All cases

Niort: Teenager Stabbed in Notre-Dame Church

March 8, 2018, France

A 15-year-old boy praying at the church of Notre-Dame in Niort was assaulted around 6:30 p.m. on March 8th. Two hooded men ordered him to undress. When he refused, they stabbed him in the leg with a knife. The injured teen was transported to the Niort hospital by firefighters. No further information about the assailants was given by media reports.

Vandalism Against Seville Church

March 8, 2018, Spain

The church of the former convent of Santa Maria de la Paz in Seville, current canonical headquarters of the Catholic brotherhood of la Hermandad de la Sagrada Mortaja (Brotherhood of the Sacred Mortuary), was vandalized by unknown perpetrators with graffiti that read: "Ni Dios ni Amo" (Neither God nor Master).

Statue of Virgin Mary in Champagnat Stolen

March 7, 2018, France

The statue of Virgin Mary in an oratory in Champagnat was torn from its base and stolen on the eve of International Women's Day. An explanatory note was left by the vandals, saying that Mary did not want to remain behind an iron gate, surrounded by plastic flowers and peeling paint, but wished to "withdraw to meditate on the state of the sacred feminine" and that she would return.

Molotov Cocktail Found in Church Days after Threatening Graffiti Sprayed on Facade

March 6, 2018, Spain

On March 6th, a Molotov cocktail was found placed on the ledge of a window in the apse of the central parish San Miguel in Córdoba. The paper wick in the bottle had had been lit, but fortunately did not combust with the explosive materials inside.

Activist says "Burn the Episcopal Conference"

March 6, 2018, Spain

On March 6 during the television program Més 324 on the public broadcasting network Catalonia TV3, former CUP politician and activist Bel Olid encouraged participation in the March 8 feminist strike by saying: "Hem de cremar la conferència episcopal per masclista i patriarchal!" (We must burn the Episcopal Conference for machismo and patriarchyl!).

Arson at Saint-Gildas Church in Auray

March 4, 2018, France

On the afternoon of March 4th, a parishioner discovered thick smoke inside l'église Saint-Gildas. She observed two young women running from the church and immediately contacted the authorities. Firefighters discovered 10 separate fires had been set inside.

Bomb Scare in Bern Church

March 2, 2018, Switzerland

A 21-year-old Afghan man was arrested in Bern on March 2nd after he threatened to blow up the Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit) near the main train station. Witnesses reported unusual behavior to the police. Upon arrival, police found the man in possession of "suspicious objects" which were later neutralized. The church was evacuated and the area around the church was sealed off for hours.

Local Government to Demolish Cross

March 1, 2018, Spain

The tripartite government of the Castellón municipality of Vall d'Uixó formed by PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Izquierda Unida (United Left) and Compomís (Coalició Compromís) announced the demolition of the cross in the small Plaza de la Paz (Freedom's Square). The removal was driven by the law of Historical Memory. However, the cross of Vall d'Uixó no longer contains any symbol that refers to the Civil War or the Franco regime.

Beloved Priest Murdered in Francophone Parish in Berlin

February 22, 2018, Germany

Father Alain-Florent Gandoulou, the head of the Catholic French-Speaking community, was murdered in his office around midnight.

Government Sponsored Festival whose Poster Depicted Church in Flames

February 22, 2018, Spain

The Lugo City Hall, governed by PSOE, sponsored a music festival in February 2018 whose promotional poster depicts Christian church in flames. The three-day festival called “A Candeloria” was organized for the 15th consecutive year. All participating musical bands shared in common "combative music" with "corrosive lyrics about the system and its institutions."

Strasbourg Cathedral Tagged

February 22, 2018, France

A facade and the double door of Strasbourg Cathedral were tagged during the night between February 20th and 21st with the anarchist message “Neither god nor master” ("Ni Dieu, Ni Maître").  

10 Churches in the French Regions of Loire-Atlantique and Morbihan Desecrated

February 21, 2018, France

During February at least ten churches in the French Region of Morbihan and Loire-Atlantique were desecrated or robbed, according to media reports. After police investigation, two men were arrested.

Church Desecrated in Erdeven

February 21, 2018, France

The tabernacle was desecrated in the church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul in Erdeven (Morbihan).

"Jesus Magazine" Mocked by French Daily Host

February 20, 2018, France

On the daily television program Le Quotidien, host Yann Barthès mocked the publication of a magazine called "Jesus" and comedian Vincent Dedienne joined in by singing "I have holes in my hands and in my feet." Eric Célérier, founder of the website Top Chrétien, publicly denounced this by noting that "mocking Jews is anti-Semitism and punishable by law. Mocking Muslims is Islamophobia. But strangely, it seems that making fun of Christians and Jesus is... humor."

City Hall Renovation Eliminates Christian Mosaic

February 20, 2018, Spain

Under the pretext of the restoration of the city hall's headquarters, the government of the town of San Fernando in Cadiz decided to remove the mosaic of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that had adorned the main facade of the building since 1941.

Alpes-Maritimes: Mission Cross vandalized in Grasse

February 18, 2018, France

On the morning of February 18th, municipal services workers discovered that the "Mission Cross" in Grasse had been vandalized during the night. The nearly 500 kg wrought iron cross was bent and the pedestal was deliberately moved into the roadway. The cross, dating from 1894, had been completely renovated by Jean-Marie Rouvier, of the Compagnons du Patrimoine en Pays de Grasse, in June 2016. Mayor Jérôme Viaud condemned the vandalism and launched a police investigation.

Christian Convert Attacked Outside Pentecostal Church

February 11, 2018, Sweden

A Christian Afghani asylum seeker was attacked after attending a worship service at a Pentecostal church in Karlstad.

Newspaper Publishes Journalist's Vulgar Tirade Against Catholics

February 10, 2018, Spain

The on-line journal Público published a writer's insult-and-expletive laden criticism of Catholics, priests, and a Catholic confraternity following a court judgment against a young man for posting an image mocking Jesus Christ on Instagram.

Council Votes in Favor of Buffer Zone around Abortion Clinic

February 7, 2018, United Kingdom

In a vote that would create the second so-called "buffer zone" around an abortion clinic in the UK, the Richmond Council voted in favor of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) around a clinic run by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. If it receives final approval at the next council meeting, the PSPO would make it a crime to hold prayer vigils near the clinic. The broadly-worded PSPO would also prohibit any form of interaction with staff or visitors to the clinic.

Vulgar Graffiti Sprayed on Brzeszcze Church

February 4, 2018, Poland

CCTV recorded a man and a woman spraying the door of a church with vulgar messages in English. Police began an investigation.