All cases

Several Thefts at Nativity Scenes in Sint Truiden

January 7, 2022, Belgium

On January 7th, the baby Jesus was stolen from the nativity scene at the Saint Martin church in Sint Truiden. This was not the first of such thefts as earlier, said sexton Etienne Thomas. He recalls: "one of the brass angels on the main altar was unscrewed and stolen," and before that, some copper candlesticks were taken. These incidents were just part of the repeated vandalism the Saint Martin church has been facing.

Evangelical Dean Receives Several Threats For his Views

January 7, 2022, Germany

The Dean of the Evangelical Church has received several anonymous threatening letters due to the vaccination campaign in Ulm Minster. These letters criticise vaccinations and the role played by the Dean in it.No one close or familiar to the Dean is considered a suspect, as the details of the letter demonstrated a lack of knowledge regarding the church's internal procedures and even the address the letter was sent to was incorrect.

Statue of the Virgin Mary destroyed in Poland

January 7, 2022, Poland

A statue of the Virgin Mary was torn apart and a local chapel destroyed in Sikorzyna, Poland, as reported on the 7th of January. The four perpetrators have been arrested and will be judged accordingly. The Fidei Defensor Monitoring Center for Christianophobia stated that it "will intervene to bring the perpetrators to justice".

Painting of Jesus Broken in Attempted Theft from Sint-Truiden Church

January 7, 2022, Belgium

Thieves attempted to steal the triptych with pictures of Jesus, that was hanging at the front at Saint Martin's church in Sint-Truiden. The incident was recorded on January 7th but happened several weeks earlier. The triptych is 40 to 50 kilos so once it was detached, the weight became too much for the thieves and the picture fell, broken beyond repair. Although it was not stolen, the image was destroyed.

Activists Block Holy Mass at Cathedral in Cologne

January 6, 2022, Germany

On the 6. January at the evening, a group of twelve climate activists blocked a mass in the Cathedral of Cologne. The demonstrators wanted to catch Pope Francis' attention, according to Catholic News Agency request. The cathedral wardens attempted to carry out the activists, who sat in the middle of the church between the aisles. Two of them got injured for trying to carry these persons, but no actual violence was used from any side, they were treated by rescue workers.

Nativity Figures Stolen by Youth

January 6, 2022, Germany

Sixteen and twelve-year-old boys were caught after they took the baby Jesus from a nativity scene in Saarburg and altered some of the other figures during the first week of January. The stolen figure was thrown into the Saar and the youth have been charged with other acts of vandalism.

Six Church Statues Decapitated in Poitiers

January 6, 2022, France

On January 6th, six statues were found decapitated in the church of Sainte-Thérèse in Poitiers. The police have confirmed that the vandalism

Repetitive Burglary in Church

January 6, 2022, Germany

Church on Hiddensee Island was sacked for the second time within only a few weeks. Money was stolen from the donation containers, with a total plundering and property damage estimated at around 600€. Nearly a month before, unknown thieves had broken into the antechamber of the church, stealing the money saved in a wooden donation chest.

Vandals Desecrate Tombstones at Cemetery

January 6, 2022, Italy

On January 6th, unknown vandals raided cooper vases and bouquets of flowers were found torn apart on the floor. A second theft was recorded in fifteen days in the Cemetery of Ponticelli. These acts of vandalism were recorded both in the chapel of Sant'Anna and in the municipal hypogeum located in the most recent zone of construction of the Ponticelli Cemetery.

Burglary in the Church of Santa Maria Assunta

January 6, 2022, Italy

A theft occurred on the 6. January during the Catholic celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord. Unknown vandals took advantage of the absence of people and broke into the Church of Santa Maria Assunta by breaking the glass of the sacristy. A music box was stolen, commonly used by the city choirs to animate celebrations in the Church. The police were immediately alerted and began the investigations to find the authors of this theft. Both the members of the choir and the parish priest Don Francesco Scarin expressed deep regret for this theft.

UPDATE: Catholic Nurse Wins Discrimination and Harassment Case

January 5, 2022, United Kingdom

Mary Onuoha was constructively dismissed in 2020 from the Croydon NHS Trust Hospital in London for wearing a golden cross necklace. She now has won the case against her unfair dismissal for discrimination and harassment, with the help of the Christian Legal Center, as it was communicated on 5. January. The Hospital had said her necklace was "too visible" and posed a ‘risk of injury or infection’, but the ruling found out that other medical staff wore jewellery, religious attire and badges, and that this was "widely tolerated". The ruling declared the dismissal of Mrs Onuoha discriminatory and arbitrary, and recognized her right to religious freedom, such as wearing a cross necklace.

Saarburg Church Heavily Desecrated and Vandalised

January 5, 2022, Germany

Unknown vandals broke through the door of the Protestant church on the Schlossberg in Saarburg, Germany, on January 5th. The perpetrators urinated in the church and left vomit and cigarette ashes. This disrespectful act was the second crime in the church after candlesticks had been stolen the previous year.

Theft and Damage of Liturgical Objects in France

January 5, 2022, France

Sacred objects in the Saint-Symphorien church in Genouilly, were damaged and taken by unknown thieves. They stole the liturgical piece that displays the host, and after breaking through the tabernacle door, took two ciboriums that hold the host. Michel Legendre, the mayor of the commune, plans to file a complaint about this disrespectful act.

Arson: Molotov Cocktail Thrown at Church

January 5, 2022, Netherlands

On New Year's Eve, a Molotov cocktail was hurled at Arnhem's Saint Nicholas Church starting a fire. Jan van Schuylenburg, who is a church volunteer, was soon at the scene and put the fire out. There is footage of the cocktail being thrown, which will help with the prosecution, and Jan "think(s) it was an attack".

Repeated Vandalism and Damage at Church in Sint-Truiden

January 5, 2022, Belgium

The Saint Martin's Church in Sint-Truiden has been continuously targeted by vandalism and theft. Bundles of wipes were torn from the cross and set on fire and a few days earlier, the mass book was thrown and knocked around until it was broken. A few months back, the ribbons of the antique mass book were set on fire but luckily the book was not burnt. Sexton Etienne said: “A church is a public building and it should stay that way... People should be able to come here in complete safety to pray and relax.”

Three Statues Defaced and Basilica Vandalised by a Man in Saint-Denis

January 5, 2022, France

A man came to the basilica of Saint-Denis and used an iron bar to damage three statues on the 5th of January. The rector of the cathedral-basilica said he had filed a complaint on the same day and the vandal was quickly arrested. The 30-year-old man caused several material damages. At first, the man came to the Basilica and was refused access to a space behind the altar, prohibited to the public. He returned a little later, armed with an iron bar, with which he attacked the display cases in which religious objects (crucifixes, statuettes and other trinkets) were exhibited. Then, the man threw three plaster statues to the ground.

Arson to Chapel of the Madonna by Unknown Perpetrators

January 4, 2022, Italy

Unknown vandals broke into the chapel of the Madonna in Cima Sappada by breaking the lock, which was reported on the 4th of January. The perpetrators took the tablecloth off the altar and lit a fire inside the chapel by using wooden stacks and the tablecloth. Some passing hikers noticed that the door had been opened and reported the damage to managers of a nearby refuge. Fortunately, the damage was not extensive.

Vandals Tagged Two Churches in Arona

January 4, 2022, Italy

On the days prior to the 4th of January, there was a surge of vandalism in Arona. Unknown vandals damaged the main door of the San Rocco Church and the Sacro Cuore Church with graffiti. They painted crosses on the doors. Apart from that, vandals also defaced a sign of a high school.

Church installs Window Protection due to Recurrent Vandalism

January 4, 2022, Germany

Due to ongoing vandalism, there are now protective grids at the Luther Church in Fellbach. The damage is thought to have been caused by young people throwing stones.

Unknown Perpetrators Vandalise Church and Steal 2000 Euros

January 3, 2022, Italy

On the 3. January, the parish priest, Don Gianluigi Ganabano, found out that thieves had broken into the Church of Santa Maria Immacolata the night before. Around two thousand euros were stolen from the church. The parish priest found the premises ransacked and called the police. The thieves forced open a side door and took possession of some boxes containing offerings.