All cases

Property Damage to Church in Dieburg

May 1, 2022, Germany

Unknown people forcefully entered the Dieburg Church on Forsthausstrasse, who were possibly looking for something to steal. Although nothing was taken, the damage inflicted on the church was around 1000 euros as they also tried to break open a door inside the church. The incident was reported to the police.

Martin Luther Bust Destroyed at Höchen Church

April 30, 2022, Germany

A bust of Martin Luther, in front of a church in Höchen, was entirely demolished by an unknown vandal on April 30th. The police were looking for witnesses.

Spanish "TikToker" Attacked on Social Media for Being Catholic

April 30, 2022, Spain

Ignacio “Nacho” Gil Conesa, a well-known Spanish "tikToker", has been attacked by other influencers for being Catholic. He goes by the name Nachter, and a few months before May 1st, he devoted his time solely to making humorous videos about typical things that happen in the house. In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, he said "there are other influencers who have attacked me for being catholic," a situation he described as "ridiculous."

Vandals Looted and Damaged to Church in Leipzig

April 30, 2022, Germany

Unknown intruders broke into a church in Leipzig on April 30th and roughly searched through drawers, and cupboards, causing damage to the door of one dresser. The property damage was around 500 euros and they also stole a large amount of money. An investigation of the incident was launched by the police.

Property Damage and Attempted Theft in Pleyben Church

April 30, 2022, France

On April 30th, the volunteers of the Saint-Germain Church in Pleyben, were shocked to find significant amounts of property damage. The front door was damaged and judging by the broken display cases, an attempt was made to steal the religious objects. They did not know who did it.

Hands Stolen from Angel Sculpture in Bielefeld Church

April 30, 2022, Germany

The hands from the Annunciation Angel sculpture in the Nicolai Church of Bielefeld were stolen sometime between April 30th and May 3rd. The wooden hands were not firmly secured, as they could be easily removed for transport. The community leadership asked for the thief to anonymously return them to the church.

Historic Church Stained-Glass Window Damaged with Stone

April 30, 2022, Germany

The outer protective pane of a historically significant stained glass window of the Evangelical Church of Peace in Manching, was broken with a stone that was thrown at it. The windows were made by Arno Bromberger, who taught at the Academy of Arts in Munich and is famous for his stained glass church windows. The crime happened on April 30th but it was not known who did it.

Graffiti on Historical Church in Barcelona

April 29, 2022, Spain

The heritage church of Santa Maria del Pi, in the Barri Gòtic of Barcelona, had a large amount of graffiti painted on its façade on April 29th. As well as defacing the church, the graffiti also damaged a medieval shield as it may be difficult to remove the black and pink paint. This marked an increased amount of vandalism in the area.

Vandalism and Arson at St. Nicholas Church

April 29, 2022, United Kingdom

The St. Nicholas Church in Swallow was targeted by vandalism on April 29th. Unknown perpetrators, possibly youth, took two picnic benches from the church to a park, set fire to one, and painted the other with obscene language and initials. The church was quite disappointed by the act especially since it took time to repair the damage.

Theft from Statues in Ischitella Church

April 29, 2022, Italy

Thieves stole jeweled necklaces from four statues in the church of Sant ' Eustachio Martire in Ischitella, on of them being the statue of Madonna del Carmine. Although the value of the jewels was not particularly high, the sacrilege, shocked the entire religious community.

Arson attack at Dinslaken Church

April 29, 2022, Germany

Unknown arsonists set the Heilig-Geist-Church in Dinslaken Hiesfeld on fire on April 29th. The property damage was not too extensive but the shock of such a hateful attack was great.

Statue of Virgin Stolen from Pau Church

April 29, 2022, France

A statue of the Virgin Mary was stolen from the Saint-Martin church in Pau on April 29th. People saw the man walking through the streets with the 1.5-meter statue and quickly alerted the police who then arrested him. Father Jean-Jacques Dufau said: “She was perched on one foot, on the right side of the church as you entered. I don't know how [the thief] did it."

Tags and Graffiti on Church in Piozzo

April 28, 2022, Italy

On the night of April 28th, a sentence was written in red paint on the Parish Church of Santo Stefano in Piozzo. It read: "The Nazis create poverty to take away freedom." The perpetrator(s) remain(s) unknown.

Glindenberg Church Devastated by Vandals

April 28, 2022, Germany

The St. Nikolai Church of Glindenberg was devastated on April 28th and had to be closed as a result. The inside of the church was devastated: the altar cross was torn off as well hymn books were left in the streets with their pages torn out. The police were looking for the perpetrators.

Satanic Graffiti and Desecration in Graz Church

April 28, 2022, Austria

Satanic graffiti appeared in the St. Vincent church in Graz on the 28th of April. The word Satan, upside-down crosses, and the Antichrist number 666 were painted with red spray paint on the walls and altar of the church. The vandals also sprayed an angel's face red and burnt a bible. The Priest, Wolfgang Pucher commented, "It's just unbelievable."

Jesus and Saint Statues Broken and Chapel Vandalized

April 28, 2022, Poland

A chapel near the village of Pokrzywna was the victim of a vandalistic attack that left a statue of Christ ruined. In the past years, this statue has been targeted, but on the 28th of April, both its legs were broken off just below the knee. A statue of Mother Biska was also torn out and thrown into a stream and a small piggy bank was stolen. The crime was reported to the police but due to the absence of security cameras, the perpetrators may be difficult to identify.

Ireland: Couple to go to Jail for Attending Mass During Lockdown

April 28, 2022, Ireland

Jim Ryan (64), and his wife Ann (59), were both fined €300 for travelling 70km to a Mass on Easter Sunday when there was a 5km limit for non essential travel during lockdown. They have since appealed their sentence but have also said they will go to jail rather then pay. Jim told the Sunday World "I have no intention of paying them a fine for me going to Mass - for doing what I have done my whole life."

Valuable Items Stolen from Church in Villach

April 28, 2022, Austria

During the night of May 28th, unknown perpetrators entered the Heiligenkreuzkirche in Villach and stole several items. They took gold-plated candlesticks, the quantity of which was not yet known, as well as a gold-plated lamp. An investigation was started and the amount of damage was still being quantified.

Man Steals from Three Churches in Wasilków and Zabłudów

April 27, 2022, Poland

The police received several reports in the last weeks of April, of thefts from churches in Wasilków and Zabłudów. In the incidents, the perpetrator had pulled the piggy bank off off the wall of one church and and in the other one, he broke the door off the money box and took around 4000 PLN. He then tried again in the church of Sokólski but the police caught the 37 year old who could be facing up to 10 years in prison.

Church in Zweibruecken Defaced with Obscene Tags

April 27, 2022, Germany

A 22-year-old man graffitied the facade of the Alexander Church in Zweibruecken on April 27th with obscene symbols. He tried to escape but the police were quickly alerted to the act, which happened around 19:30 and the man was arrested. He will have to pay around $500 for this crime.