All cases

Attack at Marriage Referendum Event Causes Life-Threatening Allergic Reaction

May 13, 2015, Ireland

A 10-year-old girl suffered a severe allergic reaction after an egg attack at a "No-Campaign" event in Meath, Ireland. "Yes-Campaigners" threw objects, including eggs, at people who were expressing opposition to same-sex marriage. "No-Campaign" leader Mr. Manning said that the atmposphere created by "Yes-Campaigners" was "toxic”.

Burglary in St. Apostles at Neumarkt in Cologne

May 12, 2015, Germany

An unknown perpetrator broke into the church of St. Apostles in Cologne on May 12th, and stole figures of Jesus Christ from the cloister. Moreover, the thief caused damages worth thousands of euros. This theft offended and angered the religious faithful.

Vandalism Spree Against Chapels on the Island of La Reunion

May 12, 2015, France

Many chapels and other places of worship on the island of La Reunion were devastated with satanic slogans and red Stars of David.

Judge Ordered French Town to Remove the Statue of Saint John Paul II

May 5, 2015, France

Authorities in the small French town of Ploermal are obliged to remove a statue of Saint John Paul II built in 2006. The reason which was given was the "ostentatious character" of the monument located in the public square, which is in contradiction with the secular principles of the state. This decision shocked local faithful and Mayor Parick Le Diffon vowed to appeal.

Figure of Jesus Christ destroyed by Turkish Muslim

May 3, 2015, Germany

A Turkish Muslim armed with a kitchen knife destroyed the figure of Jesus Christ located on the Sendlinger Tor in Munich. Additionally, he attacked eyewitnesses and devastated all vases and flowers which were next to the cross. The case has been reported to the police, but the man was declared as a mentally ill and he has been brought to a psychiatrist. It is not clear whether the act was religiously-motivated.

Pro-Marriage Posters Removed

May 1, 2015, Ireland

Mothers and Fathers Matter, a group that urged people to vote “No” in May’s gay marriage referendum in Ireland, said there was a campaign of harassment and intimidation from those on the “Yes” side of the debate. Posters were torn and removed in Dublin and elsewhere at the beginning of May 2015. Pictures of this act have been celebrated as an "act of bravery" on social media.

Islamic Terrorists Planned Suicide Bombings at St. Peter's Square

April 24, 2015, Italy

A terrorist ring based on Sardinia had been planning an attack against the Vatican since 2010, involving two suicide bombings at St. Peter's Square. The network supported itself through illegal migrant trafficking. False work contracts helped facilitate asylum for Pakistani and Afghanistan men posing as migrants. Fake customs declarations and flawed money transactions partly financed the activities. Italian counter-terrorism operatives issued arrest warrants for 18 men and arrested nine of them across Italy.

Play Equates John the Baptist with Islamic Terrorists

April 24, 2015, Austria

The regional theater of Graz premiered its version of "Salome” in which John the Baptist is a radical fundamentalist. It claims that there is really no difference between him and Islamic State terrorists.

Attack on Churches Foiled

April 22, 2015, France

French police arrested an Algerian Muslim man suspected of planning an attack on "one or two churches" near Paris. According to the Paris prosecutor, documents linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State were found at his apartment and a contact in Syria had advised him to target churches.

Hacker Attacks Vatican Website

April 16, 2015, International

Twice in one week, the Vatican website was partly inaccessible due to attacks from hackers. On Twitter someone named "Turk Hack Team Herakles" claimed responsibility, saying he would continue until the pope apologized for referring to a Turkish genocide against Armenians 100 years ago.

12 Christians Killed by Muslim Migrants

April 16, 2015, Italy

Italian police said that 15 Muslim migrants were arrested after they threw 12 Christians overboard on a boat in the Mediterranean Sea on the way to Italy. Migrants from Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Mali, and Guinea were arrested in the Sicilian city of Palermo and charged with multiple counts of aggravated murder, motivated by religious hate.

Castres : Dozens of Christian Tombs Vandalized

April 15, 2015, France

The Saint-Roch cemetery in Castres (Tarn) was vandalized on 15th April, 2015. Dozens of tombs were ransacked, funerary objects systematically thrown to the ground.

Tomb Desecration during Easter in Lębork

April 5, 2015, Poland

During Easter, unknown perpetrators profanated buried corpses in tombs in the churchyard in Lębork in the district of Pomerania. The bones were taken from their coffins.

Damages to Religious Symbols in Madrid Cemetery

March 30, 2015, Spain

The cemetery of Brunete in Madrid was vandalized during the night of March 30th. Tombs, crucifixes, and other religious symbols were either destroyed or damaged. Graffiti was found, which said: “PP (the Conservative Party) is a son of a bitch” As the Spanish Conservative Party is considered by many to be associated with Christianity, local Christians felt personally insulted by the vandalism.

Street Preacher Fined, Judge Rules on Appropriateness of Bible Verses in Public

March 24, 2015, United Kingdom

Taunton street preacher Mike Overd has been convicted of a Public Order offence for using a particular bible verse in a public conversation with a man who identifies as homosexual. The judge ruled that another bible verse would have been more appropriate and would have prevented the fine.

Blasphemous and Offensive Performance in Bologna

March 13, 2015, Italy

During an event in Bologna, organized by the LGBT organization “Circolo Arcigay”, participants took part in obscene and sexually vulgar scenes depicting the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The city authorities demanded the stop to the events, which were described as "blasphemous and offensive to the dignity of the Christians."

"Congress of Christian Leaders" Called "Congress of Radical Christians" in News Coverage

March 12, 2015, Germany

Known for his bias against Christians, Christian Baars, reporter for NRD.de, published an article about a Christian Congress which took place in February 2015 in Hamburg. "Scholz unterstützt Kongress radikaler Christen" (in English, "Scholz supports Congress of Radical Christians") is the title of the article. Olaf Scholz is the First Mayor of Hamburg. Christians considered the article to be biased and insulting.

Vandalism in Saint-Élisabeth Church in Paris

March 11, 2015, France

An act of vandalism and degradation took place on a work of art behind the choir at the foot of the Cross and St. Mary and St. John in the church of Sainte-Élisabeth-de-Hongrie in Paris. The perpetrators remain unknown. The pastor filed a complaint.

Replica of the Lourdes Grotto Vandalized in Delme, Moselle

March 10, 2015, France

Several acts of vandalism targeted the Lourdes Grotto near the cemetery in Delme. Witness said that benches placed in front of the cave were destroyed. Police were notified.

Catholics Insulted by Demonstrators After Mass

March 8, 2015, France

As they left the church in Saint-Epvre in Nancy after Sunday services. parishioners were confronted with a feminist manifestation taking place right in front of the steps of the church. The activists were shouting hate slogans and vulgarities towards the people leaving the church, including young children.