All cases
Church Bulletin Board Set on Fire
June 15, 2017, FranceDuring the night of June 15th, the bulletin board of the Sacré Cœur church in Roubaix was set on fire. A neighbor of the church saw the flames and contacted the authorities.
Church in Tamworth Vandalized
June 14, 2017, United KingdomAnti-Christian messages were scrawled on three different areas of St. Edythe’s Church, the oldest church in Tamworth by unknown vandals. The ancient doors and walls were tagged with statements such as “Lucifer runs this capitalist ruin,” “God has failed,” and “deliver us to evil.” Reverend Alan Gordon and the church community were devastated that the church was targeted by this vandalism.
Photographer and Naked Model Caught in Church
June 13, 2017, FranceA photographer taking pictures of a naked model were caught in the center aisle of the church Saint-Antoine de Compiegne in Oise in front of the altar by two parish members who went to the church to pray the rosary for the Christians of the East.
Break-In and Possible Attempted Robbery of Church in Lyon
June 12, 2017, FranceUnknown perpetrators entered the church of the 5th arrondissement of Lyon during the night of June 11-12th and broke the glass door to the sacristy. Nothing was stolen. The break-in occurred only a month after the crown of the Virgin at the Fourvière Museum was stolen.
Ramadan Prayer in front of Virgin Mary Statue
June 10, 2017, SpainBefore breaking their daily Ramadan fast, a prayer was held in the Jardines del Triunfo (Gardens of Triumph) in Granada, Spain. This prayer event was sanctioned by City Hall but caused outrage among some Catholics in the area as the Jardines del Triunfo is the site of a cherished statue of Virgin Mary.
Priest Assaulted in Church Sacristy
June 9, 2017, MonacoFather Jean-Christophe Genson of the church of Sainte-Dévote in Monaco was assaulted by an unnamed assailant as he prepared for Mass on the evening of June 9, 2017.
Three Acts of Vandalism in Jongieux
June 8, 2017, FranceSeveral statues of the Virgin Mary were vandalized in the village of Jongieux between June 8-13, 2017.
Mass Desecration of Serbian Orthodox Graves
June 6, 2017, KosovoDuring their annual visit to the Serbian Orthodox Cemetery in Mitrovica Kosovo, relatives discovered that 90 percent of the graves had been desecrated. Tombstones had been destroyed and broken on the ground. The grieving families were shocked and deeply hurt by this destruction and desecration.
Political Campaign Graffiti on Church
June 6, 2017, FranceThe church La Chapelle du Rosaire in Saint-Louis was vandalized with political graffiti during the night on June 6th, 2017. The political tags were related to the legislative campaigns in France. The mayor of Saint-Leu has condemned the vandalism and stated that he will ensure that the building is restored.
Journalist "Jokes" about imprisoning Priests
June 6, 2017, RomaniaThe Romanian journalist Ovidiu Eftimie has stated that he “yearns for the years of communist persecution, where the priest were taken to the canal and stranded in jail” (“tânjește după anii de prigoană comunistă, în care preoții erau duși la canal și înfundau pușcăriile”). He has also stated that he would love to become a new Vişinescu and punch the church leaders. The media has characterized these statements as a joke.