All cases

Vandals set fire to liturgical book at a church in Kelheim

July 15, 2026, Germany

On 15 July 2026, unknown perpetrators vandalised the Holy Cross Church in Kelheim by damaging the interior and setting a liturgical book on fire. The burned lectionary was rendered unusable, causing damage to an object used during Catholic worship. Reports indicate that this incident is part of a series of attacks against Christian places of worship seen in Germany in the past months.

French court orders removal of restored calvary cross from public land

July 15, 2026, France

According to reports from 16 July, the Rennes Administrative Court has ordered the municipality of Saint-Divy in Brittany to remove a restored replica of the historic centuries-old Kerdalaès Calvary cross from public land, ruling that its installation violated the French secularism laws of 1905. Its removal affects a site of longstanding significance for the local Christian community, and raises concerns about the reconstruction of religious symbols.

Repeated Sacrilegious Thefts Prompt Concern of Bishop

July 14, 2026, Italy

During the night of 13 to 14 July 2026, a sacrilegious theft occurred at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Porto Sant'Elpidio, when a tabernacle was stolen which contained the ciborium of consecrated hosts. The theft of the Eucharist constitutes a profanation that affected the local Christian community and marked the second incident of this kind in the Archdiocese of Fermo in two weeks.

Suspected Arson damages parish building at Munkshöjden Church

July 14, 2026, Finland

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack at the parish building of Munkshöjden Church in Helsinki which occurred on 14 July 2026. Firefighters took hours to extinguish the extensive fire, preventing it from spreading to the church building itself, however the parish hall sustained extensive damage.

Eggs thrown at church destroy windows

July 14, 2026, Germany

Between 10 and 14 July 2026, unknown perpetrators damaged two leaded-glass windows of a church in the main street of Neuenkirchen. According to reports, the perpetrators threw eggs at the church building, destroying six glass windows in the process.

Man arrested after a spate of vandalism forces Cornwall churches to close

July 13, 2026, United Kingdom

Reported on 13 July, a man has been charged in connection with alleged vandalism at various churches in Mevagissey, including damage to St Peter's Church between 8 to 9 July that forced it to suspend its long-standing open-door policy. The incidents affected places of Christian worship and have restricted public access to more than one church in the area, impacting the local Christian community and pointing to a broader problem of offences committed in places of worship in the United Kingdom.

Repeated vandalism at St Ruper Parish Church disrupts religious practice

July 13, 2026, Germany

St Rupert Parish Church in Amerang has been targeted in repeated acts of vandalism in which all votive candles were damaged and the holy water was contaminated with candle wax. The incident disrupted religious practices at the church and prompted a police investigation, affecting the local Christian community.

Cross Stolen From Church in Vejle

July 13, 2026, Denmark

An iron cross and other items were stolen from St. Nikolai Church in Vejle. Thanks to witnesses, police identified and arrested the suspect.

Rheine-Hauenhorst Church the target of repeated acts of vandalism

July 13, 2026, Germany

Reported on 13 July 2026, St Mariä Heimsuchung Church in Rheine-Hauenhorst was targeted by vandals, marking another incident affecting the parish within a short period of time. The repeated damage to the church prompted the parish to temporarily close the building while repairs were carried out.

Assault on Christian asylum seeker after wearing a cross in Regensburg accommodation

July 13, 2026, Germany

According to a police report that became publicly available in July 2026, a Christian asylum seeker was assaulted at an asylum accommodation in Regensburg after being confronted about wearing a cross necklace. The report describes an attack that occurred in April 2024 and states that the dispute was only secondarily religious in nature, an assessment that has drawn criticism given that the confrontation reportedly began because the victim was wearing a Christian cross.

Attempted Intrusion and Arson at the Notre-Dame Church of Le Relecq-Kerhuon

July 10, 2026, France

On the night of 9 to 10 July 2026, the Notre-Dame Church in Relecq-Kerhuon was the target of a fire and attempted break-in throughout the night. The fire was extinguished before it could spread to the whole church building, but the incident nonetheless affected the Christian place of worship and is being investigated by the police.

Crucifix vandalised in Stolberg-Zweifall

July 10, 2026, Germany

As reported on 10 July, a wayside cross at the "Kartoffelbaum" site in Stolberg-Zweifall has been deliberately damaged, with parts of the wooden corpus having been cut off. As the vandalism targeted a religious monument in the area that serves as a place of prayer and remembrance for pilgrims, the incident has caused deep distress for the local community.

Church banner destroyed in Hohenwarthe

July 8, 2026, Germany

As reported on 8 July, a banner at a lutheran church of Möser in Hohenwarthe has been cut up and destroyed in an act of vandalism. According to reports, the church congregation suspects the vandalism was politically motivated and is horrified by the incident.

Desecration of Armenian cemetery in Istanbul

July 8, 2026, Turkey

On the night of 7 to 8 July 2026, an individual entered the Surp Karabet Christian Cemetery in Istanbul by climbing over the perimeter wall. The perpetrator vandalised six graves and a memorial just days before the reconsecration of the Armenian Surp Karapet Church. The reports describe the Christian community as deeply wounded by the incident, and their concerns over the safety of Christian communities in Turkey have been heightened.

Church vandalised and attempted desecration in Ca' Cappellino

July 7, 2026, Italy

Reported on 7 July, unknown perpetrators vandalised the church in Ca' Cappellino, Porto Viro, causing extensive damage to liturgical furnishings and attempting to force open the tabernacle. Nothing was stolen, but the vandalism left the church damaged. The attack caused shock among the parish community and is under police investigation.

Attempted Arson damages chapel in southern Germany

July 7, 2026, Germany

It was reported on 7 July 2026 that an unknown perpetrator deliberately set fire to seat cushions in a chapel in Wolfegg-Molpertshaus, Baden-Württemberg, causing approximately €1000 in damage. Fortunately, the fire did not spread to the rest of the church building, and the incident is being investigated as an attempted arson.

Woman arrested for repeated acts of vandalism targeting a church and cemetery

July 7, 2026, France

On 7 July 2026, a woman in Écommoy was arrested for the second time in connection with a series of vandalism incidents, including damage to Christian religious objects inside a church and desecration of approximately 30 graves in a cemetery. The repeated targeting of Christian places of worship has caused concern in the local community.

Church of Sts Peter and Paul Vandalised and Tabernacle desecrated

July 6, 2026, France

On the night of 5 to 6 July, unknown perpetrators entered Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul Church in the Wazemmes district of Lille and committed vandalism and sacrilegious theft. According to reports, the tabernacle, containing consecrated hosts, was stolen along with the sacred contents. Further, a cross and several religious objects were damaged and the interior of the church was also found to be vandalised. This act was lamented by the diocese as an offence against the sacred, the faithful and priests of the community.

Military school accused of discriminating against applicants from Catholic schools

July 6, 2026, France

Parents and education associations have raised the issue of discrimination against applicants from independent Catholic schools at the Prytanée National Militaire de La Flèche in France, after a Parcoursup admissions notice listed attendance at a non-contract school as an exclusion criterion. The allegations prompted legal action by affected families and an administrative investigation ordered by the Ministry of the Armed Forces, which instructed the school to remove what it described as the "erroneous" admission criterion.

Suspected arson at St. John the Baptist Church prompt surveillance

July 5, 2026, Germany

Repeated suspected arson incidents at St. John the Baptist Church in Ichenhausen, Germany, have prompted the installation of a surveillance camera in an effort to identify or deter the perpetrator. According to the parish priest, several small fires were deliberately started inside the church over a period of weeks, causing minor fire damage.