All cases
Arson with Gasoline at Village Church Caused Serious Damage
May 3, 2020, FranceIn the village Marais-la-Chapelle, during the night of 2nd to 3rd May, an arson attack took place in the entrance of the Church. The firefighters were called by a resident. There were traces of fuel detected in the findings. The oak door was destroyed and the flower pots melted, the interior of the church was blackened by the smoke, and the electrical structure was damaged.
Statue of Our Lady of Lourdes Destroyed
May 3, 2020, FranceOn the 3rd of May, in Munster, some vandals destroyed the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. A cross has already been vandalised in this town in 2018.
Evangelicals Harassed and workers Discriminated Against
May 3, 2020, SpainThe Federation of Evangelical Entities of Spain (FEREDE) has denounced a ‘fierce media harassment’ on faithful as well as pastors in the churches in Torrejón de Ardoz. It has also denounced all forms of discrimination that the workers have been facing for their confession. The data provided by Health on the coronavirus had also denied that the COVID-19 cases are linked to evangelical churches in Torrejón.
Burglary at the Secours Catholique in Vallée-du-Tir
May 2, 2020, FranceIn New Caledonia, the Headquarters of the Charity of catholic organization Secours Catholique, was raided during the weekend of 2. and 3. May. The thieves broke down the doors, smashed the walls and ceiling. They stole computers, food and clothing. The attack destroyed 10 years of the association's work. The organization's headquarters were also ransacked for the first time in September 2019.
Chapel of Calvary Burned Down in Hautmont
May 2, 2020, FranceThe Chapel of Calvary was burned down during the night of 1st and 2nd May by unknown perpetrators. The same chapel was already vandalized in August 2016.
Smashed Windows of the Church in Frankenau
May 2, 2020, GermanyIn Frankenau, unknown perpetrators smashed the windows of the Church. The windows were discovered on 2nd May by the women who worked in the herb garden. This was the first case of vandalism in this church. The police is looking for the perpetrators and asking for clues. They suspect that the damage was made by a slingshot and a thick stone.
Crimes Against Churches in Austria
May 2, 2020, AustriaThe recent attack in December to Church St. Andrä in Graz brought questions about the hostility towards churches in Austria. The Minister of the Interior, Karl Nehammer, affirmed that between 2015 to 2019, 4657 crimes have been committed against religious buildings in Austria. In Styria alone, there have been 608 cases of attacks against churches.
Vandalism and Theft of Sacred Historical Objects
May 1, 2020, ItalyBetween end of April and the beginning of May, unknown perpetrators entered the small Church of San Francesco d'Assisi in Martirano. They ripped off two sacred objects from the walls and escaped. The sacred objects were of green stone and carved by an unknown sculptor. They weigh around 30 to 40 kilograms each, and dated back to the period between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The carabinieri started investigating the crime. The perpetrators may have placed the stolen objects on the black market. To date, in the area of Martirano, this is the first theft against a sacred building.
Statue of the Virgin Mary Decapitated
April 30, 2020, FranceOn the 30. April in Bonnieux, a statue of the Virgin Mary was destroyed. Its head was taken off and placed on a metal bar on the fence of the sanctuary.
Priest Threatened With a Knife by an Afghan Man Staying at The Monastery
April 28, 2020, FranceIn Strasbourg, on 28. April, a 19-year-old homeless man, who had been welcomed in a monastery during the lockdown, threatened a priest with a knife. The home of the man had been closed due to the pandemic, and he was allowed to stay at the monastery of the Monastic Fraternities of Jerusalem. When the priest asked him to be more hygienic, the alcoholized man threatened the priest with a knife. The witnesses called the police, and he was arrested and taken into custody