All cases

Anarchist Graffiti on Monument to the Virgen del Rocío

September 5, 2018, Spain

Sometime in the early morning hours of September 5th, vandals sprayed the anarchist "A" on the well-known monument. After city workers were unable to remove the paint using water, the monument's sculptor himself, Elías Rodríguez Picón, arrived to remove the paint. Local residents and officials expressed their outrage over the incident. Police began an investigation and reviewed security camera footage to identify the perpetrators of vandalism.

Chapel Vandalized in Péré

September 3, 2018, France

Parish announcements and a lectionary were burned in the small chapel Saint-Jean in the district of Péré, the lower town of Saint-Sever. Additionally, the monstrance was broken and a cross was thrown into a confessional. The vandalism occurred on the same day as the school fire of Toulouzette Park school in Saint-Sever. Police investigated a connection between the two incidents.

Senior Scottish Judge Criticized Asylum Tribunals for Disregarding Evidence of Christian Conversion

September 3, 2018, United Kingdom

An appellate court ordered a rehearing by immigration tribunals after Judge Lord Glennie, one of the appeal judges, found that the asylum judges had disregarded churchgoer's evidence of the Christian conversion of two Iranian asylum seekers who have been attending Tron Church in Glasgow and had been predisposed to rejecting their claims.

Criminal behaviour at two churches in Greiz

September 3, 2018, Germany

A 35-year-old tried to pry open the door of the Herz-Jesu-Kirche in Greiz at 22.35 Monday evening. A witness filmed him while doing it. The perpetrator fled the scene but the police was able to track him down and find him at home. He has been charged with attempted burglary. The same evening, at 17.30, several windows were damaged at the church in the Friedhofstraße in Greiz and there was an attempt to set fire to the wooden door. The police has started an investigation.

Catholic Bookstore Vandalized by Anarchists

September 3, 2018, France

The Notre-Dame-de-France Catholic bookstore was vandalized during the night from the 2nd to 3rd of September. The perpetrators sprayed the word "FACHOS" ("fascists"), an anarchist A symbol, a communist symbol, and other words onto the windows and facade of the bookstore.

"Jihad" and "Dead" Graffiti Sprayed on Church

September 3, 2018, Sweden

In the morning of September 3rd church staff discovered that the Alhem Church in Skellefteå had been sprayed with black graffiti, including "Jihad" and "Dead" with a Nazarene symbol for Christians. The police stated in a statement that they took this form of hateful attacks against churches very seriously, and that they do not equate them with regular hip-hop graffiti and so-called "tags."

Graffiti on Valencia Church

September 1, 2018, Spain

The facade and windows of the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in la Plaza de Benimaclet were smeared with paint and graffiti and on the sidewalk in front of the church, the anarchist slogan "NI DIOS; NI PATRIA; NI AMOS" was written in paint. Local politicians expressed their regret, saying it was "dirty" and "damaged one of our most emblematic monuments." They also added that they are tired of "uncivil and intolerant people." A councilman in the city of Valencia, Alberto Mendoza, publicly denounced this act of vandalism and called for more security cameras to be put in place.

Repeated Vandalism in Ansbach Churches

August 31, 2018, Germany

On the 31st of August, police reported that between August 17th and 30th, 2018 there were several incidents of vandalism in the Kirche St. Ludwig. Confessionals and offering boxes were damaged in the amount of 700 Euros. A church in Eyb was also vandalized between the 20th and the 30th of August. A window was smashed and several meters of copper sheets (window panels, gutters), valued at about 2000 euros, were stolen. The material damage was about 300 euros. The police began an investigation.

Precious objects stolen from the sactristy of Simorre

August 31, 2018, France

During the night from Thursday to Friday, 31st of August 2018, people broke into the Church of Our Lady of Simorre. The intruders cut the gate leading to the magnificent collection of objects kept in the sacristy using a portable deburring machine. In addition to that they burst the glass behind which rare valuable pieces, some of them dating back to the 16th century, were presented. The burglars were able to steal four 19th century objects before alarms went off and the thieves fled. The incident was reported to the police by the person in charge of opening the church the follwing morning. An inventory of the objects was undertaken and the premises was secured better than before.

Spanish TV Cuts Holy Mass Broadcasts

August 30, 2018, Spain

According to reports, RTVE, the Spanish national public radio and television service, will stop airing a weekly Sunday Mass, ending a tradition of almost 40 years. Although it is the most-watched program on the channel, the decision was explained by the government, which presented the proposal in March 2017, as necessary to become a "neutral" public television station that does not favor any belief or religion.