All cases

Decapitated Statue of the Madonna in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano

March 10, 2018, Italy

In the morning of March 10th the statue of the Virgin Mary was found decapitated near the oratory of San Rocco at the church of Maria Madre della Chiesa in Sant'Angelo. The statue's head was discovered later, a hundred meters away.

At Least Five Madrid Churches Vandalized during International Women's Day Strike

March 8, 2018, Spain

On March 8th, International Women’s Day, the church of Espíritu Santo, the church of San Cristóbal, the Hermitage of San Isidro, the military church of San Andrés, and the church of San Jorge in La Coruña were all defaced with pro-abortion and anti-Catholic graffiti. The vandals identified themselves as feminists who were part of the "8M" women's strike, young communists, or anarchists. Locks on some of the churches were sealed with silicone to prevent the faithful from entering.

Niort: Teenager Stabbed in Notre-Dame Church

March 8, 2018, France

A 15-year-old boy praying at the church of Notre-Dame in Niort was assaulted around 6:30 p.m. on March 8th. Two hooded men ordered him to undress. When he refused, they stabbed him in the leg with a knife. The injured teen was transported to the Niort hospital by firefighters. No further information about the assailants was given by media reports.

Vandalism Against Seville Church

March 8, 2018, Spain

The church of the former convent of Santa Maria de la Paz in Seville, current canonical headquarters of the Catholic brotherhood of la Hermandad de la Sagrada Mortaja (Brotherhood of the Sacred Mortuary), was vandalized by unknown perpetrators with graffiti that read: "Ni Dios ni Amo" (Neither God nor Master).

Statue of Virgin Mary in Champagnat Stolen

March 7, 2018, France

The statue of Virgin Mary in an oratory in Champagnat was torn from its base and stolen on the eve of International Women's Day. An explanatory note was left by the vandals, saying that Mary did not want to remain behind an iron gate, surrounded by plastic flowers and peeling paint, but wished to "withdraw to meditate on the state of the sacred feminine" and that she would return.

Molotov Cocktail Found in Church Days after Threatening Graffiti Sprayed on Facade

March 6, 2018, Spain

On March 6th, a Molotov cocktail was found placed on the ledge of a window in the apse of the central parish San Miguel in Córdoba. The paper wick in the bottle had had been lit, but fortunately did not combust with the explosive materials inside.

Activist says "Burn the Episcopal Conference"

March 6, 2018, Spain

On March 6 during the television program Més 324 on the public broadcasting network Catalonia TV3, former CUP politician and activist Bel Olid encouraged participation in the March 8 feminist strike by saying: "Hem de cremar la conferència episcopal per masclista i patriarchal!" (We must burn the Episcopal Conference for machismo and patriarchyl!).

Arson at Saint-Gildas Church in Auray

March 4, 2018, France

On the afternoon of March 4th, a parishioner discovered thick smoke inside l'église Saint-Gildas. She observed two young women running from the church and immediately contacted the authorities. Firefighters discovered 10 separate fires had been set inside.

Bomb Scare in Bern Church

March 2, 2018, Switzerland

A 21-year-old Afghan man was arrested in Bern on March 2nd after he threatened to blow up the Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit) near the main train station. Witnesses reported unusual behavior to the police. Upon arrival, police found the man in possession of "suspicious objects" which were later neutralized. The church was evacuated and the area around the church was sealed off for hours.

Local Government to Demolish Cross

March 1, 2018, Spain

The tripartite government of the Castellón municipality of Vall d'Uixó formed by PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Izquierda Unida (United Left) and Compomís (Coalició Compromís) announced the demolition of the cross in the small Plaza de la Paz (Freedom's Square). The removal was driven by the law of Historical Memory. However, the cross of Vall d'Uixó no longer contains any symbol that refers to the Civil War or the Franco regime.