGBT communities, the Catholic tradition of Corpus Christi processions was parodied. A group of people in multicolored costumes with rainbow halos were supposed to imitate the typical attire of a statue of the Virgin Mary. Each of them held on to a ribbon attached to a highly provocative sign depicting a crowned vagina where in Catholic Corpus Christi processions the Blessed Sacrament (a consecrated host) would be. A person dressed in white, imitating a priest, was holding the sign. The city's mayor participated and gave an opening speech at the march, calling it an honor to open the event.
Vandalism of Alpine Church Continues
May 25, 2019, ItalyVandalism such as graffiti and littering has been a recurring problem at the ancient church of Santa Maria in Colle. (Link below to April incident). On May 25th perpetrators struck again. Graffiti in the form of doodles and insults was found on the church walls and quickly removed. In a response to the persistent vandalism, a local historian appealed to everyone to keep the church clean and sacred by emphasizing the value and importance of the place for the community and accentuating that workers once had given their lives to build this church. However, the vandals were little impressed by his appeal and made the church their target as they returned to cover the freshly whitewashed walls of the church with graffiti again that same night.
Arson at Londonderry Catholic Church
May 24, 2019, United KingdomPolice investigated an arson attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Ballymagroarty (Northern Ireland). An outbuilding next to the church was set on fire at around 10:30pm on May 24th. 20 firefighters battled the blaze which spread to the church roof and were able to contain it before it spread to the chapel or parochial house. The parochial house was evacuated. The fire service reported that CCTV cameras filmed two people setting the fire.
Richmond Council "Buffer Zone" Challenged in Court
May 23, 2019, United KingdomLegal proceedings were launched in the High Court against Richmond Council to challenge a controversial Public Space Protection Order (“PSPO”) around an abortion clinic on Rosslyn Road that makes it a criminal offense to, among other things, pray or have conversations about abortion. The legal challenge has been brought by Justyna Pasek, who has personally supported women visiting the abortion clinic in Richmond for over five years, offering them alternatives to abortion.
Christian Nurse Loses Appeal
May 21, 2019, United KingdomSarah Kuteh loses case at Court of Appeal.
Sainte-Anne Chapel in Brest Repeatedly Targeted
May 20, 2019, FranceDuring the night of May 20th to May 21st, the Chapelle Sainte-Anne in Brest was again the target of vandalism in the form of graffiti. It is not the first time unknown perpetrators have sprayed obscene and blasphemous tags on the wall of the chapel or disturbed Sunday services. The abbot said: "The chapel is regularly targeted by nauseating inscriptions. ...The ideology of their authors is clear. Residents testify to their desolation at seeing hatred spread regularly against this peaceful chapel."
Vandals Burn Statue of Jesus in Großholbach Church
May 19, 2019, GermanyPolice reported that unknown perpetrators broke in a church window with stones and invaded the interior of the church of the Heiligen Dreifaltigkeit in Großholbach (Westerwald in Rhineland-Palatinate) during the night of May 18th to 19th. Several sacred objects, including statues of saints, were broken. The Jesus figure was removed from the crucifix and burned. The intruders also urinated in the aisle and on several pews.
Fires Set in Nordhausen Church
May 18, 2019, GermanyPolice announced on May 19th that a tablecloth had been set on fire in the vestibule of St. Blasii's Evangelical church in Nordhausen during the night of May 18th. Fortunately, it did not catch fire completely. There were also traces of fire on a cordon to the church balcony. The professional fire brigade used a thermal imaging camera to scan other areas for evidence of fires. Police are now looking for witnesses who may have seen something suspicious.
Vandalism of Chiesa di Sant’Orso Facade
May 17, 2019, ItalyBoth sides of the main wooden entrance portal to the church of Sant'Orso were painted with female faces in the Japanese comic style during the night of May 16th to 17th. The vandals also painted the letters A and T next to the faces. Police are reviewing CCTV footage.