All cases
Anti-Christian Tag on Bouteillerie Cemetery Wall
December 21, 2021, FranceThe phrase "F*** Christ the King" was written on the cemetery wall in Bouteillerie on 21. December and had dual meaning since it is located near the Christ the King chapel. This wall has been frequently used by ultra-left taggers to express their extrem opinion.
Statue of Virgin Mary Defaced in the Abbaye aux Hommes in Caen
December 21, 2021, FranceOn December 21, a small statue of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus was defaced with spray paint. Located in the Abbaye aux Hommes in Caen, Mary was depicted to be vanquishing Satan with her foot on a serpent. This most likely was the cause for the act.
Nativiy Scene Vandalised in Fiumicino
December 19, 2021, ItalyAs it was reported on the 19. December, the parish priest and the faithful of the church of Santa Maria Porto della Salute in Fiumicino found some Nativity scene figures destroyed. The life-size statues made of plaster and fibreglass of a shepherd and a donkey were thrown to the ground. The former had both hands cut off and the donkey had a broken ear. The other statues did not receive damage, as they were fixed to the structure.
Shrine with Figure of Jesus Damaged in Głogów
December 18, 2021, PolandOn 18. December, an unknown perpetrator destroyed the shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the parish of Divine Mercy in Głogów. The glass protecting the figure of Christ was found broken in six areas and the figure itself was also damaged. The perpetrator might have used a large stone found in the vicinity. This person also left a broken beer bottle next to the chapel. The police are investigating and looking for the perpetrator(s).
Second Case of Vandalism to the Church of the Holy Cross
December 18, 2021, United KingdomThe small church of the Holy Cross in Mwnt, Cardigan, had been vandalised twice in December, as the Rev John Bennett revealed. The church was damaged first at the beginning of December and the last case happened between the 18th and the 21st of December. The windows od the church were smashed with rocks and the pillar outside the church was damaged. A fundraising appeal was launched to help the small church with reparations, which has had a very positive response.
Special Stones Torn out and Cross Stolen from Altar in Oldenburg Church
December 18, 2021, GermanyParishioners were heart broken when an unknown intruder wrenched some semi-precious stones out of the alter in the Oldenburg Forum Church of St. Peter. The stones, which were taken out on the 18th of December, belonged to a wooden crucifix that had been in place since 1877. In addition, an alter cross decorated with silver was also stolen on the same weekend.
Giant Straw Goat Burned by an Arsonist
December 17, 2021, SwedenA giant straw goat, which has become an annual highlight in the Swedish city of Gavle, has been burned by an arsonist. A man, in his 40s, was arrested at the scene after the structure was set on fire, in the early hours of the 17th of December. Every Christmas since 1966, the Gavlebocken (Gavle goat) has been put up in the city's central Castle Square, but it has become a usual target for arsonists and vandals. The Gavlebocken annually draws visitors to Gavle, which is built up the first Sunday of Christian Advent. A big concert accompanied the goat's inauguration at the end of November.
Village in Wales Restored its Nativity after Being Fire-Bombed last year
December 17, 2021, United KingdomA year after the Nativity scene in a village in Wales was fire-bombed by vandals on Christmas Eve, the community Raglan in Gwent has decided to create a new life-sized Nativity.
Pure Vandalism in a Church in Volkmarsen
December 17, 2021, GermanyBetween the evening of December 16 and noon of the 18th, an unidentified individual broke into a church on Vikariestrasse in Volkmarsen. The perpetrator forced open and broke the door of the church, causing material damage of about 500€. However, nothing was stolen from the church. The case was reported to the police who began investigating the case.
Consecrated Hosts Stolen from a Church in Palermo
December 16, 2021, ItalyPyx with hosts stolen in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, on December 16. Police was alerted but lack of evidence suggests a low probability of finding the perpetrators. Both the parish priest and the community that frequents the church were unsettled by the event, considering the hosts "the treasure" of the church.
Unknown Perpetrator Vandalizes Nativity Scene in Liege
December 16, 2021, BelgiumOn the 16th of December at noon, an individual attacked the nativity scene and the furniture of the church of Saint-Denis in Liege. He also left a message saying: "God is witness". The head of one figure was torn off and another one was destroyed.
France 2021: Christians are the Most Targeted Group for Anti-Religious Crimes
December 14, 2021, FranceOn the 14. December, the French Government presented its yearly listing of attacks against Christians. There were 1,380 anti-religious attacks between January and October 2021, from which 686 were targeted against Christians. As Father Hugues de Woillemont, spokesman for French Bishops' Conference, said during a press conference on December 14: "The acts listed are very varied, from tags on the wall of a church to the desecration of tabernacles." These numbers only include formal complaints filed by the police, so the dark numbers could be higher.
Biblical Quotes Painted on a Wall in Portstewart Under Suspicion
December 14, 2021, United KingdomA local council in Northern Ireland has dismissed claims, by an ‘equality expert’, that repainting Bible texts on a local sea wall may be in breach of its equality scheme. The council-owned wall bears the words: “‘The sea is His and He made it’ Psalm 95 v 5”, “Eternity?”, “Jesus said: ‘Ye must be born again’ John c3 v7”, and “‘Christ died for us’ Romans c5 v8”.
Mosque Shut down for Inciting Violence against Christians, Jews and Homosexuals
December 14, 2021, FranceA mosque in Beauvais in northern France has been ordered to shut down for six months for hosting preachings that incited hatred "against Christians, homosexuals and jews". According to the prefecture of the Oise department, the mosque was "inciting hatred", "violence" and "apology of jihad". Gérald Darmanin, France's interior minister, announced on December 14th that he had started the procedure for the closure of this mosque.
Sex-Education Guides Mock Virgin Mary and Violate Religious Freedom
December 13, 2021, SpainA Madrid court has ruled on December 13. that the distribution in schools of sex education guides called “Gender Rebel” in Getafe violated the right to religious freedom of Christian children, as it mocks Christian symbols and violates the right of parents to educate their children according to their beliefs. These guides ridiculed the chastity of the Virgin Mary and invite teenagers to masturbate, affirming that it is not a sin. The guides were promoted by the city council, as well as the ministry of equality.
Unknown Perpetrators Smash Windows of Evangelical Church
December 12, 2021, GermanyBetween 12. December and 14. December, unknown persons damaged several windows of the Evangelical church in Bad Arolsen-Helsen. The perpetrator(s) threw stones at the windows, causing damage of around 1,000 euros. The police are investigating.
Update: Charges Against Three Street Preachers Who Preached Against Homosexuality
December 11, 2021, IrelandThe three street preachers who were arrested on September 21st, due to their comments about homosexuality, faced their first court hearing on the 13 of October. Despite the reason for their arrest, no charges regarding hate speech were brought against them; instead, they were charged with public order offences. The incident is still being investigated and the case was adjourned until June 2022.
Offensive Tags Appear on the Church of St. Philipp Neri
December 11, 2021, SpainIn the centre of the city of Malaga. the church of San Felipe Neri, was vandalised on 11. December with offensive tags against the religious institution. These were made with spray paint by unknown vandals and have left the community of faithful very affected. One tag says "Sacrilego tú" (you sacrilegious) was graffitied on a mosaic of Jesus. Another message on the door reads: "Dead paedophiles". It seems that the police was able to identify and arrest the perpetrators.
Facebook Censors ACN's Campaign To Help Abused Women
December 11, 2021, United KingdomOn the 11. November, the Catholic Charity "Aid to a Church in Need" (ACN) UK noticed that Facebook had censored its ad campaign on tackling sexual violence against religious-minority women and girls. “Hear Her Cries” was the slogan of the campaign, which launched on 24. November. The campaign aimed to raise concern on a widespread problem in many African and Asian countries: the abduction of Christian girls and women for sexual violence by both armed extremists and militant members of other religious communities.
Pastor Sued for Charitable Work During Lockdown: Case Overturned
December 10, 2021, United KingdomThe 47-years-old pastor Chez Dyer was fined over £16,000 for holding a church service for the homeless in a car park during the lockdown in February 2021. Thanks to the support from the Christian Legal Centre her case has been dismissed by a magistrate’s court. She was also told by a magistrate, at a hearing at Nottingham Magistrates Court, that she was cleared from paying the fine and was issued with a defense cost order which means her legal fees will now be paid by the government.