
British charitable volunteer Isabel Vaughan-Spruce has been criminally charged in Birmingham under the UK’s new national abortion “buffer zone” law for silently praying near an abortion facility, with her trial scheduled for 29 January 2026. This is the first known prosecution under the Public Order Act 2023, highlighting tensions between public-order regulations and freedom of conscience.

Authorities detained a Polish university student accused of preparing an ISIS‑inspired explosive attack on a Christmas market.

UN human rights experts have raised alarm over legislative and administrative measures in Estonia that target the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (EOCC). They warned that these actions—ranging from legal amendments to restrictive treatment of clergy—could disproportionately limit religious freedom.

Police opened a criminal investigation after unknown perpetrators etched a Nazi symbol into the wall of a church in Lower Saxony.

A desecration of the Church of the Angel in Camaiore involved blood traces on the altar, misuse of sacred objects, and prompted both police investigation and a call for reparation by the Archdiocese of Lucca.
Historic St Mary’s Church in Coleorton, Leicestershire suffered costly damage when unknown perpetrators smashed two of its stained glass panels in what police and clergy described as “mindless vandalism”.

A holy water font at St. Fidelis Catholic Church in Burladingen was deliberately filled with urine in an act of targeted desecration shocking parishioners and clergy. The parish priest called the act "a slap in the face of a believer."

German authorities have detained five men in Bavaria accused of planning a radical Islamist–motivated vehicle attack on a Christmas market. Investigators say the plot was disrupted at an early stage through coordinated action by security services.

A UK primary school teacher was suspended in March 2024 and later dismissed after telling a Muslim student that “Britain is still a Christian state,” citing the King as head of the Church of England and describing Islam as a minority religion. The teacher, who had also allegedly suggested the student could attend a nearby Islamic school if they preferred a religious setting, faced both police and safeguarding investigations. Although he was initially banned from working with children, he successfully appealed the decision and is now pursuing legal action against.

A criminal court in Vitoria, Basque Country, has acquitted 21 pro‑life volunteers accused of harassment for praying peacefully outside an abortion clinic, ruling that they had “done nothing more than exercise their free right of assembly” and behaved in an “exquisitely peaceful manner.” The court found no evidence of intimidating conduct under the penal code’s anti‑harassment provision.

The European Commission has excluded the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE) and the World Youth Alliance (WYA) from EU funding after rejecting multiple project applications, citing alleged violations of equality measures and “EU values.” FAFCE’s president describes the decisions as ideological discrimination, arguing that they penalise organisations that support families, children and human dignity while holding pro-life convictions.

Since June 2025, Armenian authorities have arrested senior clerics and other clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church on charges ranging from coup plotting to drug‑related offences, actions that human rights advocates call unlawful detentions. Amid this escalation, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has unveiled a new Code of Regulations for the Armenian Apostolic Church, despite having no formal authority within its structure.

In Florence, black spray-painted graffiti stating “The only church that enlightens is the one that burns” and featuring the anarchist circled “A” appeared on the construction coverings of the Carmine Basilica.

Authorities in Bologna investigated a fire at the Santuario in via del Borgo San Pietro, where flames engulfed the hedges surrounding the Catholic Church’s garden, prompting suspicions of arson.

Police detained a man after he disrupted a Catholic service by removing nativity figures, striking the altar, profaning liturgical garments, shouting in Arabic through the church microphone, and attempting to attack parishioners before being restrained outside.

Based on a report, Catholic schools in France are facing state inspections criticised as abusive and humiliating. Teachers reported unannounced classroom visits, students being questioned about their faith, and pressure to remove Christian symbols, all of which undermine the schools’ Catholic identity. Catholic education authorities warn that these practices violate both educator dignity and parents’ right to provide religious education.

Stone sculptures at the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche and Hildesheimer Dom were damaged, with facial features deliberately broken.

Two wax-smeared swastikas were discovered on the interior wall of a Lutheran church in Seligenstadt.

An arson attack destroyed the parish priest’s vehicle in Francofonte, following earlier vandalism against the church grounds.

Radical activists smashed windows and spray-painted “218 abtreiben” on the Free Evangelical Church Kassel-Ost, citing its support for unborn life as the motive.

Acts of vandalism targeted Christmas decorations at Villar de Olalla, damaging religious symbols and prompting a municipal appeal for information.

Two altar cloths were set on fire inside Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church in Fonsorbes, Occitania, with straw from the Christmas nativity scene reportedly moved to fuel the flames.

A theft took place at the Hospital Virgen del Puerto in Plasencia in early December 2025, when several consecrated hosts were reported missing from the chapel’s tabernacle.

The Chapel at Termini Station in Rome was closed after a man was reported to have urinated on the altar. The closure is deprived the community of access.

Graffiti with hateful anti-Christian slogans, including phrases like “The only church that shines is the one that burns”, was discovered on the Église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine des Chartreux, prompting condemnation from city officials, police, and church leaders, and leading to formal complaints and calls for justice.

A woman discovered flames and smoke inside the parish church of Sedico. Police are suspecting an arson by vandals who targeted the building.

The UK’s National Trust has faced criticism after refusing a Catholic filmmaker permission to film at a historic religious site, reportedly on the basis of the project’s “religious affiliation”. Christian filmmaker Christian Holden said he was “bewildered” by the decision, which raised concerns about potential discrimination against religious projects. The National Trust has since stated that it has no policy against religious filming and is reviewing how the request was handled.

In December 2025, the Galician nationalist party BNG called on the Spanish Government to include the monumental Cross of O Castro in Vigo in the newly established national Catalogue of “Symbols and Elements Contrary to Democratic Memory”, which could lead to its removal. The initiative comes despite a 2015 ruling by the High Court of Justice of Galicia (TSXG), which held that, after political had been removed, the cross no longer constituted an exaltation of the Civil War or Franco dictatorship and could be regarded in its present context as a religious and commemorative monument.

A Protestant church in Erbach was vandalised and desecrated. The incident involved damage to church property and degrading acts inside the building.

For yet another year, vandals have targeted the Christmas nativity scene at Brussels’ Grand Place, stealing the head of the baby Jesus figurine.

Anti-Israel demonstrators scaled the towers of Vienna's Votive Church and placed Palestinian flags on the spire. The Archdiocese condemned the incident, hired a crew to remove the flags, and announced that they may take legal action.

Two churches, a parish facility, and other buildings in Delmenhorst were vandalised with red paint. The graffiti included the word “Allah” written in Arabic script.

The St. Salvatoris Parish in Geesthacht (Schleswig-Holstein) had to cancel the annual Christmas market after receiving a threatening letter. Police are investigating the threats.

The launch of Brussels’ Winter Wonders Christmas market was interrupted when demonstrators set off smoke bombs, waved Palestinian flags, and unsettled families.

Authorities investigated a deliberate fire at a Laindon church previously subjected to repeated racist vandalism.

The Anglican and Methodist Church of St Giles was twice targeted by arson when rubbish was set on fire at its entrances—causing damage to the church door and prompting police appeals for information.

Swiss evangelist Stephan Maag, known for walking across Europe with a 40 kg cross to speak about his faith, was detained by police in Monaco, placed in a cell and expelled from the state. Authorities told him that public religious expression was “only allowed inside buildings, but not on public property,” but offered no written explanation and said the orders came “from above.”

Authorities detained a 55-year-old man in Parabiago after he entered a parish church and toppled statues on the altar.

The nativity scene at the Christmas market in Amiens was vandalised during the night of 25-26 November 2025: several statuettes — including the figure of the infant Jesus — were broken, leading to public indignation and closure of the display.

Ten bodies were desecrated after mausoleums were broken into at a Catholic cemetery in Portugal. While cemetery vandalism had occurred before, the parish priest said that this incident was of an unprecedented scale. The local bishop condemned the act as a “sacrilegious gesture”.

Unidentified vandals defiled the Church of San Nicola di Bari in Ostia by leaving human excrement inside the building, including on the altar, leading the Diocese of Rome to announce a Mass of Reparation.

A prayer book near the relics of Blessed Maria Raffaella Cimatti in Alatri was defaced with insults and blasphemies.

A scheduled lecture by the habilitated philosopher Sebastian Ostritsch at Hochschule für Philosophie München was cancelled two days before the event. Student protests and pressure on university management resulted in cancelling the planned discussion of classical proofs for God’s existence.

Shaun O’Sullivan, a UK Christian preacher, arrested 16 times and acquitted each time, now plans to challenge the repeated prosecutions in court as he believes he is being targeted for proclaiming the gospel.

Masked vandals defaced the Santa Lucia chapel in Pianella with racist and vulgar graffiti, prompting police investigation and municipal condemnation.

An 18-year-old in Vallecas stabbed three people and reportedly told his mother his mission was to kill Christians, leading authorities to investigate possible terrorism.

Christian street preacher Dia Moodley remains under investigation following his arrest on 22 November 2025 in Bristol, in connection with his public preaching on topics including Christianity, other religions, and gender ideology. He was detained for around eight hours on suspicion of a religiously aggravated public order offence and later released under investigation, with no charging decision yet made.

Madrid’s Provincial Prosecutor’s Office has launched a preliminary investigation into José Ignacio Munilla, Bishop of Orihuela-Alicante, following remarks he made criticising a proposed ban on so-called “conversion therapy.” The bishop warned that the draft legislation could jeopardise the freedom of pastoral care offered to individuals with homosexual inclinations, in line with Catholic teaching. His statements, made during a Radio María broadcast, were reported as “hate speech” by a local NGO. Bishop Munilla has firmly rejected the accusation, stating that he merely criticised a government proposal and denounced the investigation as an attempt to intimidate the Church.

The unused monastery of Derio in Bizkaia fell victim to an act of vandalism and desecration, when unknown perpetrators broke into the monastery and caused deliberate destruction of crucifixes, chalices, and religious paintings. The religious community emphasised that intruders went to break one by one the liturgical objects they found.

Thieves broke into the Los Urrutias church in Cartagena, stole the tabernacle, and damaged the statue of the Virgin del Carmen, which they left in the streets.

On the night of 18 November 2025, unknown individuals demolished the Cross of Morkaiku in Elgoibar, Gipuzkoa—an act now under police investigation. The cross, originally erected during Spain’s Franco regime, had sparked ongoing local tensions over the presence of religious symbols linked to the dictatorship, despite its historical recontextualisation.

A parish employee was violently attacked after enforcing security rules near the historic church.

Police sealed off the Church of the Assumption of Mary in Aichach after a bomb threat disrupted a mass attended by hundreds.

A church in Moscufo was targeted by vandals who broke a welcoming sign and attached a condom to a crucifix. Municipal administrators condemned the act.

Around 50 pro-abortion protesters entered St. Mary’s Church in Flensburg, displaying banners and refusing to leave until police intervened. The archdiocese of Hamburg underlined that the church is a "holy place for Catholics" and should not "be abused for political rallies and disrespect".

Swastika and Russian “Z” symbols were graffitied on Our Lady of Lourdes church in Swansea, prompting police investigation and condemnation from civic and religious leaders.

A Nazi swastika, along with the words “Keep out” and a “Z” symbol linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was daubed on the walls of Our Lady of Lourdes church in Townhill, Swansea.

A 200-year-old crucifix in a Protestant church in Homberg/Ohm was defaced with anti-Israel slogans and political graffiti.

Unknown perpetrators threw stones at three windows on the north side of the Schnathorst village church, causing about €5,000 in damage.

Police opened an investigation after anti-Catholic insults, including “Filthy race of Jesus Christ”, were discovered on the entrance of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Lourdes.

The parish of Viatosto was repeatedly targeted by vandals: open taps, glued candles, and a burnt lighter were among the troubling signs discovered by the priest.

A fire damaged the entrance of the Oratory of Saints Sebastiano and Fabiano in Taggia. Authorities are investigating suspected arson.

Eggs hurled at the parish house and sabotage of the priest’s car marked a renewed wave of anti-Christian hostility in the Treviso community.

Unknown offenders damaged the entrance and several gravestones at the city church in Melsungen, prompting police investigation.

Two religious statues were deliberately broken inside the Church of Notre-Dame de l'Assomption in Montcenis, in what authorities are treating as an act of anti-Christian vandalism.

St Mary’s Church in Cardigan was targeted in an attack involving graffiti and forced entry, prompting a police investigation.

A stone grotto was demolished, statues of the Madonna and Padre Pio were desecrated, and church gardens were destroyed in a targeted act of vandalism at the Church of San Francesco in Francofonte.

Bishop Mick received a warning from a police officer that the words on the back of his motorhome could get him into trouble if someone filed a complaint

A bronze cross that had stood for over 40 years on a family grave in the town cemetery of Aire-sur-l’Adour (Landes) was stolen on 4 November. The local community has expressed shock and sadness about the targeting of this religious symbol.

Police in Lublin have detained two men in connection with the deliberate arson of a chapel at a local sanctuary, where sculptures depicting the Last Supper were destroyed after being doused in petrol and set on fire.

Obscene graffiti appeared on the side door of San Rocco Church in Stornara, prompting condemnation from local officials and parishioners.

A church in Ouzouer-sous-Bellegarde, Loiret, was vandalised during the night of Halloween, when its door was forced open and the interior damaged, in an incident suggesting deliberate intent

A lectionary was set on fire and the sanctuary vandalised in a Halloween-night attack on a Catholic church in northern Italy.

The Old Catholic Christuskirche in Ried im Innkreis has faced repeated disturbances, including displaced crosses and scattered materials, culminating on Halloween night, 31 October 2025, when its cash box was broken open and money stolen. In response, the parish vicar has locked the church on weekdays. "That was no longer a rascal prank", the parish vicar commented.

Assailants broke into the Church of San Roque, stole alms, and defecated inside the sanctuary, prompting police investigation and community indignation about this act of desecration.

A church in Almería became a repeated target of vandalism and interior defilement, including acts described as humiliation of the site.

In October 2025, the Finnish Supreme Court heard the case of Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen, who is facing prosecution for alleged “hate speech” after tweeting a Bible verse and questioning how the Lutheran Church could reconcile its support for Helsinki Pride with biblical teaching. Despite two unanimous acquittals, the state prosecutor has pursued a further appeal, extending the case into its seventh year and seeking financial penalties and the removal of her published statements.

An unknown perpetrator broke into the Protestant Church of St. Jakobus in Bad Weißenstadt, stole money from donation boxes, and defecated inside the church.

More than two dozen gravestones at a Christian churchyard in Stalybridge were defaced, prompting a police investigation and local dismay.

In October 2025, a Syrian Christian asylum seeker was reportedly threatened, injured, and intimidated by Muslim residents at the asylum seekers’ centre (AZC) in Goes, Netherlands. The incident seems to be part of a broader rise in anti-Christian hostility reported in Dutch asylum facilities.

Crude and vulgar graffiti defaced the Loreto church in Montanaro, Italy, in an overnight act of vandalism condemned by local officials as an attack on cultural and religious heritage.

A fire in the choir of Carla Bayle church damaged woodwork and a painting, with a melted container found at the scene. The fire is suspected to have been set intentionally.

A religious statue of the Virgen de la Cinta was vandalised and destroyed at Mont Caro in Tarragona, Spain, on 27 October 2025.

Authorities in Civate filed a formal complaint after pomegranates were thrown at the parish church in an act of vandalism.
Three garbage bins were set on fire at the Catholic parish community centre of St. Otto in Greifswald, Germany, damaging part of the building’s façade. The police are investigating the suspected arson.

Police launched an investigation after excrement and soiled clothing were discovered inside a church in Châtellerault, part of a broader pattern affecting local Christian sites.

A man entered the Saint-Pierre Abbey in Moissac, assaulted a nun, threatened a witness, and kicked the church door. A man who published a video of the incident reported receiving threats.

A 17th-century statue of the Virgin Mary was forcibly removed from a hermitage in Spain using tools, with suspects identified as part of a group targeting religious sculptures for resale.

On 25 October 2025, unknown perpetrators broke into the church of the Monastery of Santa Margherita in Bevagna and stole consecrated hosts and sacred vessels from the tabernacle. The deliberate targeting of the Eucharist constitutes a serious act of desecration in the Catholic context.

The screening of the film Sacré-Cœur at a municipal venue in Marseille was cancelled in an attempt to enforce secularism rules, a decision later found by the Marseille Administrative Court to constitute a serious and unlawful restriction on freedom of expression.

A chapel at Hospital del Henares in Spain has been repeatedly targeted by theft and desecration, with reports of ongoing harassment following the initial incident.

Repeated acts of vandalism at Heilig Kreuz Church in Hildesheim led to its closure outside of service hours.

On 22 October 2025 graffiti reading “ni papa ni ostias” was found painted on the exterior of the Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Pilar in Catarroja

According to a report from 21 October 2025, a large harvest carpet depicting scenes from Biblical history was destroyed in St. Marien Church in Haltern am See after five women had spent more than two weeks creating it. The destruction affected a work specifically created for the church’s harvest festival and left those involved appalled.

Swastikas and homophobic slurs were spray-painted on the walls of the San Grato church in Cerrione, prompting a police investigation. Local officials spoke of a deeply troubling act of intolerance.

A roadside chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary was desecrated with satanic graffiti and swastikas in Wólka Wybraniecka. The statue was also destroyed.

The Libaux prayer cave in Lessard-en-Bresse, a site on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route, was extensively vandalized with broken statues and overturned candles.

A statue of Christ, installed just a week earlier, was found broken.

Spain’s socialist government is proposing that regional authorities establish registries of doctors who conscientiously object to performing abortions, effectively creating lists of objectors. Critics argue that forcing doctors to register or face legal coercion violates their constitutional and human rights to freedom of conscience.

Another burned circle was found outside a church in Galicia, prompting police involvement. The unusual nature of the marking caused concern among parishioners and follows a similar incident at another nearby church.