All cases
Theft and Vandalism for Weeks in French Cemetery
June 26, 2018, FranceFor several weeks, the Vallongue cemetery in the city of Bandol, was repeatedly vandalized and various objects were stolen. Relatives observed with dismay as plants, ceramics, figurines, and other decorative objects were disappearing.
Church Suffers Repeated Thefts and Vandalism
June 26, 2018, FranceFrom the beginning of March until the end of June 2018, the alms box of church of Saint-Thomas-de-Cônac was repeatedly broken and emptied by unknown thieves. Despite new measures to prevent further thefts in the alms box, the perpetrators continued to attempt to get the money. In the end, after having installed a safe on the ground, the constant thefts were replaced with acts of vandalism: candles lit and broken on the floor, trash and papers thrown around, holy water spilled, and indecent comments written in the guestbook.
Fire in Chapel in Kolbermoor
June 25, 2018, GermanyOn June 25th, unknown perpetrators set fire to a dry flower arrangement that decorated a monument to the fallen in a chapel of the Heilig Dreifaltigkeit church in Kolbermoor. The damage to the property, based on the Bad Aibling police inspection, was around 1500 euros.
Two Statues Destroyed at Church in Perrecy-les-Forges
June 24, 2018, FranceParishioners discovered two broken statues in the church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Benoît on Sunday morning, the 24th of June 2018. The statue of St. Paul had been destroyed and another had been decapitated. In addition to that, benches had been overturned, a door had been forced open, and a door lock had been broken.
Attack on Seven Iranian Christians in Greek Refugee Camp
June 24, 2018, GreeceOn June 24th, in the middle of the night, a group of about 30-40 refugees attacked two Christian families along with another Christian man after they returned from a bible-reading. According to International Christian Consulate, "the attackers poured petrol over the cabin where they were meeting, and threatened to set it alight. They beat up the men and held knives to the throats of the two women and children, while telling them, ‘This is a Muslim camp. You have to leave’."
Madonna Image Vandalized in Legano
June 23, 2018, ItalyUnknown individuals used red spray paint to vandalize one of the bas-relief images of the Virgin Mary in the votive chapel on corner of one of the walls of the parish of Santa Teresa del Bambin Gesù, between Via Canova and Via Resegone, in Legano.
Madonna of Piazza Europa Burnt
June 23, 2018, ItalyDuring the night of June 23rd, someone set fire to the Madonna in the Piazza Europa in Marino, near Rome, leaving it blackened with soot. Residents expressed outrage, as the statue is a symbol of the community and the police began an investigation.
Fire in Orthodox church in Bosnia Herzigovia
June 23, 2018, Bosnia and HerzegovinaA fire was lit inside the church of the Most Holy Mother of God in the high-rise settlement of the suburb Čekrekčije. Most objects of the church, including icons and sacred books were destroyed or burnt. The fire affected part of the roof structure and the main part of the throne was broken. The police has started an investigation. The church had been renovated over a period of two years and was consecrated in September 2017.
Vandals Hit a Church in Radevormwald
June 22, 2018, GermanyUnknown people entered the church of St. Marien in Radevormwald on June 22nd and disturbed various items, burned church newspapers in the baptismal font, and destroyed the Easter candle, which in addition to its religious symbolism, also had value of 100 euros.
Isle of Man Cathedral Vandalized
June 21, 2018, United KingdomOn June 21st, police condemned a continuous wave of vandalism against the Peel Cathedral on the Isle of Man. A spokesman for the police said that vandals sprayed graffiti in different places around the cathedral over several days. A week earlier, a prominent sculpture was broken, and the lawn and other objects were damaged.
Arson in Church in Plappeville
June 21, 2018, FranceThe church of Sainte-Brigide de Plappeville (Moselle) suffered an arson attack on June 21st at 5:40 p.m. Firefighters reported two fires inside the church. After being arrested in the vicinity, two young men admitted entering the building by breaking some of the windows and setting fire to the altar cloth and the cabinet in which the books were kept.
Gang Robbed Nine Churches in Two Months
June 21, 2018, SpainAn organized gang stole from at least nine churches on the Island of Tenerife. The last incident occurred in the town of La Camella in the early hours of June 21, 2018. The perpetrators broke into the church, damaging the entrance door, and stole sacred objects and valuables worth at least 3000 euros. They were discovered by nuns who had been sleeping in rooms next door and had woken up when they heard a loud noise. The perpetrators fled the church and the incident was reported to the police. Local media suspected the robbery was carried out by the same gang that had attacked at least nine religious buildings on the island, including the church of San Mateo in Punta del Hidaglo, where they stole valuables worth 10,000 euros.
Fire Set in German Church
June 16, 2018, GermanyA parishioner found the remains of a fire already extinguished on the carpet of the church of St. Petrus in the town of Kirchweiler. According to the police, the unknown perpetrators set the fire between 8 am and 4:45 pm on June 16th. Material damage affected the carpet, a cloth, and a speaker wire.
Four Teenagers Caught Stealing in Church in Clermont-Ferrand
June 16, 2018, FranceFour teenagers were caught by the police inside a church in Clermont-Ferrand stealing the box containing the alms on the night of June 16th.
Paint Thrown against Saint-Étienne Church in Mulhouse
June 15, 2018, FranceAn unknown person stained the main entrance of the Protestant church of Saint-Étienne in Mulhouse, France with white paint on June 15th in the afternoon.
Polish Supreme Court Rules against Printer; Tribunal Reversed in 2019
June 14, 2018, PolandPoland's Supreme Court ruled against a printer who refused to create a roll-up banner for an LGBT business group because he did not want to "promote" the gay rights movement, citing his Catholic religious beliefs. The Court held that although there may be legally justifiable reasons to refuse services based on religious objections, in this case they did not apply. UPDATE: In June 2019, the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that the law the printer was convicted under was unconstitutional, because punishment for refusing to provide services on the grounds of beliefs interfered with the service providers’ rights to act according to their conscience.
Spain Fined UK Christian Television Broadcaster
June 14, 2018, SpainThe National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) fined Revelation TV, which is based in the UK but broadcasts in Spain, €6,000 after an individual complained to the state agency about comments made by an evangelical pastor during a morning program in September 2017. The CNMC deemed the pastor's comments "homophobic" when he expressed his opinion about transgender issues and whether Christians should move their children from schools when another student identifies as transgender.
Theft and Vandalism in the Church of Bellecombe-Tarendol
June 13, 2018, FranceDuring the night of June 13th, between 10 pm and 7 am, unknown individuals forced the door of the Bellecombe-Tarendol church, breaking the lock. Once inside, they caused minor damage and stole a golden chalice. In addition, they sprayed the interior of the building with a fire extinguisher to conceal their tracks.
Theft in Sant'Antonio Church in Manduria on its Feast's Eve
June 12, 2018, ItalyThieves entered the church of Sant'Antonio in Manduria on June 12th between 11 am and 2 pm and stole an amplifier and part of the sound system from the sacristy, taking advantage of the confusion in the preparation of the patron's local feast the next day.
Theft and Vandalism in the Chapel of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme
June 12, 2018, FranceA painting of the chapel of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme was stolen during the night of June 8th by an unknown person. In addition to the robbery, the grid that protected the chapel was broken and various decorative objects and religious art were damaged.