All cases
Vandalism on Painting of Jesus in Church
April 10, 2017, PolandA 31-year-old male emptied a bottle of black spray paint on a painting of Jesus in a Church in Pila, Poland. Police arrested the man.
Cemetery in Nice Vandalized on Palm Sunday
April 9, 2017, FranceFourteen graves were damaged in the Cimiez cemetery, which borders a Franciscan monastery on a hill in Nice, in the afternoon of Palm Sunday, April 9, 2017. Crosses were broken, funerary books and decorative items were knocked over and broken. The municipality said, “It is with indignation that we condemn these unacceptable acts that call for a firm criminal response. There is no place for these hateful acts. That is why we asked the funeral administration to file a complaint.” According to the city, the individual responsible for these acts may be identified from the CCTV recordings.
Women Attacked after Mass in Brussels
April 9, 2017, BelgiumTwo Polish women were on their way to the bus station to return home after having attended Mass at the church of Notre Dame de la Chapelle on Palm Sunday. As they walked through what was described in media reports as an “the Arab quarter” on their way to the Midi station, they were attacked by a man who cursed at them both in Arabic and French calling them “dirty Christians” and “whores” (“sales chrétiennes” and “putes“). Because the women were carrying palms from the Mass, the man was able to identify them as Christians. One of the women was knocked down and then kicked. She did not sustain any major injuries, but was in pain. The police were called but the attacker fled before they could arrive. The Polish Christian community responded by hiring security for the doors before and after Mass.
Good Friday Procession Cancelled due to Complaint by Secularist Group
April 8, 2017, SpainThe Andalusian Education Inspection cancelled the Good Friday procession for school children in Dos Hermanas due to time pressure for parents and complaint by a secularist group, Sevilla Laica. The parents of the affected children gathered signatures to reverse the decision as the procession is a voluntary activity and their children “were very excited” (“estaban muy ilusionados”).
Demolition of Cross Recommended by Organization in Castellón
April 8, 2017, SpainThe Association of Friends of Ribalta have recommended demolishing the cross in the Ribalta Park as they say that it is a fascist symbol and thus does not comply with the law of historical memory. A petition against the Association of Friends of Ribalta’s claim is circulating. It is not the first time that the cross's existence has been up for debate. In 1979, there was a political vote on the issue and the cross was allowed to remain standing.
Mass Disrupted by Flares
April 8, 2017, SpainA Mass was interrupted in the Cathedral of Bilbao and parishioners had to leave the church as a group of squatters hurled flares inside the Cathedral. Police were called but no one was detained.
Catalan Club Received Complaints for Offensive Show
April 7, 2017, SpainA club in Barcelona received several complaints after its Good Friday show included an actor dressed as Jesus dancing with a cross. Adults who attended the show were offended and started a petition to ensure that the show was not repeated. They called the show “a mockery to the religion of Christianity to its believers and what it really means to celebrate Easter” (“una burla hacia la religión cristiana, hacia sus creyentes ya lo que realmente significa la celebración de Semana Santa”).
Church Vandalized in Blois
April 7, 2017, FranceThe Church of Saint-Saturnin de Vineuil was vandalized sometime between March 8th and March 30th. The Diocese lodged a complaint with the police for "degradation of the property of others on account of religion by means dangerous for people."
Mongolia Magazine Puts "Transgender Jesus" on Cover
April 6, 2017, SpainIn response to the bus campaign of Hazte Oír promoting a traditional view of gender with the slogans "Boys have penises; girls have vulvas. Do not be deceived," Mongolia magazine used an image of a transgender Jesus as its cover image. The magazine cover also has slogans such as “God has a penis” and “God has a vulva” (“Dios tiene pene” and Dios tiene vulva”).
Christmas and Easter School Holidays to Change Names
April 6, 2017, SpainThe Christmas and Easter school holidays will be re-named "first and second period" in the region of Castile and Leon in Spain for the academic year 2017/18 so as to be disassociated with the Christian holidays.
German Family's Homeschooling Case Filed at European Court of Human Rights
April 6, 2017, GermanyThe Wunderlich family brought its case against Germany to the European Court of Human Rights in April 2017. In 2013, the Christian parents began homeschooling their children. German authorities took temporary custody of the children and imposed criminal penalties on the parents for not sending their children to school. The European Court of Human Rights will examine whether Germany violated the Wunderlich’s fundamental right of parents to direct the education of their children.
Bulgarian Justice Ministry Proposes Ban on Foreign Financing of Religious Groups
April 4, 2017, BulgariaThe Justice Ministry of Bulgaria has presented a draft bill that would ban foreign countries from financing religious groups in the country, unless an inter-state treaty is in effect. The bill would require that foreign citizens serving as religious workers be fluent in Bulgarian and that no Bulgarian citizen can do the work. This could affect Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, as well as Islam and Judaism.
Church Leaders and Prime Minister Criticized National Trust
April 4, 2017, United KingdomThe Church of England accused the National Trust of “airbrushing” Christianity out of Easter festivities, after it renamed “Easter Egg Trail” as the “Great British Egg Hunt.” Cadbury, which sponsors the event, said it wanted the event to appeal to non-Christians, saying: “We invite people from all faiths and none to enjoy our seasonal treats.” The Prime Minister said “[Easter is] a very important festival for the Christian faith for millions across the world. So I think what the National Trust is doing is frankly just ridiculous.”
National Police Investigate Hacking of HazteOir.org
April 4, 2017, SpainHazteOir.org, the group behind a Christian anti-gender ideology publicity campaign using a bus, suffered a computer attack on some of its old accounts and social networks on April 4, 2017. The self-identified "cybercriminals" attempted to use the stolen information to blackmail and extort the president of the group on social networks.
At Least Four Shrines Vandalized in Saint-Expédit
April 4, 2017, FranceOn April 4, 2017 a witness reported the disappearance and decapitation of several religious statuettes in roadside shrines in Saint-Expedit, in the east of Réunion. This comes two days after the devastation of the site of the Black Madonna. In a shrine at the exit of the village of Bois-Blanc, the body, foot, and head of a statuette were left broken and scattered on the altar. The other statues had been taken, but offerings remained untouched. Nearby, at a shrine on the way to Cambourg in Saint-Benoît, four statuettes were decapitated. On the route de la Plaine, the well-known shrine, all statues were missing, and an auditor confirmed that this was also the case in the shrine located in the Jamaican sector in Saint-Denis.
Church Vandalized by Youths
April 4, 2017, FranceIn the afternoon of April 4th, two adolescents entered the Church of Saints Pierre-et-Paul, emptied the fire extinguishers and broke several candles.
Motion Filed for Catholic Church to Pay Property Tax
April 4, 2017, SpainThe political party "Ahora Getafe" has filed a motion for the Catholic Church and other religious entities to pay property taxes, despite its exemption. Due to the Concordat Agreements of the Spanish State with the Holy See in 1979, the Catholic Church was given a variety of privileges including not having to pay property taxes.
Statue of the Virgin of Lourdes of Higuera de la Sierra Found Decapitated
April 3, 2017, SpainOn April 3, 2017 neighbors discovered that the head of statue, which sits at the opening of a cave of the Paraje de las Tobas, in the region of the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche, had been removed. The Civil Guard investigated.
Verviers Church Targeted with Graffiti
April 3, 2017, BelgiumThe Sainte-Julienne church in Verviers (province of Liège) was sprayed with black paint on the walls and the side door of the building with messages such as: "Welcome to Hell" and "Apocalypsy".
Multiple Attacks against Christian Statues in the Münsterland Region
April 3, 2017, GermanySix statues were vandalized from March 22 - 29, 2017, bringing the total number of incidents to 62 since the end of October 2016.