All cases

Church Facade Defaced with "W l'Islam"

August 18, 2018, Italy

The newly renovated wall of the Chiesa del Santissimo Rosario in the center of Avellino was defaced with "W I'Islam" in black paint. The parish priest reported the incident to the police who will investigate whether there were religious or political motives behind this act of vandalism.

Church in Badwell Ash Damaged by Pellets

August 18, 2018, United Kingdom

During the night between the 17th the 18th of August there was a spate of vandalism in west Suffolk. According to the police, the unknown perpetrator damaged St Mary's Church in the village Badwell Ash and several vehicles in the area. It is believed that the offender used an BB or pellet air rifle to smash the church windows as well as 12 vehicles parked in the village. The police continued their investigation.

Churches Close due to Vandalism

August 17, 2018, Germany

Three churches were closed in Euskirchen due to repeated vandalism. The Herz-Jesu-Kirche, the Martinskirche and the Kirche St. Matthias will only be opened for Mass for the rest of the summer holidays as a provisional measure. The altar of St. Martin's church was smeared with dog excrement and urine was found in the stoup for holy water. Parishioners were outraged and stunned by the closure of the churches. These incidents were a change from the regular drug use that the churches had seen for some time.

Church CCTV Damaged by Vandals

August 17, 2018, United Kingdom

Vandals damaged a CCTV camera from St. Mark's Parish Church in Raploch just one day after it was installed. The church had been subject to repeated acts of vandalism and a couple of CCTV cameras were installed in order to deter anti-social behavior. While one camera was damaged, the other cameras were already doing their job as they identified those responsible for the incident, enabling the police to trace them and take action.

Tourist Information for Italian Church Destroyed

August 16, 2018, Italy

Tourist information that explains the history of the Greek church of Santa Maria degli Angeli was knocked down and torn from the sidewalk. The church has repeatedly been subjected to acts of vandalism.

Bishop of Liège Threatened and Robbed at Home

August 15, 2018, Belgium

During the night between the 14th to the 15th of August, thieves broke into the bishop's home through a toilet window on the ground floor. They assaulted both Bishop Jean-Pierre Delville as well as his godson who was also present in the house. They demanded cash, believing that the money collected from the churches was kept there. Having no cash in the house, the bishop and his godson had to resort to the money the godson had kept saved up for a trip abroad. They further asked for gold and valuable paintings, a Picasso in particular. The bishop gave them three chalices and pointed them towards four pieces of art from the 17th century that decorated the council chamber. After hitting one of the victims and threatening to kill them, they locked the bishop and his godson in a bathroom, where they were found the next morning. The thieves were described as "masked and professional" and explained they needed money to cure the 5-year-old daughter of one of them. They spoke German, as well as an unidentified foreign language and only spoke French poorly. The damage has been estimated to amount to 20 000 euros. An investigation is ongoing.

Vue Cinemas Breached Contract by Refusing to Screen 'Voices of the Silenced'

August 15, 2018, United Kingdom

After Vue Cinemas cancelled the screening of the film 'Voices of the Silenced' at the last minute in February, the film's producers launched a legal challenge against Vue. In August, Vue agreed to pay a nominal amount for breaching the contract. A spokesperson from Vue has said, however, that they stand by their decision of not screening the movie as it was "in direct conflict with its values." 'Voices of the Silenced' is a film by Christian organization Core Issues Trust about people who have left behind same-sex attraction practices.

Man Arrested for Defacing Church

August 15, 2018, United Kingdom

A man was arrested after spraying graffiti on several buildings in Andover including St. Mary's Church where the anarchist symbol was painted on the church door and the number 666 was left in red on the steps outside. The incident is suspected to have taken place some time between the 8th of August and the early hours of the 10th of August.

Leftists Attack Group for Wearing Catholic University T-Shirts

August 14, 2018, Spain

On August 18th, national police arrested two members of an extreme left group for assaulting a group of young people because they did not like the T-shirts they wore, namely the shirts of the Catholic University San Antonio de Murcia. The incident occurred in one of the pubs in area of the university a few days earlier. The victims were first insulted, then threatened, and were finally attacked. One of the victims received stitches, suffering an ocular hemorrhage. The 19 and 28-year-old perpetrators from Spain and Brazil were identified by photographs and were already known to the police for their membership in ultra-left groups. They were charged with crimes against fundamental rights (hate crimes) and injuries.

Arson Attack on Church in Rosolini

August 11, 2018, Italy

During night from the 10th to the 11th of August a fire was set in the church of Santa Caterina da Siena. The back of the church structure was set on fire and the flames penetrated into the warehouse where plastic caps which were collected for the charity project "Stappiao la speranza" were stored. More than 1,000 kilos of the caps went up in smoke and there was serious damage done to the church. The funds resulting from the project were to be sent to the twin parish Butembo Beni in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The incident left the church perplexed and the Mayor and Prime Minister expressed their solidarity. The incident was reported to the police.