All cases
Sweden to Deport Christian to Iran Despite Danger
July 26, 2017, SwedenSweden has rejected the asylum claim of Iranian Christian actress Aideen Strandsson and will deport her back to Iran, where she likely faces time in an Iranian prison -- or worse. In Iran, where it can be deadly to convert to Christianity, Strandsson kept her conversion largely a secret. But when she came to Sweden, she requested a public baptism. Iranian intelligence most likely is aware of her conversion and she has received threats on social media. Strandsson has said "I don't know what will happen to me, I know the punishment for me in Iran is death," she said. But "I have hope in Jesus, it's just the last hope I have in my life."
Church of Ciplet Vandalized
July 25, 2017, BelgiumUnknown vandals emptied a fire extinguisher and covered benches with toilet paper in the nave of the church of Saint-Maurice de Ciplet. A piece of furniture in a chapel was also destroyed. Nothing was stolen and the police began an investigation.
Equalities Minister Said Churches Should Follow Public Opinion on Gay Marriage
July 23, 2017, United KingdomJustine Greening, who is also Education Secretary, said churches and other religious groups should “keep up” with public opinion on same-sex marriage.
Offensive Grafitti on Church in Brest
July 23, 2017, FranceAn unknown perpetrator sprayed a vulgar message on the door of the church of Saint-Martin de Brest along with an inverted cross.
Theft from Tabernacle in Tintigny
July 23, 2017, BelgiumOn Sunday morning before Mass, Fr. Pierre Jehenson discovered that two ciboriums had been stolen from the tabernacle of the village church of Rossignol.
U.K. May Scrap Single-Faith Schools
July 23, 2017, United KingdomChristian schools may soon be required to ensure that half of their students are from different religious backgrounds, due to concerns that Christian-only schools "heighten community divisions."
Christian Refugees on Lesbos Threatened; Prevented from Seeking Asylum
July 22, 2017, GreeceSeveral clashes broke out around July 22, 2017 at Lesbos Island’s Moria Camp for refugees, with Greek authorities arresting 35 Muslim rioters who threw large rocks at police officers and set fire to tents both inside and outside the bounds of the camp. A disabled Christian was nearly burnt alive while sleeping in one of the shelters. "Christians are being prevented from holding church services, worshiping and praying by their Muslim neighbors. Moreover, reports of tents being burned down, violence, bullying, harassment and severe threats paint a very bleak picture of the quality of life for Christians caught up within the camp," according to the British Pakistani Christian Association.
Planned Attack on Pope in Fatima Foiled
July 21, 2017, PortugalA Moroccan man was expelled from Portugal after police foiled his planned attack on Pope Francis during his visit to Fatima in May 2017.
Bibles Found Burnt in Lonay
July 18, 2017, SwitzerlandA member of the Evangelical Church of Lonay discovered that five bibles had been taken from its festival tent in the middle of the night and burned. Nothing else was taken or damaged.
More than 25 Catholic Pages Blocked by Facebook as "Spam"; Later Restored
July 17, 2017, European Institutions (EU, ECHR, et.al.)Between the night of July 17 and the morning of July 18, 2017 Facebook unpublished more than 25 Catholic pages in English, Portuguese and Spanish with no explanation to page administrators. After restoring the pages around 1:00 in the morning of July 19th, Facebook gave a statement to ACI Prensa: "The pages were reestablished. The incident was a malfunction of the spam detection mechanism in our platform. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused." In 2016, Facebook came under fire for allegedly censoring trends to news deemed "conservative."