Caroline Farrow, a Catholic journalist, was investigated under the "malicious communications act" after the founder of a transgender charity accused her of misgendering her daughter in a tweet. Farrow said it is her religious belief that a person cannot change sex.
On Sunday, March 17th, the church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris had to be evacuated after a large fire broke out in the entryway. The large wooden door of the southern transept was engulfed in flames and severely damaged, as was the stained glass window above it. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the church. On March 18th, investigators announced that the fire was not accidental in origin, but had been deliberately started.
Sometime during the night of March 16th to 17th, unknown vandals damaged the crucifix outside the church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Koszutka, a district of Katowice (Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa w Koszutce). Reports indicate that stones were likely thrown at the statue of Jesus, breaking the legs and arms.
The Basilica of Saint-Eutrope de Saintes in the Charente-Maritime department of southwestern France was desecrated on March 16th when consecrated hosts were stolen by unknown thieves. The diocese announced that a reparation Mass would be held.
The diocese of Málaga reported the theft of two ciboria containing consecrated hosts from la Iglesia de la Trinidad en Antequera on March 11th. In a statement, the diocese stressed that this was a "profanation of extreme gravity that deeply offends the Catholic faith." The vicar of the parish called on the thieves to "return the ciboria and repent for the theft." Two days later, in the early morning hours of March 13th, police noticed the entrance to the chapel of the Sagrada Familia in El Copo had been forced open and the sacristy had been damaged.
During the Court of Appeal hearing in the case of Felix Ngole, the University of Sheffield graduate student in social work who was dismissed from the program after he expressed his Christian views about marriage on Facebook, counsel for the university said no social worker should be allowed to express such views.
The Cathedral of Santiago was targeted by vandals during the early morning hours of March 12th. Messages sprayed in black paint on the facade and in various areas of the basilica ranged from anti-Church ("Yo no salí de tu costilla, tú saliste de mi coño" and "Machitos")" to anti-royal ("Guillotina Borbones"), and against the Santiago Abascal party ("Gritaremos hasta quedarnos sin Vox"). The cost to remove the graffiti is unknown, but could be in the tens of thousands of euros.
Police began a public order offense investigation on March 12th in Manchester after an angry individual screamed obscenities at elderly members of the 40 Days for Life group and sent chairs and leaflets flying outside an abortion clinic. A day earlier, in Nottingham, three people praying outside a medical centre were accosted by a man who swore at them and threw a jug of lumpy yellow liquid at them. Police began an investigation for assault as well as a hate crime motivated by the victims' religious beliefs.
A Dominican priest was with a group of high school students giving coffee to a homeless person when he was grabbed by the throat from behind by a stranger. The man then released the priest and said "I will not shake your hand." The priest was unhurt but shocked by the incident. He reported the incident because he thought he had been targeted because of his religious dress.
Churches in the region of Vienne were the victims of theft from February 27th to March 12th. A ciborium was stolen from the church of Naintré, candlesticks were stolen from a church in Dangé-Saint-Romain, three chalices and two ciboriums were stolen from a church in L'Isle-Jourdain, and liturgical objects were stolen from churches in Saint-Julien-l'Ars, Morthemer, Chauvigny, and Lussac-les-Chateaux. Police investigated whether these thefts were the work of an organized gang.
The sexton of St-Elisabeth-Kirche Schönau (Wenden) filed a complaint with the police for property damage after discovering several objects were sprayed with wax in the entrance area of the church. The vandals also threw two fist-sized stones into the corndoned-off area of the church, tore up information sheets, and scattered the paper onto the floor. In addition, two hymnals were taken.
When the priest arrived at the church of Saint-Louis-de-la-Robertsau to prepare for the evening Mass, he discovered two fire extinguishers lying on the ground outside the church. When he entered, he found that they had been emptied, with the foam covering the pews and the walls. He then noticed that wax had been spilled on the altar and the Easter candle and wooden statue of Saint Joseph had been knocked over. The altar cloths were ripped, the crown detached from a statue of Christ, and a basin thrown into a confessional. Two weeks after the incident, authorities arrested five teenagers for the act.
Some time between March 9th and 10th, unknown persons entered the church of San Rafael Arnáiz (Sanchinarro) and caused extensive damage, including forcing open the tabernacle door and stole the ciborium after throwing consecrated hosts on the floor. According to the priest, the low economic value of the items stolen, coupled with their religious value, suggests that this was a hate crime against Catholics during Holy Week.
La Iglesia de Santa Mónica de Rivas Vaciamadrid was vandalized by a radical feminist group with the phrases "Iglesia = muerte” (Church = death), “Muerte al patriarcado” (Death to the patriarchy), and “Pecadora y orgullosa” (Sinner and proud).
More than a dozen strikers disrupted a press conference on the XXIV edición de Las Edades del Hombre at the Archdiocese of Vallodolid, throwing pamphlets and, using megaphones, shouted slogans against religion in education and in favor of abortion.
A banner reading "Os beberéis la sangre de nuestros abortos" ("You will drink the blood of our abortions") was discovered hanging on the gate in front of the Concatedral de Santa María de la Redonda in Logroño.
Sometime in the morning of March 8th, between the opening of the church at 8:55 and the first Mass at 9:55, the ciborium containing consecrated hosts and a chalice were stolen from the sacristy cupboard in the church of Saint-Barthélémy in Confolens, Charente. This was the eighth church in the Charente region hit by theft and vandalism since last February.
A second church in Confolens (Charente) was the victim of burglary on March 8th. The priest discovered on March 9th that the church of Sainte-Maxime had been robbed the day before, at around the same time liturgical objects had been stolen from the church of Saint-Barthélémy in Confolens. Thieves stole two chalices, three ciboriums, one of which contained consecrated hosts and was taken from the tabernacle, a large candlestick, and the ornately-embroidered altar linen from Sainte-Maxime. The priest filed a complaint and estimates a loss of tens of thousands of euros.
During the "8M" feminist demonstrations, churches in the Castrense, San Jorge, and the church of Santo Tomás were all targeted with graffiti such as "Libres y combativas, 8M," "La iglesia que más ilumina es la que más arde" (The church that illuminates the most is the one that burns the most), and "Pederastas."
Parishioners of the Catholic church of Reichstett (Bas-Rhin) discovered that one of the century-old stained glass windows, as well as all of the windows of the adjoining restrooms. "666" and "Satan" were found sprayed on the walls. The town's mayor called it an attack on religious freedom.
A purple anarchist "A" symbol and a hammer and sickle were sprayed on la Cruz de los Caídos de Revilla de Camargo (Cantabria) by unknown vandals.
Vases were broken, papers scattered, and the contents of a garbage bag including soiled diapers was spilled on and around the altar of the church of Neuwiller-lès-Saverne, according to Christian Albecker, president of l'UEPAL (Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine).
St. Matthew's Church was badly damaged by a fire in the early morning hours of March 5th. The Lincolnshire police said it was intentionally set and treated it as an arson investigation. It appears the fire began in the shed adjacent to the church, and was one of several fires set in the town that evening.
New "relationships and sex education" (RSE) guidance published on February 25th requires schools to teach primary and secondary school children about LGBT relationships and may not permit parents to opt-out. Parents of primary school children are permitted to withdraw their children from the sex education component of RSE, but the relationships component would be mandatory.
The organist of the Basilica Saint-Denis discovered that the doors of the 200-year-old organ had been broken and two stained glass windows had been smashed.
During the day of March 2nd, unknown perpetrators entered the church of San José in Gijón and tipped over a heavy marble railing, breaking the structure.
An arm from the Christ figure in a countryside crucifix was broken off by unknown vandals. Police are investigating.
Unknown perpetrators attempted to set fire to the altar in the Catholic church in Lingenfeld in the period from the 27th to 28th of February. Police investigated.
Three years after the arson in a confessional in the church St. Peter and Paul in Hochheim, one or more unidentified perpetrators damaged several hymnals, tore pages from the Gospel book on the side altar, and smashed the Easter candle. The stand containing religious literature was destroyed and holy water was dumped out.
On February 24th, swastikas, names, and arrows were discovered scratched on the stonework of the 800-year old Cathedral of Brechin in Angus, Scotland. A few days later, vandals carved "F*** you Jesus" on the building. Police opened an investigation and a group of juvenile girls were suspected to be responsible for the acts which were described by a church elder as "totally repulsive."
Witnesses called the police after watching a 32-year-old man smashing a window of the Lutheran Kreuzkirche in Hannover-Mitte in the early morning of February 26th. Inside the church the man broke an access door and another two windows and ransacked closets and cabinets. Meanwhile police encircled the church and were able to arrest the intruder who was to be brought before a magistrate. The amount of the property damage is still unclear.
Vandals stole the head from an 800-year-old mummified body, known as “The Crusader” from the crypt of St. Michan's Church in Dublin. The crypt was badly damaged and several of the mummies, including the 400 year old remains of a nun, were desecrated in the incident.
Four rosary chapels in the calvary of Panevnicka in Katowice were desecrated by vandals who painted Satanic slogans and pentagrams on the doors and walls, as well as obscene drawings of male genitalia on the statues of holy figures including Jesus. Police as well as parishioners began a search for the perpetrators.
An elderly man preaching at the Southgate Underground Station was arrested by London police after he refused to leave the area, telling him he was "disturbing people's days" and needed to go away. The police seized the man's Bible despite his pleas not to take it.
On February 23rd, the bas-relief on the altar of the Saint-Gilles church in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie was vandalized, with the Christ figure beheaded.
Over 120 firefighters worked for hours to extinguish a fire at the Evangelischen Kirche in Hellenthal on February 21st. The fire began in the half-timbered church annex and spread to the roof of 18th century church. A firewall prevented further damage to the church itself, and the nave and valuable church books were saved. Police estimated damage at several hundred thousand euros and confirmed on February 26, 2019 that the cause of the fire was arson and have continued their investigation.
Paving stones were thrown at the windows of the nave of the church of San Leonardo, a crucifix on nearby private property was destroyed, and the lantern for the memorial to the fallen of all wars was smashed.
The 12th century church of Santi Pietro e Paolo Castello Roganzuolo (Treviso) was marred with tags of marijuana leaves, insults to police, and the names of Italian hip-hop artists in green spray paint on the outer walls.
At a meeting of Louth County Council on February 18, 2019, a motion to prohibit any pro-life vigils within 500 meters of a hospital or clinic that provides abortion services was passed by a majority vote. Health Minister Simon Harris has called for such exclusion zones throughout Ireland.
Burglars were interrupted by a witness who entered the St. Josef Catholic Church in Koblenz in the afternoon of February 18th. One of the perpetrators, a woman, shouted several words upon which a man appeared from one of the adjoining rooms and both hastily left the site. Shortly after, they drove away on a motor scooter and the woman covered the license plate with her helmet. Investigations showed that the man had pried open the door to the adjoining room, however, nothing was missing.
Using super glue, unidentified vandals damaged the wires in the electrical meter in the Chiesa di San Simeone Profeta, leaving the church without power and stopping the historic bell tower clock that had recently been restored.
At noon on Sunday 17th the parish priest discovered the theft of a consecrated host and a carrier containing four consecrated forms for celiacs in the church of Santa Isabel during the celebration of the Eucharist. Shattered pieces of the Blessed Sacrament and the virile were found by the priest in the garden. the theft and desecration was reported on Monday 18th. The police are invetigating and searching for witnesses. Furthermore, the diocesan bishop Amadeo Rodriquez has asked for prayers of reparation.
A man in Berlin-Neukölln was beaten and threatened with a knife because of his Christian tattoo. The 27-year-old Christian from Iraq was approached by two men and asked about his religious tattoo. They also and demanded that he give a donation to a beggar. When he refused, the men punched him in the face, according to police. When the attacker pulled out a knife, the victim and his companion escaped into a shop and called the police. The police arrested a 24-year old Muslim man. The investigation continues.
On the 12th February, the National Assembly in France adopted the new usage of the terms "Parent 1" and "Parent 2" instead of "Mother" and "Father" to reflect diversity in the families. The idea of the new law is to embrace diversity in familiar settings. The deputy Jennifer de Temmerman called the traditional social and family models outdated. This law was criticized by the minister of Education, the deputy Xavier Breton and the movement Manif Pour Tous, calling it "politically correct but not real".
During the night of February 11th, vandals spray painted the Church of San Martin with the words, "The only church that illuminates is the one that burns" ("La unica iglesia que ilumina es la que arde") along with an anarcho-feminist symbol.
"The church that illuminates is the one that burns" and other anarchist and feminist slogans and symbols were painted on two churches in small towns in Ávila. The Diocese of Ávila denounced the acts as attacks not only on the heritage of the small towns, but against mutual respect and religious freedom. A complaint was filed with the police.
In the late afternoon of February 10th, the priest of Saint-Nicolas de Maisons-Laffitte discovered that the church's tabernacle had been thrown to the ground. The police arrested a 35-year-old man who confessed.
On February 9th, the church of Notre-Dame de Dijon was desecrated by unidentified perpetrators. The tabernacle was opened, consecrated hosts were scattered, the altar cloth stained, and a missal was torn. A Mass of Reparation was held by the Archbishop.
Between February 6th and 8th, four churches in the Baden-Württemberg region were victims of theft from offertory boxes: two churches in Rheinhausen, a church in Sasbach, and a church in Wyhl. Police are investigating.
The local cemetery in Kamień Krajeński was devastated by vandals sometime between January 29th and February 6th. Nine tombstones were damaged, crosses were overturned, vases for flowers destroyed, and the arm of a statue of Christ was broken off the grave of a deceased priest. The priest of the local church said it was desecration of a place of worship. Police were alerted and began an investigation.
The prosecutor's office in Nîmes opened an investigation after severe desecration was discovered in the church of Notre-Dame des Enfants. A cross was drawn on a wall with excrement on which pieces of consecrated hosts were stuck. The tabernacle was broken and other consecrated hosts were destroyed.
On the evening of February 5th, a strong smell of smoke alerted the secretary of the parish of Lavaur to a fire in the cathedral. When the firefighters arrived, only the altar cloth and the crèche had been consumed, but a cross was on the ground, along with a broken candle. The arm of Christ on a cross had also been twisted.
A wooden crucifix located between Hèches and Avezac-Prat-Lahitte, in the municipality of Labastide, was discovered vandalized on February 5th. The perpetrators cut the cross one meter off the ground and left it there. When it fell, the Christ figure's arm was broken. The mayor ordered an investigation.
On January 29th, a Christ figure carrying a cross was thrown to the ground in the choir of the church of Saint-Nicolas. A few days later, on February 1st, the arms from the figure were broken. On February 4th, a statue of the Virgin and Child was attacked and shattered on the ground.
The tabernacle was broken and the ciborium containing consecrated hosts was stolen from the church of Saint-Pierre de Talmont (Vendée) on February 3rd.
Before Sunday Mass on February 3rd, it was discovered that someone had broken into the tabernacle in the chapel of Sainte-Anne in Notre-Dame-et-Saint Junien Church in Lusignan, scattered the hosts, and stolen the ciborium where the hosts were stored. The police were called and began an investigation.
Over the course of several months, statues have been pushed to the ground and broken into a thousand pieces, stones have been thrown at the stained glass windows, and the stoups and Christmas crèches have been damaged in two churches, Saint-Gilles and Sainte-Croix, in the parish of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie in the Vendée. Similar damage has occurred in the neighboring town of Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez.
The church "Am Heiligenhäuschen" was smeared with paint by unknown vandals late in the evening of February 2nd. Police are investigating.
The exterior wall of the colegio de la Trinidad in Vistalegre was painted with vulgar anti-church graffiti. This school, whose interior houses a chapel, belongs to the Diocesan Teaching Foundation of Santos Mártires de Córdoba.
Thieves broke into the Church of Madeleine in Vendôme and stole a wooden tabernacle containing a ciborium and consecrated hosts.
A 33-year-old Syrian man was arrested for the murder of his sister's lover, a 25-year-old Christian Iraqi. The prosecutor said the background of the crime may have been that the victim and accused belong to different religions and probable motive was that the accused, a Muslim, did not approve of his sister living with an "infidel."
West Midlands police investigated handwritten letters threatening petrol bomb attacks and mass stabbings sent to fifteen churches in the UK from November to January.
A public crucifix monument was vandalized with graffiti during the night of January 20-21 in Caen. Symbols included the anarchist "A," slogans in favor of PMA (assisted reproduction) legislation, "Jesus is trans," and a reference to an attack against a Christian pilgrimage tour bus two days earlier in Caen. Also present were stickers of the local libertarian communist union.
On the 14th of January, the Diocesan House of Grenoble hosted a pro-life event which drew a few hundred protesters. Between the 14th and 19th of January, graffiti was sprayed on the outer walls of the house and then between January 19th and 21st, its glass windows and doors were smashed.
Sometime between the 17th and 18th of January, the back wall of the Stephanuskirche was sprayed with graffiti by unknown persons.
A window in the back of the Evangelical church of St. Simeon in Minden was smashed during the night of January 17th by unknown perpetrators.
An unidentified perpetrator attacked the Greek Orthodox Church, damaging several windows and a glass ornament above the front door. Police opened an investigation
The church, whose frame was made of wood, was completely destroyed in a fire during the night of January 16th to 17th. When the firefighters arrived on site at 2:30 am, the church was already totally engulfed, and they could only prevent the flames from spreading to neighboring buildings. A hundred people had to be evacuated. The initial investigation indicated that the fire had started with a short circuit in the electrical system, however, an anarcho-libertarian blog post claimed responsibility. On October 7th, prosecutors said accelerants were found in the rubble and the fire would be treated as arson.
The exterior wall of the colegio de Santa Victoria of the Madres Escolapias, a private Catholic school, was spray painted with phrases such as "Death to Fascism," "School is Jail," as well as an 'anarcho-feminist' symbol.
During the afternoon of January 14th, police were called to the church of Saint-Georges after the priest discovered that unknown individuals had tried to break into the donation trunks and attempted to force open the door to the sacristy where objects of worship are stored. An hour later, police and firefighters were called to a fire at the Sainte-Foy church nearby. Police later arrested a man in his late-forties with a lengthy criminal record for setting the Sainte-Foy fire. He was then hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation.
Sometime between January 11th and 12th, an attempt was made to set fire to a wooden wall in the entrance area of the Russian Orthodox Church (Russisch-Orthodoxen Gemeinde des Hl. Gross Martyrers Dimitrios von Thesaloniki) in Schwerin with a candle and oily liquid accelerant. Investigators found a small charred area on the wall of the wooden church because the liquid did not ignite.
A British court has ruled that a pro-life activist may challenge a legal decision banning prayer and support for women in crisis pregnancies outside a Marie Stopes clinic.
"The true martyrs are in the sea" was painted on the wall of the church of San Rocco in Rovereto as the signature of the vandals who threw an incendiary device at the church, setting fire to the door. The attack appears to have been in response to a controversial nativity scene set up to "raise awareness of the tragedy of abortion which condemns children to a real martyrdom."
The Swedish Transport Agency rejected blocked a Christian man’s request to use the word "Kristus" (Swedish for “Christ”) on his license plate, claiming the move could “cause offense” to those opposed to Christianity. When he asked to use the name “Jesus” instead, he was informed that word was blocked, too.
Asher Samson, a Pakistani Christian who fought to stay in the UK after allegedly being beaten and repeatedly threatened with execution by Islamic extremists in Pakistan, was deported back to Pakistan on January 9th. Samson, backed by thousands of Christians, attempted to persuade the UK government to allow him to stay after being threatened with execution by Islamic extremists in his home country.
Unknown perpetrators vandalized an outer wall of the Quickborn Catholic church Maria - Hilfe der Christen with white spray paint. The lettering extended over a width of about 1.5 meters at a height of about one meter.
Thieves stole the lead roof of All Saints Church, which dates to 1390. During the course of the theft the thieves caused extensive damage to the stone parapet on the roof. The damage was estimated at tens of thousands of pounds.
On January 3rd 2019 the Blessed Sacrament was profaned in the parish church of Barcenaciones in Cantabria. A holy mass of reparation was held on January 5th in the evening.
On January 1st 2019 unknown people destroyed the nativity scene at the Alto del Aguila in the mountains of Collosa by kicking and throwing it down the hill. The nativity scene was later found 300 meters away from the top of Alto del Aquila, where it was placed by the porter and 300 other people on December 16th. Every year since 1962 the nativity scene is placed there. The porcelain figures and the old crib made out of methacrylate were completely destroyed. The residents of Callosa de Segura are outraged by this criminal act.
St. Stephen's Cathedral had to be evacuated twice in one week after anonymous telephone bomb threats by were received.
On December 28th, a police officer and the church caretaker were injured when a small explosive device went off outside the Church of St. Dionysios in the Kolonaki neighborhood of Athens shortly before the Divine Liturgy was scheduled to begin. On January 19th, the anarchist group "the Iconoclastic Sect" claimed responsibility for the attack.
Unknown perpetrators broke into a Catholic church and an Evangelical church in Freren, stealing small amounts of money from donation boxes, but causing about 9,000 euros in damage.
Six monks were attacked, gagged, and bound during the course of a robbery at the monastery of Maria Immaculata in Vienna on December 27th. Several of the victims were seriously injured and police began a large-scale investigation.
On the 25th December, a nativity scene in the municipality of Vilassar de Mar was found destroyed by vandals. The Catholic Tabarnia Twitter account posted a video showing the Baby Jesus with broken arms, a painting on the Virgin Mary, and damage to St. Joseph, the mule, the ox and the shepherds.
A 19-year-old man was arrested after causing severe damage to the Apostelkirche in Kaiserslautern on the night of December 22nd. The accused destroyed three glass windows and sprayed the contents of a fire extinguisher in the church. When the police attempted to calm the man, he threatened the officers.
On Saturday morning 22nd December, the new-bought figure of the Baby Jesus from the Nativity Scene of Tordesillas was found beheaded. The vandals also removed the horns of the cow from the nativity scene. There were no witnesses, as it must have happened during the night.
The Olárizu Victorian Cross was seriously damaged after being attacked by a group of unknown people during the night to 20th December. The vandals used a radial attached to some ropes to knock the cross down from the base. There was also a video of the vandals trying to cut the base of the cross. They destroyed the concrete formwork with a hammer and cut the irons. The police and the fire department went to assess the significant damage.
Intruders entered the Benedictine abbey of St. Matthias through a window during the night of December 18th and ransacked several rooms and the adjacent church, breaking sacred objects, overturning furniture, and setting fire to songbooks and other papers. Police estimated the damage to be in the thousands of euros.
On the night to 18th December, two people set fire to the nativity scene in Santa Lucia, next to the port of Cartagena. The nativity scene had been organized by the neighborhood. There were witnesses who say the vandals threw a fireball in one of the corners where the birthplace was located. The neighbors surprised the vandals, who then run away. The fire caused several damages to the figures.
Prosecutors announced that the attack on a busy Strasbourg Christmas market was an act of terrorism, committed by an Islamist extremist who had previously pledged alliance to ISIL. During the attack, the suspect shouted "Allahu Akbar." Security experts have said that the Christmas market was likely targeted both because it was crowded and its connection to Christianity and Christian symbolism. In response to the deadly attack, other Christmas markets across France implemented extra security measures.
The National Police arrested two men for the robbery in the chapel of the Alvaro Cunqueiro Hospital. The alleged thieves stole the tabernacle containing consecrated hosts from the hospital chapel during the night of December 10, and it was a woman who came to pray first thing in the morning that alerted them to the disappearance.
The Thistles Shopping Centre in Stirling, Scotland refused requests from the Legion of St. Mary's Association to display a nativity scene in the mall, saying they "pride themselves on religious neutrality." Despite this official position, the mall heavily advertised a "Christmas Market."
Christian refugees from the Middle East are widely underrepresented in the United Kingdom. In 2017, 4,832 Syrians were accepted to the UK, however, only 11 were Christians. The Home Office has acknowledged that Christian refugees in the Middle East are “reluctant” to enter the UNHCR refugee camp system, but refuses to state this is because of persecution.
For the second year in a row, Mayor Robert Ménard, former journalist for Reporters Without Borders, installed a nativity scene in the courtyard of the town hall of Béziers. The French government filed a complaint for its removal in the administrative court, claiming the installation violated the law of 1905 on the separation of Church and State.
Dozens of its members stormed out of the "Extraordinary General Meeting" of the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) concerning the Irish abortion bill on December 2nd. The members protested that their concerns and objections were not taken seriously and the ICGP “refused to accept members’ motions from the floor.” The spokesperson for the group of approximately 80 doctors, Dr Andrew O'Regan, told the media: "We feel disrespected and not listened to by our own college board."
During an advent concert in the parish church of Claußnitz on Sunday, December 2, unknown people turned on a faucet in the boiler room and flooded the cellar with it. "The boiler was totally under water," said Pastor Christian Schmidt. When the damage was discovered, the fire brigade and police were alerted. Two firefighters pumped the approximately 60 centimeters high water out of the basement. The police estimated the damage to be several thousand euros.
As Radio Maryja listeners gathered in Toruń to celebrate the radio station's 27th anniversary, a protest against public funding of the station took place a few kilometers away. Organized by a Polish secularist association, a small group protested at the monument of Nicolaus Copernicus.
A statuette of St. Anne with the Virgin Mary in a niche above a first floor window of a private home was removed and beheaded by an unknown vandal during the night of December 1st. The head was placed in front of the doorway of the home.
The perpetrator, a radicalized IS supporter, was found guilty of physical attacks and death threats against a Christian refugee, which allegedly happened in the asylum center where both were staying. The charges were stated on the 30th of November 2018.
The Swiss Ständerat (Council of States) passed a law on November 28th adding discrimination based on sexual orientation to the existing criminal law prohibiting discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or religion. A broader version of the legislation, which included "gender identity" was passed by the Nationalrat (National Council) in October. Critics of the law noted that it could restrict freedom of expression and conscience, particularly for those who hold a traditional view of sexuality and marriage. Those who violate the law could face a prison sentence of up to three years.