All cases
Church in Toulouse Profaned and Vandalized
July 14, 2016, FranceThe church of Saint-Pierre des Chartreux was vandalized: The tabernacle door was torn off and part of the book collection of the prayers of the faithful was burned. Other objects were overturned. A police report was filed.
Order of Nuns Fined for Firing Lesbian Teacher
July 14, 2016, ItalyAn order of nuns was ordered to pay 25,000 Euros to a teacher for discontinuing her employment based on the incompatibility of her sexual orientation with the Catholic school’s ethos.
Arson in Cemetery and Church in Nice a Day Before Bastille Day Attack
July 13, 2016, FranceA fire was set in the cemetery of Caucade in Nice West, where three tombs were blackened. One hour later, a fire was discovered in the church of Saint-Marc and a door was damaged.
Evangelical Church Burned in Calais
July 12, 2016, FranceNo casualties were reported, but the damage was considerable: the roof collapsed and the building was destroyed. The cause of the fire is being investigated and arson has not been ruled out.
Man Burst into Church and Smashed Ancient Crucifix to the Ground
July 12, 2016, ItalyThe young man of North African origin rushed into the church of St. Jeremiah, in Cannaregio, Venice and threw a large crucifix to the floor, heavily damaging the religious artifact.
German Bishops Conference and Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany Issue Joint Statement
July 12, 2016, GermanyCardinal Marx, chair of German Bishops' Conference and Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, head of the Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), united to condemn the attacks on Christians and other religious minorities in camps.
Arsonist Arrested for Abbey Fire
July 10, 2016, FranceA 42-year old man confessed to setting at least fifteen fires including one that damaged the Abbey Saint-Austremoine in Issoire on July 3. The blaze, which destroyed a confessional, a table and some chairs, was quickly extinguished. The fire caused great upset among the population. The suspect was indicted for "intentional damage by dangerous means to people."
Four Churches Tagged with Offensive Messages
July 10, 2016, FranceThe churches of La Motte, Lauren, Loudéac, and Lachèze in the region of Côtes-d'Armor were painted with the word "Pédophile."
Religion Classes in Belgium to be Replaced with Citizenship Classes
July 7, 2016, BelgiumThe country's religious education classes in French-speaking primary and secondary schools will be cut in half in October 2016 and replaced with a weekly hour of citizenship classes, over the objection of students and teachers.
Russia's Anti-Terrorism Law Restricts Missionary Activities
July 7, 2016, RussiaThe new law bans preaching, praying, proselytizing, and disseminating religious materials outside of officially-designated sites, and authorizes fines for these activities conducted in private residences or distributed through mass print, broadcast or online media.