All cases
Bellevue Church Vandalized with anti-Christian Tags Again
May 7, 2021, FranceSimilar hateful tags to the ones in January appeared again on the walls of the Church in Bellevue, Fort-de-France. One tag said "Church of the Devil". The incident was reported to the police.
Stolen Baptistery Found in Frankenberg
May 6, 2021, GermanyA baptistery stolen from an evangelical church in the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg in Germany has been found. The baptistery from the 17 century has been found and brought back to its rightful place. According to the local authorities, the baptistery made of brass has been stolen from the evangelical church back in March of 2021. The police did not give any information about how they discovered the baptistery due to ongoing investigations. It is to be assumed that since the incident the church has not been able to carry out any baptisms.
Finnish Bishop-Elect Charged for 'Hate Speech' for Editorship of Booklet on Homosexuality in 2004
May 4, 2021, FinlandThe designated bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, Dr Juhana Pohjola, has been charged for 'incitement to hate speech against a certain group of people' by the Finnish Attorney General's Office. Similarly to the case of Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen, the reason for the charges placed against Dr Pohjola is his editorship of a booklet published by the Luther Foundation Finland (ELMDF) in 2004 and written by Räsänen. Beforehand, all charges have been dropped by the Helsinki Police because they could not identify any broken law by the booklet since same-sex marriage was only legalised in Finland in 2017.
17th century statue of Christ stolen from Saint-Nazaire church
May 3, 2021, FranceThe historic statute of Christ, classified as a historical monument since 1949, has been stolen from the church of Saint-François in Saint-Nazaire. The wooden statue, disappeared between 3rd and 10th April 2021. There is a high probability that the statute has been stolen during the opening hours in the middle of the day. A complaint has been filed to the police and an investigation has been underway.
In Only 15 days, the Saint Michel Church Vandalized 3 times
May 2, 2021, FranceOn the 2nd May, 6th May and on the weekend, the church of Saint-Matoury has been vandalized. The faithful have found that the perpetrators managed to break into the church from a broken window situated at the back of the church. They found that they stole the tabernacle and partly ransacked the nave. Later, the church has again been a victim of numerous robberies and thefts. The parish and political authorities condemned these acts and an investigation has been opened.
15th Century Limestone Statue of Saint Jacques Stolen
May 2, 2021, FranceBetween the 17 and 19 May, the 50 centimetres high statue of Saint Jacques has been stolen. The 15th century limestone statute has among the historical monuments listed in the supplementary inventory on the 4th of May 1988. It has been in the commune of La Pernelle, in the Manche region. There are worries that the virgin in the grotto and in the church or at the baptismal font could also be stolen. The police of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue or the town hall of La Pernelle are asking for clues and witnesses.
Perpetrators Vandalized Churches Along The Pilgrimage Route of Saint James
May 1, 2021, ItalyDuring the night of 30 April to 1 May, unknown perpetrators vandalised two churches, as well as, monuments and streetlamps illuminating the Barbaresco-Tower. Windows of the San Bernardo Chruch were smashed in with stones. The stones also damged the ambo, causing it to fall and break. Another Church along the Pilgrimage route of Saint James was also affected. It has been reported that the perpetrators smashed beer bottles against the walls of the thousand-year-old church of San Giorgio. A few monuments and streetlamps illuminating the Barbaresco-Tower have also been vandalized and damaged through stones. Residents reported the incident and Town-Councillor Laura Gandolfo ordered an immediate investigation.
The Graville Cemetery Vandalized and Religious Objects from the Chapel Broken
May 1, 2021, FranceDuring the weekend of 1st and 3rd May , ten graves were vandalized in the Graville cemetery in Le Havre. In addition, religious objects on the altar from the chapel of the Virgin Mary have been broken.
Church In Schlema Damaged
April 30, 2021, GermanyBetween 29 to 30 April, unknown perpetrators broke the window of a church in Schlema. According to the police a side entrance door of the church was smashed and an unknown liquid was applied to the facade of the building. The damage amounts up to 2.000 Euros. The police are investigating for damage to property.
Finish MP Charged for Hate Speech After Bible Post on Twitter About Human Sexuality
April 29, 2021, FinlandMP Pävi Räsänen is facing three criminal charges for alleged hate speech brought against her by the Finnish Prosecutor General. This is not the first time MP Räsänen is being investigated for hate speech by the police but the first time she is confronted with criminal charges. The medical doctor, mother of five, and grandmother of six is accused of having engaged in “hate speech” for publicly voicing her opinion on marriage and human sexuality in a 2004 pamphlet, for comments made on a 2018 TV show and, most recently, a tweet directed at her church leadership. The Prosecutor General considers that Räsänen's statements are likely to cause intolerance, contempt and hatred towards homosexuals. The charges will be heard later at the Helsinki District Court.
Vandalism In Church In Freiburg
April 27, 2021, GermanyAn act of vandalism and property damage amounting to several thousand Euros, occurred at a church on Langestraße. Unknown perpetrators broke into the unlocked place of worship and smeared the floors, walls, and furniture with wax. The police were investigating.
The Statue of Saint Gabriel Stolen From a Cemetery in Romans-sur-Isère:
April 27, 2021, FranceBy the end March in Romans-sur-Isère, a mother noticed that a large pot of flowers as well as the statute of Saint Gabriel have been stolen from the grave of the 37-age man. Shocked and affected by the act of the theft, the mother reported the incident to the police.
Cemetery In Nowa Wieś Ełcka Vandalised
April 26, 2021, PolandAfter the cemetery in Nowa Wieś Ełcka was first vandalised and then destroyed by felled trees, it is now to be restored to its original state. The bishop of the parish, Paweł Hause, said: "Destroying the sign of the cross, which is on an old gravestone, by handling it with heavy equipment, overturning it, destroying it and burying it, offends the feelings of all Christians - Catholics, Evangelicals, Orthodox. It was the residents of the village, Catholics, who first pointed out this anti-Christian behaviour. Whatever the perpetrators and those responsible say, there has been a lack of respect for the dead and for the cemetery, which is and should remain holy ground."
Vandalistic Attack In Gussago After Priest Speaks Out
April 26, 2021, ItalyThe priest's car, the church façade and the surveillance cameras of the church of Gussago, Franciacorta, were vandalised the night before 26 April. The perpetrators were a group of youths who had been celebrating frequently during services, next to the church the days before. After the parish priest Don Adriano Dabellani complained and called the carabinieri, vandalistic acts were perpetrated in the following nights, probably in revenge. The vandals wrote blasphemies on the priest's car, as well as on the façade of the church. Police are investigating.
Church Tabernacle Stolen from St. Boniface in Goddelau
April 26, 2021, GermanyThe pastor of the parish church of St. Boniface in Goddelau, Anton Lucaci, claims that the heart was stolen from the parish after the tabernacle was robbed. The police were alerted and assume that the thieves wanted the metal.
The Church of Saint-Tudy in Loctudy Remained Closed due to Repetitive Acts of Vandalism and Damage
April 25, 2021, FranceFrom January 2020 onwards, damage of the church of Saint-Tudy in Loctudy have been regularly reported due to the repetitive acts of vandalism. The parishioners complained that on Palm Sunday, the Paschal candle were broken into two and that the curtains have been torn off and the frost, hydroalcoholic as well as confessionals gel were thrown and spilled on the pews of the church. Another act of vandalism occurred on the 17th April when lit and overturned candles were thrown into a trunk. In addition, inside the trunk, banknotes have been partially burnt. Due to these repetitive acts of vandalism and damage, the church will only be opened during mass times. Otherwise, it will remain closed until further notice.
Perpetrators Damaged St. Laurentius Church Lamps
April 24, 2021, GermanyThe lamps in the St. Laurentius Church in Schramberg-Sulgen were damaged in the on November 24th but the villain is still at large. Two of the lamps were damaged on Tuesday the 23rd and three more received similar treatment outside the building the next day. The cost of the destruction was estimated to be around 1000 euros and the police were in search of more information.
Sainte-Thérèse Church In Évreux Subjected To Series Of Degradations
April 23, 2021, FranceOn the night of 22 April, the church of Sainte-Thérèse de l'Enfant Jésus in the Nétreville district of Évreux was the victim of a burglary for the seventh time in six months. In the process, a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary was found lying on the floor with large cuts to its head, having been subjected to repeated attempts at destruction in the days before. The other complaints in the intervening period include damage to several entrances to the interior of the church and the theft of numerous religious items. Meanwhile, a suspect has been arrested. The police is investigating.
Vandalism On The Steps Of The Church Of San Francesco
April 23, 2021, ItalyAfter the stone capital on the steps of the Marian Sanctuary of San Francesco all'Immacolata in Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Noto was vandalised, the perpetrator has now been identified and reported. The police were able to gather useful clues with the help of images from the video surveillance in the area, which made it possible to establish the identity of the vandal. It is a 33-year-old man already known to the police, who is facing charges of serious damage to historical objects - a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Pastor Arrested In Greater London for Public Preaching on Biblical Marriage
April 23, 2021, United KingdomPastor John Sherwood, the pastor of a church in North London, preached a sermon on a public street on 23 April, in which he advocated for the biblical image of the family consisting of a father, mother and children and that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. After a while, some police officers appeared on the scene, approached Pastor Sherwood and stated that three complaints had been received about the sermon. After a lengthy conversation between the pastor and the police officers, the police officers asked him to come down from the steps where he was standing and said that he was now under arrest. The police accusation was that Pastor Sherwood had made homophobic remarks. An officer then took the Bible from the pastor's hand, pulled him off the steps and handcuffed him behind his back. The pastor was arrested for causing alarm and distress under section 5 of the Public Order Act, according to police. The preacher was detained by the police for about 21 hours, and he is still under investigation after his release.