All cases
Vandalism of Parochial Empty Container
October 4, 2020, ItalyIn Foligno, on the night of 3rd to 4th October, unknown vandals smashed the windows and floors of the parochial container near the fractional church. The container was empty, so the act of destruction was suspected to be biased. The carabinieri will check the security cameras for clues.
Gilded Cross Was Stolen From Church in Kastl
October 3, 2020, GermanyOn the 3rd of October, a gilded cross was stolen from the monastery castle church St. Peter in Kastl. The church remained open during the day. The police is looking for witnesses.
Arson Attack With Burning Vehicle to Saint-Pierre Chanel Church
October 3, 2020, FranceIn the evening of October 3rd, a group of approximately 10 people, dressed in black and masked, set fire to Saint-Pierre Chanel church in Rillieux-la-Pape, close to Lyon. They pushed a car up to the church wall and set it on fire, which blackened the facade and caused damage to offices and meeting rooms. According to mayor Alexandre Vincendet, the same group had set around 10 cars in town on fire that night in a violent raid.
Break-In And Theft in Church in Stolpen
October 3, 2020, GermanyOn the night of 3rd to 4th October, unknown persons broke into the Church in Stolpen, through forcing a side door open, and stole the donation money from a wall safe. The safe was also opened by force. They took around 50 euros from the inside. The damage done was estimated at 1000 Euros.
Statue of an Angel Again Destroyed by Vandals
October 3, 2020, GermanyOn the weekend of 2 to 4 October, the statuette of an Angel placed in front of the church of the Holy Spirity in Laufenburg, was destroyed by unknown vandals. Only the feet of the angel remained in front of the church, the other pieces are missing. The statue has been vandalised many times before in 2005. It was restored and inaugurated again in 2006. The restored copy was then damaged again. The city has offered 500 Euro for anyone who can give helpful hints about the perpetrators.
Devastating Arson at Catholic Voluntary Academy in Derby
October 3, 2020, United KingdomOn the early morning of the 3rd of October, a fire broke out in the St. Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy. The firefighters spent most of the day tackling the fire. The Derby City Council was told that there was an alarm at 5am for a break-in, which confirms the case as an arson attack. The fire has devastated the school and the pupils will have to be sent to other schools while reconstruction begins.
Threats Against Pro-Life Supporters and "March For Life" Banned in Switzerland 2019, 2020 and 2021
October 2, 2020, SwitzerlandIn the city of Zürich, the March for Life was opposed by extreme left activists, as it also occurred in Austria and Germany, which led the local government to ban the march. The march has already been banned in 2019 and also for 2020 and 2021 with no consistent reason. The official reason for the ban are safety concerns for the participants of the march, due to violent counter-protests and possible riots. As an alternative to the march, there would have been a smaller gathering of the pro-life supporters, but the Congress Center Winterthur, where the event would have taken place in a smaller form, has denied access. The organizers of the march announced that they will pursue legal action against this decision.
Court Denied Asylum to Converted Refugees and Increased Risk of Deportation
September 30, 2020, GermanyIn Germany, the asylum for refugees converted to Christianity has diminished significantly in the last years, according to the Organization Open Doors. The cases vary depending on the federal state and court. In the province of Bayern, the parishes have increasing problems with the state institutions regarding converted. The Administrative Court denies the refugees their decision of their faith being genuine and reject their asylum application. These Christians could face severe sentences including the death sentence for converting to Christianity if they are deported.
Arson Attack Against Church in Vaggeryd
September 29, 2020, SwedenDuring the night of 29 September the Haghults church in Klevshult was set on fire by an unknown perpetrator. A bell tower from the 18th century was completely destroyed and the cemetery was also damaged by the fire. The fire was reported by a witness. Police have started investigations into the arson.
Acts of Vandalism at the Church of San Niccolò
September 28, 2020, ItalyDuring the night of 27 to 28 September, vandals smeared the walls of the church of San Niccolo in Agliana. The whole facade of the Church was tagged with vulgar inscriptions or images. The police was notified and the church plans to install surveillance cameras.
University of Edinburgh and University of Stirling Accused of Restricting Free Speech by Refusing to Affiliate Pro-Life Societies
September 28, 2020, United KingdomThe Society for the Protection of the Unborn Children (SPUC) and the Alliance of Pro-Life Students (APS) published a report called Free2Speak on September 28, which analyzed campus censorship in Scotland. Each university was scored according to their policies towards pro-life students, societies and outside speakers and the students' experiences. Both Edinburgh and Stirling university were marked as "fails" in the survey because their students' unions refused to affiliate pro-life societies.
Statue of the Virgin Mary Destroyed
September 28, 2020, ItalyThe statue of Our Lady of the church of the Holy Spirity was damaged by vandals during the night of 29 September. The statue was placed in front of the Chapel. It was thrown to the ground and broken into two pieces. The parish priest reported the incident to the police.
Podcast With Christian Journalist Birgit Kelle Deleted from Spotify
September 28, 2020, GermanyThe sequence number 61 of the podcast "indubio" was deleted by Spotify, where the journalist Birgit Kelle was invited to speak about her book "Noch Normal? Das lässt sich gendern!" (Still Normal? That can be gendered!), which criticizes the gender movement. Spotify did not give any precise reason for the deletion, it simply said "content policy violations". Birgit Kelle has accused the streaming service of censorship functioning under the umbrella of the theme of "cancel culture". The Podcast "Indubio" has never used hate speech or any form of insulting behavior. The makers of the podcast have also filed a protest to Spotify for the unfair deletion, which was forwarded to the technical support.
Break-in at Church in Marburg
September 27, 2020, GermanyOn September 27. in the morning, an unknown person gained access to a church in Marburg by force. The burglar was apparently disturbed and fled without looting. The police in Marburg is taking clues from witnesses.
Church Doors and Locks Damaged in Zeil
September 27, 2020, GermanyUnknown perpetrators caused damage of approximately 1,000€ to a church in Zeil by damaging the sacristy door, the door leading to the church tower, another side door and three locks on the offertory boxes. The incident occurred some time between September 27th and September 28th.
Urination and Communist Paroles Scrawled on Church Wall in Vienna
September 25, 2020, AustriaThe St. Johann Evangelist Church, situated on Keplerplatz in the 10th district of Vienna, has been soiled by what appears to be urination, Austrian newspaper Heute reports on September 25. The unknown perpetrators left a communist message, including the hammer-and-sickle-symbol, on the church wall. The message reads "130 years of May 1st, long live the red flag of the communist party!"
School Worker Lost Discrimination Case for Her Dismissal After Posting Christian Views on LGBT on Facebook
September 25, 2020, United KingdomOn January 7th 2019, the Farmor's School in Fairford dismissed Mrs Kristie Higgs for committing gross misconduct. The school directive received a complaint about the teacher's posts on her private Facebook disagreeing with LGBT+ agenda (On the 26th October 2018). Mrs. Higgs appealed against the dismissal on January 14th 2019 for discrimination against her religious beliefs. The court concluded on September 25th, that her dismissal was not a discriminating act against her beliefs, but about "gross misconduct" understood by the school directive. During the whole process, Kristie Higgs received commentaries like "Keep your religion out of it" and was called a ‘Pro-Nazi right-wing extremist’. The court ruled against her, even though the government has restricted the Relationships and sex education (RSE) guidelines, to protect religious freedom and although the court acknowledged that Mrs. Higgs behavior was not homophobic or transphobic. Higgs is appealing the court decision.
Newly Proposed Bill to Establish a "Regional Observatory on Christianophobia" in Lazio/Italy
September 25, 2020, ItalyFollowing the increase in acts of violence and vandalism in churches of Rome and the province, regional councillor of Lazio, Laura Corrotti from the Lega party, presented a bill in September to establish a "Regional Observatory on Christianophobia". The aim is to research issues concerning discrimination against the Christian religion and protection of religious freedom, and to document acts of persecution, discrimination, violence and religious intolerance against Christians, which are often labelled as simple acts of vandalism.
Fire at the Jeremia Church Suspected Arson
September 24, 2020, GermanyOn the 24th of September, the roof of the Jeremiah Church on Burbacher Weg was set on fire. More than 250 forced from the fire department were on site. "Reaching the fire is made more difficult by the roof construction," the fire department announced. Therefore, it used so-called extinguishing nails. The police are investigating.
Sacred Silver Objects Stolen from St. Clemens Church in Grevenbroich
September 24, 2020, GermanyDuring the night of September 24 to 25, unknown perpetrators broke into the sacristy, forced open a tabernacle and stole the 100 year-old silver objects which had been used for baptisms for decades. The community published pictures, hoping that the meaningful objects would be found. This had been the third break-in since June.