All cases

Four Fires Set in Saint-Pierre de Neuilly

August 5, 2018, France

On the 5th of August Four fires were started in the parish church Saint-Pierre in Neuilly-sur-Seine at about 2:30 in the afternoon. They were noticed by two people who had been waiting for the bus on the Avenue du Roule but had entered the church to cool down. They smelled smoke and found fires at four different locations near the entrance. The passersby rushed to extinguish the flames with water to keep the fire from spreading. Fourteen firemen with three engines were called to the site. The perpetrators had started the fires by setting flames to flyers and a prayer book. They had also left a piece of paper on a candle at the foot of a statue. No material damage was caused. The parish filed a complaint and the police started an investigation.

Jewelry Dedicated to the Virgin Mary Stolen from Church

August 5, 2018, Italy

The Church of Corlo di Formigine was robbed during the night between the 4th and 5th of August. The thieves took advantage of village celebration of the feast of la Madonna della Neve to steal golden chains, bracelets, and rings that had been donated by the faithful as a pledge to the Virgin Mary over the years. The jewelry was kept inside the reliquary which protects the fresco of the Virgin Mary and had been displayed in the church for the occasion of the festival. This act of vandalism has left the community upset.

Figure of Virgin Mary Damaged in Important Marian Shrine

August 3, 2018, Poland

The statue of the Virgin Mary in the small Shrine of Our Lady - the Teacher of Young People in Warsaw-Sierkierki was destroyed by vandals some time between August 2nd and 3rd. The perpetrators opened the glass case which protects the statue and damaged the statue. The shrine is important because of the Marian apparitions that appeared in the Siekierki region between 1943 and 1949. Police began an investigation and the parish held a reparation Mass for the vandalism and prayed for the conversion of the perpetrators.

Vandal damages outdoor furniture of church Santa Corce in Villaseta

August 1, 2018, Italy

A vandal went on a rampage outside the church of Santa Corce in Villaseta, a district of Agrigento. He broke pots of plants placed around the statue of Padre Pio and other outdoor furniture. He tried to enter the church where dozens of faithful had taken refuge. The vandal himslef hurt himself during his escalation and even left traces of blood scattered on the floor. The parishioners themselves called the police. An investigation was started and footage from surveillance cameras retrieved. The police believe it was a fifty-year-old from the area.

Catholic Politician's Home Targeted with Vandalism

August 1, 2018, United Kingdom

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg's Somerset home was vandalized with graffiti, condoms were hung on a small cross in the garden, and a sex toy covered with a condom was stuck on a car. While the politician has been controversial for his support for Brexit, media reports indicate that police suspect the sexual items were meant to target Rees-Mogg's Catholic faith and opposition to birth control.

Theft from Freto Church

July 30, 2018, Italy

Just a few days after a theft from the cathedral in Modena, two people, taking advantage of a deactivated alarm in the small church in Freto (Modena), stole a marble baptismal font. Although the theft was captured on surveillance cameras, the identity of the thieves was unclear. This was not the first theft from the isolated church and the nearby cemetery. The residents of the area were upset by the theft from the church.

Repeated Vandalism at Chiesa del Calvario

July 30, 2018, Italy

For the third summer in a row, unknown vandals broke into the ancient Chiesa del Calvario and destroyed objects. This year, they broke the hands of a 16th century statue of the Madonna and destroyed a second statue. The parish priest said the Catholic community was "horrified by vandalism towards statues of the Madonna, as well as the disfigurement of the heritage of the religious site." He called upon officials to investigate and take action to protect the site.

Man Vandalized Churches, then Fired Gun at Witness

July 30, 2018, Poland

A man was observed vandalizing two churches in Krakow with paint by a passerby. When the passerby tried to intervene, the man fled the scene. The man then returned with a gas pistol which he shot at the witness, but the witness was able to overpower the attacker and called the police. The man was charged with possession of an illegal weapon, as well as damage to the churches.

Elda Hospital Chapel Desecrated

July 28, 2018, Spain

At about 10pm on Saturday the 28th of July 2018, vandals broke open the tabernacle of the chapel of the Virgen de la Salud Hospital in Elda (Alicante) and stole the ciborium with the consecrated hosts. The ciborium was later found in the parking lot and the consecrated hosts were scattered around the entrance area of the hospital. Some were found lying on the sidewalk and trampled. The parishes in the area held acts of reparation for the desecration and to pray for the conversion of perpetrators. The police began an investigation.

"Offensive" Christian Symbols being Hidden at Funerals in Scotland

July 27, 2018, United Kingdom

The Scottish Inspector of Crematoria, Robert Swanson, said in his annual report that demands for the removal of Bibles and crosses by humanists and other minorities are on the rise. The Humanist Society of Scotland has said failure to remove Christian symbols leaves their members “open to discrimination” under the Equality Act.