All cases
Window of Church in Weingarten Broken
April 2, 2022, GermanyThe windows of the Protestant church in Weingarten were smashed on April 2nd, causing 1,500 Euros worth of damage. The perpetrator was unknown but police investigated the incident and were looking for witnesses. A Facebook user commented on the incident: "People experience in such a place unique moments of life, joy, care, comfort, silence, protection, community, a connection to the Creator since time immemorial. People respect this place regardless of their faith and worldview."
Drunk Russian Man Hits Ukrainian Catholic Priest in Hamburg
April 2, 2022, GermanyAn intoxicated Russian man has physically attacked the pastor of a Ukrainian Catholic parish in Hamburg on the 2nd of April. According to the report, the man rang de door of the church, and after the priest opened it, he pushed the priest and hit him in the upper body. The priest was able to force the man out of the building and called the police. The Russian man also damaged a fence and a flower bed and stayed sitting on a bench until the police came.
Theft of Religious Objects in Rouillé Church
April 2, 2022, FranceIt was only noticed on April 2nd that objects of worship had been stolen from the church in Rouillé, Vienne. The last event there was on March 19th so the theft of ciboriums, chalices, and patens, which had all been locked in the sacristy, could have happened any time. This was one of many similar thefts that have recently happened in the area so churches are considering options to prevent such acts in the future.
100 Candles Stolen from three Holzland Churches
April 2, 2022, GermanyThree Holzland churches near Steinkirchen were targeted by theft in April. About 100 hand-decorated candles were stolen, which would have been used for charitable donations. The community of the churches was very disappointed by this act.
Pro-Life Catholics Praying Outside Abortion Facilities Faced Abuse
April 2, 2022, SpainOn the 2nd of April, young people and families were harassed by activists and feminists, while praying outside the Askabide abortion clinic in San Sebastian. They were praying the rosary on their knees, with a megaphone, under the motto "praying is not a crime" and carried a cross and an image of the Virgin. Tensions started to build up as protesters began harassing, censoring, and insulting the pro-life group. The police from Ertzaintza had to intervene in order to prevent attacks against the people praying.
Orthodox Priest Kidnapped in Cherkassya
April 1, 2022, UkraineA priest from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate was kidnapped by unknown persons in the Cherkassya region of Ukraine. A video showed that people broke into the service, and violently took the pastor. Those who tried to stop the kidnappers were also violently dealt with. The exact date of this incident and the well-being of the pastor was unknown but it was thought to have happened in Smela. This showed a continued attack on the Ukrainian Orthodox church.
Rampage in Dreis-Brück Church
April 1, 2022, GermanyPerpetrators, whose identity is not known, vandalized the parish church in Dreis-Brück on April 1st. They distributed, what was thought to be alcohol, in the gallery, and the tablecloth on the altar was burnt. The police were looking for clues as to who could have done it.
Stones Thrown at Image of Christ in Via Merlo
March 31, 2022, ItalyStones were thrown at a picture of Christ in Via Merlo in what could only be described as a hateful act. The incident happened on March 31st and resulted in the glass that was covering the picture getting broken. The vandals also stole candles and flowers and left inscriptions around the sight.
Religious Paintings Stolen in Marian San Nicola Church
March 31, 2022, ItalyTwo religious paintings and tens of euros were stolen from the Santissima Annunziata church in Marian San Nicola on March 31st. The money was from the offertory which got damaged during the theft. Don Saji, the parish priest, reported the incident to the carabinieri who were investigating it.
Update: Conversion Therapy Ban in UK No Longer Covers Transgender People
March 31, 2022, United KingdomBoris Johnson announced on March 31st that the so-called conversion therapy ban in the UK would no longer cover transgender people but only gay or bisexual people. This was a change from what had been announced a few hours earlier which was that the ban would be dropped entirely and non-legislative methods would be explored. Despite the entire ban not being dropped, this was still good news for the Christian community as this potential legislation would make it difficult if not impossible, for parents and teachers to encourage their children to adopt the Bibles views on gender and marriage.
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.