All cases
St. Mary's Church in Parchim Vandalized
April 12, 2022, GermanyThe St. Mary's church in Parchim was targeted by an act of vandalism on April 12th. Unknown malefactors broke the organ, smeared the floor with a chalky substance, stole two door keys, and damaged a prayer table. The police investigated the incident.
Three Teenagers Extinguish Arson Fire in Holland
April 12, 2022, NetherlandsThree teenagers aged around 14 discovered a fire at the church on the Brink in Sint Anthonis on the 12th of April. They noticed the smoke when they were passing by the church of Antonius Abbot and went to raise the alarm at a cafe nearby. The boys managed to put out the fire themselves with water buckets before the firebrigade arrived.
Four Figures of Mary Destroyed in Lewniowa
April 11, 2022, DenmarkTo the shock of all, four statues of Mary were destroyed on the 11th of April, three in Lewniowa and one in the neighboring Gnojnik. The statues were quite near the Church of Our Lady and made of concrete so it definitely took considerable force to break them. Artur Seniuk, the mayor of Lewniowa, said: "It is sad, especially that it happened before Easter."
Halstenbek Church Vandalized Again after 3 Days
April 11, 2022, GermanyOn Friday the 8th of April, the Halstenbek Redeemer Church was vandalized by unknown people who burned pages of the alter Bible, scattered sand everywhere, and stole metal digits from the "song display." Now, just three days later on April 11th, the pastor, Malte Lei, found the church in a similar state. The police were looking for witnesses to to give more details about the incidents.
Pro-Abortion and Disrespectful Tags Found on Sarriá Church
April 11, 2022, SpainThe façade of the Sant Vicenç de Sarriá church in Barcelona was graffitied with pro-abortion phrases on April 11th. In specific, the words, "out rosaries of our ovaries" were written by the unknown author. Eva Parera, mayor of the Catalan capital said, referring to the perpetrator, "They do not respect anything. Neither life, nor faith, nor public space." and, "These attacks not only do not scare us but reaffirm us in our defense of freedom and truth."
Sacrilegious Theft at Church in Cortona
April 11, 2022, ItalyA thief, whose identity remains unknown, stole a rosary held in the hands of a statue of Madonna and took a cross above the statue's head. This took place in the Lower Church of San Marco in Cortona which has no money to replace the stolen items. Andrea Rossi, who is the custodian of the church, hopes that people will leave donations so that the sacred objects can be bought again.
Destructive Church Theft in Siegen-Niederschelden.
April 11, 2022, GermanyBetween Sunday the 10th of April and Tuesday the 12th, two churches were robbed in Siegen and Niederschelden. It was not known who did it but in both cases, the intruders gained access with force and once inside, searched through drawers and cupboards. The police were investigating the crime to see if anything was stolen and wanted witnesses.
Perpetrators Try to Stop Palm Sunday Procession in El Vendrell
April 11, 2022, SpainFive young North Africans in El Vendrell were bothering people during a Palm Sunday procession in hopes that they could prevent the religious event from happening. The local police were notified of the attacks and arrested two 24-year-old individuals who were accused of an attack against the law. The police were searching for the other three.
Statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Smashed in Kietrz
April 11, 2022, PolandA statue of the Virgin Mary, and another of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, were destroyed around the the 11th of April. They were from a chapel in Kietrz and Marek Czechowicz, who found them, said it appeared that the Statue of Mary was entirely smashed and that the other one had a brick thrown at it. The police began an investigation and the perpetrator could face up to 2 years in prison.
Finnish Prosecutors Appealed Päivi Räsänen Case
April 10, 2022, FinlandAfter the Helsinki District Court disregarded all charges against the Finnish politician Päivi Räsänen on March 30th, the prosecutor has filed an appeal. Räsänen said “I had hoped that the prosecutors would have settled for this ruling … [But] I am ready to defend freedom of speech and religion in all necessary courts, also in the European Court of Human Rights.” Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland was also prosecuted for distributing a pamphlet that Räsänen wrote regarding the Bible's views on gender and marriage.
Severe Vandalism at Poggio Torriana Church
April 10, 2022, ItalyVandals destroyed multiple objects of the San Vicinio parish in Poggio Torriana on April 10th. They smashed heavy marble benches, broke some glass doors, and cut up several gutters reported parish priest Don Emanuele Giunchi. The church did not have the enough finances to pay for the replacement of the violently broken property which was probably done by people linked to some sect.
Priest and Parish People Attacked in Rome
April 9, 2022, ItalyDon Guido Panella, the priest at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Marsala, was physically and verbally attacked by a homeless woman on April 9th. Before this, a homeless man had entered the church and was yelling at everyone until the priest gave him a euro and he left. He then returned with two others, including the woman, and they began shouting at people and the woman even slapped the priest. Two police officers then arrived on the scene at which point the men left but the woman remained and was taken by the carabinieri.
Decorations in Tauberbischofsheim Stolen
April 9, 2022, GermanyShortly before Easter, around the 9. April, decorations for the first communion were stolen in the Tauberbischofsheim church of St. Martin. Those attending the event were shocked when the decorations, which had been placed in front of the altar, were gone. The decorations had a symbolic value for the celebration and the parents were confused as why to these were taken.
Tabernacle Stolen from Church in Leipzig
April 8, 2022, GermanyThe tabernacle was stolen from the Provost Church in Leipzig on April 8th. The shrine was found a short distance from the church with its lock damaged and some of the hosts within were missing or broken. The police were investigating the incident and the leader of the church, Gregor Giele, described the theft as a "bitter experience."
Man Plants Explosive Device during Mass in Toulouse
April 8, 2022, FranceA man was arrested on April 8th for planting an explosive device at the Saint-Etienne cathedral in Toulouse during Mass. The man, who has a criminal record, dropped a package in front of the altar then pushed the sacristan, said something, and left. The explosive was never fired but the congregation was evacuated to make sure no one got injured.
Children: Church Pew Set on Fire in Aalen-Waldhausen
April 8, 2022, GermanyA pew in the St. Nicholas church in Aalen-Waldhausen was set on fire on April 8th. It was discovered by a 56-year-old woman who an hour and a half earlier saw three children about eight years old run out of the church. She extinguished the fire with a blanket so the fire brigade, which was notified by the sacristan, was thankfully not needed.
Statue of Bishop Vandalized in Marsala
April 8, 2022, ItalyThe statue of Bishop Pascasino, located in front of the Maria Santissima Bambini church, was damaged by unknown vandals on April 8th. The head of the statue was struck with considerable force as it is split in two parts. The vandals also defaced the statue by placing a floor cleaning rag on top of the bishops head to further insult it. Giuseppe Giacalone, a lawyer who reported the act, said: "Believe me: there are no words or maybe there are and they are all full of anger, indignation, pain, dismay."
Cross Stolen from Church in Mainz
April 8, 2022, GermanyOn Friday the 8th of April, a cross made of bronze was stolen from an Augustinian church in Mainz. A nun noticed that the cross was missing from the altar and, upon reviewing video, the police were able to recognize a 51 year old man who had previously stolen goods. They were then able to locate the cross, along with three alter candles, and return them to the church. The man was convicted of the theft.
Church in Halstenbek Ransacked
April 8, 2022, GermanyThe Redeemer church of Halstenbek was the victim of a targeted attack on April 8th that left the church a mess. The rioters destroyed alter candles, scattered sand in the worship place, burned pages of the Bible, and took metal letters from the "song display." Due to the severity of the act, police were investigating and wanted witnesses who might be able to give them information about who committed the crime.
Twitter Bans Spanish Deputy for Writing "Amen" in Support of the Holy Week
April 8, 2022, SpainTwitter censored the deputy of the VOX party in Spain, Víctor Manuel Sánchez del Real, for writing "Amen" and the cry "Long live Christ the King", in support of the Holy Week. The social network considered that the deputy's publications did not comply with Twitter's rules, by "publishing private information" and demanded that he deleted it in order to unlock his account.