All cases
Sacred Objects Stolen from Gleschendorf Church
March 30, 2022, GermanyDuring the night on March 30th, the Gleschendorf Church was robbed by unknown persons. The perpetrators stole valuable communion objects including a 300 year old baptismal bowl. This unfortunate event demonstrated a disrespect for the church and its proceedings.
Church in Satrup Graffitied
March 30, 2022, GermanyThe Laurentius Church in Satrup was vandalized with paint on March 30th. The façade was covered with phrases written in black paint which expressed contempt for the church and now have to be taken off by a specialist company.
Russian Occupied Crimea Orders Law to ban Ukrainian Orthodox Church
March 30, 2022, Russian occupied CrimeaLaw makers were ordered, by Sergei Aksyonov head of Russian-controlled Crimea, to draft a law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Black Sea Peninsula. The working list was planned to be finished by the end of the week, at which point, it would be adopted by parliament. This reflected the tension which existed for a number of years in the Orthodox Church, but saw a resent rise as the war developed.
Update: Finnish Court Upholds Free Speech in Major Trial
March 30, 2022, FinlandOn March 30th, the Helsinki District Court unanimously dismissed all charges against MP Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola in a major freedom of speech victory. Päivi Räsänen was prosecuted for sharing her faith based beliefs on marriage in a tweet, and Juhana Pohjola had published a pamphlet, by Räsänen containing these beliefs, 17 years earlier. The ruling of this high-profile case stated that “it is not for the district court to interpret biblical concepts," ordered the prosecution to pay the legal costs of 60,000 EUR, and gave the prosecution seven days to appeal.
Sacred Relic Stolen from Church in Brianza
March 30, 2022, ItalyOn the 30th of April, an antique silver cross was stolen from a church in Barlassina. The cross, which was kept in a small box that was forced open, was of little monetary value which makes the theft particularly sacrilegious. Investigations were underway to find out who committed the theft.
Orthodox Priest Kidnapped in Kherson, Ukraine
March 30, 2022, UkraineSergey Chudinovich, an Orthodox priest from the church of Serhiy Chudynovych in Kherson, was kidnapped on March 30th. Three men, who claimed they were police officers, searched the documents of those present and then drove off with Sergey Chudinovich, who was said to be a well know public figure. He is one of the many religious leaders who has been abducted in Russian occupied areas of Ukraine.
Stone Wall of Notre-Dame des Conches Chapel Vandalised
March 30, 2022, FranceAt the end of March, the isolated Notre-Dame des Conches chapel was vandalised by people who attacked the stone wall with a crowbar to gain entry. They were unsuccessful, as they only made a large hole in it.
59 Religious Buildings, Mostly Orthodox, have been Damaged by Russian Military
March 28, 2022, UkraineSince the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 21st, 59 religious buildings have been badly damaged by Russian attacks in 8 different regions. The Ministry of Information Policy and Culture of Ukraine reported that most of these building had been Orthodox Churches while others were synagogues, mosques, and religious education institutions. The Kremlin claims to "protect Orthodoxy" but these statistics tell a different story.
Sacred Objects Stolen from Couhé
March 28, 2022, FranceA ciboria and chalices, both of which were in the sacristy or tabernacle, were stolen from the Couhé church on March 28th. Consecrated hosts were also taken, which implies the perpetrator was targeting the celebration of the Eucharist as hosts can be sold for high prices in some satanic circles. The theft of these objects of worship was a hateful attack on the religious traditions of the church.
Church in Bärenkeller Vandalized
March 27, 2022, GermanyThe church in Bärenkeller experienced considerable damage on the night of the 27th of March. A window in the basement was damaged and a church pew was ripped right out of the ground. The police are looking for witnesses for the investigation. According to the police, the damage to property is around 500 Euro.
Cross Stolen from St. Michael's Church
March 27, 2022, GermanyOn March 27th, a cross made of cast bronze was stolen from the crypt of St. Michael's church in Fulda. It was not known who did it but the police were investigating.
Würzburg Church Vandalized with Letter Z
March 27, 2022, GermanyThe letter Z, a pro-Russian symbol of war, was painted on the Gethsemane Church in Würzburg on March 27th. The congregation responded with a prayer for peace and the parish priest, Anna Bamberger, condemned the act. The perpetrator, who used this place of worship to advocate a war, was not found.
WHO called for Doctors to Act Against Conscience
March 26, 2022, SwitzerlandThe World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a ban on all limits on abortion as they may violate the rights of "women, girls or other pregnant persons." Among these proposed policies, was one that would limit medical professionals' rights to refuse to take part in abortion for conscientious reasons. These targeted Christian doctors who, for religiously based moral reasons, are unable to assist in an abortion and would face consequences if countries were to act on this guidance.
Church Ransacked in Walsum-Aldenrade
March 26, 2022, GermanyAn unknown thief ransacked several rooms in the church of Walsum-Aldenrade, and stole the money box from the choir community on March 26th. The bathroom window was pried open to gain access to the building but few clues as to who did it have been found. The police were notified and are looking for witnesses.
Police Detain Church Burglar in Luban
March 24, 2022, PolandA 22 year old man was detained in Luban for the burglary of a church, and church buildings, on the 24 of March. He damaged the door of the sacristy and broke windows to gain access to the other church buildings where he stole property left there. He was responsible for 11 thefts in all, some unrelated to the church, and was put under police provision and banned from leaving the country.
WEA Called Greece to Provide Religious Classes other than Christian Orthodox
March 23, 2022, GreeceIn the UN Human Rights council's Universal Periodic Review of Greece on April 23rd, the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), encouraged Greece to provide alternative religious classes for students who were not Orthodox Christians. They said that there should be a class for all major religions in Greece and the Orthodox Christian class should be optional, as should all the other religious classes. This would increase the religious liberty of all denominations but also that of other Christian religions and especially parents of alternative religions.
WEA Advocacy Officer Challenged Greece's Proselytism Ban
March 23, 2022, GreeceDuring the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review of Greece on April 23rd, a World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Advocacy Officer, denounced the Greek law which prohibits proselytization. This law prevents Christian religions or otherwise, from attempting to undermine the religious beliefs of others. Although rarely applied, this law could hinder religious discourse and a Pentecostal was sentenced using this law.
Group of Young People Demolish A Cross in Baracaldo
March 23, 2022, SpainA group of young people demolished the Cabo Quilates Cross in Baracaldo in the early morning of the 23rd of March and uploaded it to social media. Although the major had also decided to demolish the monument under the "Historical Memory Law", he rejected the illegal actions of the group. The Historical Memory Law has been used across Spain to demolish several religious symbols and Christian crosses that were created in the context of the Spanish Civil War.
Precious Items Stolen from St. Nicholas Statue in Bari
March 22, 2022, ItalyUnknown thieves broke into the St. Nicholas Basilica of Bari and stole valuable items from the St. Nicolas statue within. They took a book with three silver balls and a cross with some precious stones. From the other hand, they took a golden ring with some stones and an old necklace. This statue has become a symbol of peace in the last weeks, due to the Ukraine war, which made the theft especially malicious. The theft occurred on 22. March.
Devastating Arson to Evangelical Church in Singen
March 22, 2022, GermanyAn Evangelical church in Singen fell victim to arson and burnt down completely. The damage is estimated to be worth several million euros. The General Attorney took up investigations but the arsonist couldn't be found even after DNA tests were made. There are plans in place to built a new church building.