All cases
Swiss Evangelical Party's Office Attacked for Supporting Pro-Life Demonstration
September 16, 2015, SwitzerlandThe Zurich offices of the Swiss Evangelische Volkspartei (EVP) as well as the Swiss Evangelical Alliance and humanitarian organisations Tearfund and Opportunity were attacked by vandals.
French Church is Victim of Repeated Vandalism
September 16, 2015, FranceL’église Saint-Martin in Sangatte, France is yet again a victim of vandalism. On September 16th, a volunteer at the Blanc-Nez Pentecostal parish returned to Saint-Martin to close the doors for the evening and immediately discovered smoke emerging from the church. She also noticed broken candles littering the ground and that small decorations were taken down. Thick smoke surrounded the altar of wood and marble, and it was apparent that the small fire could have easily spread to the wooden furniture and carpets, completely destroying the church.
Bremen Church the Victim of Burglary, Desecration and Vandalism
September 15, 2015, GermanyUnknown perpetrators broke into the St. Pius Church and stole the tabernacle with consecrated Hosts, offertory boxes, and sprayed fire extinguishing powder all over the inside of the church.
UK Burglars Urinate in Holy Water
September 10, 2015, United KingdomBurglars broke into a Sunderland church, smashed a window (causing more than £1,000 in damage) and used fire extinguishers to try to break down doors. Although nothing was stolen, someone urinated in the holy water font.
German Left Threatens to Disrupt the "March For Life"
September 8, 2015, GermanyThe German left political party (Die Linke) is organising to disrupt the annual German "March for Life" for the protection of the unborn, the sick, and the aged that will take place in Berlin on the 19th of September. In response, the German Association for Christian Culture (Deutsche Vereinigung für eine christliche Kultur) responded that by doing so, Die Linke is threatening to infringe upon the rights to freedom of assembly and expression and noting that the law recognizes the basic human right to life from the moment of conception.
Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis Released from Jail
September 8, 2015, United StatesJust hours before a large rally in support of Kim Davis was scheduled to begin, the judge who jailed her for refusing to violate her Christian beliefs ordered her release. Ms. Davis was jailed on September 3rd for her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The following day, her deputies began issuing licenses in her absence after five of the six clerks who work for her swore under oath that they could comply with the court’s order to issue them. Ms. Davis stopped issuing all marriage licenses after the US Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, and refused to permit her deputies to do the same, because her name was printed on those licenses, and she said to issue them would violate her conscience. In his order to release Ms. Davis, the judge warned her not to interfere with her deputies issuing the marriage licenses, or she could risk “sanctions” again. Ms. Davis’s attorney said "Today Kim Davis is a free woman but her conscience did not change ... to get freedom." He noted that Ms. Davis would return to work, but he said she would "not violate her conscience."
Clerk Jailed for Refusing to Issue Same-Sex Marriage Licenses
September 3, 2015, United StatesKim Davis, a county clerk in Kentucky, has been jailed for "contempt of court" after defying a federal court order to issue marriage licenses to homosexual couples.
43 Graves in French Village Damaged and Vandalized
September 3, 2015, FranceOn the 3rd of September 2015, the destruction of 43 graves was discovered in the small French village of Montjavoult. Swastikas were spray-painted on 6 of them and crosses were broken off and left on the ground. Authorities have reason to believe that this act was political in nature, and not just the prank of drunk young people. The investigation is ongoing.
Two Men Arrested for Setting Fire to Lutheran Church in Sweden
September 1, 2015, SwedenDuring the evening of the 26th of August, a Lutheran church Åmåls, Sweden was attacked by arsonists. The perpetrators used at least one Molotov cocktail to set fire to the building, and broke several windows in the church and the parish hall. The motive for the arson is unclear.
Treasured Statue Stolen from French Church
September 1, 2015, FranceThe statue of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, dating from the 15th century, was stolen from the church of Molins-sur-Aube.
Orthodox Church Destroyed by the Albanian Authorities
August 26, 2015, AlbaniaOn the 26th of August, local officials destroyed the Orthodox church St. Athanasius, which is located in the village of Dhermi, in southern Albania.
Broken and Desecrated Statue of the Virgin Mary in Reunion, France
August 23, 2015, FranceA Statue of the Virgin Mary has been purposely destroyed, its chest impaled on a spit, and the other pieces of the statue were left in a plastic bag on the side of a road. This event happened next to the chapel Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix a few days before the 23rd of August. The sight of the destroyed statue has shocked locals, and drivers passing by haven't dared to disturb the broken pieces. No explanation yet has been given to this act of vandalism.
Kindergarten Teacher Fired for Explaining Christmas Story
August 21, 2015, AustriaA city-run kindergarten in Vienna has fired a teacher because she “violated the kindergarten’s neutral stance on religion” by explaining that on Christmas, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This was in response to the children's questions about the holiday. In the letter informing the teacher of the school board’s decision to fire her, one reads that city-run kindergartens “accompany children of diverse religious faiths as well as without religious faith; therefore the religious meanings of traditional feasts are not mentioned and must instead be replaced by other content (for example during advent by themes such as ‘family’, ‘friendship’, or ‘community’). You have not followed this approach, but instead informed the children several times … about the Christian meaning of Christmas”. The teacher explains, "I have answered only the questions of the children . . . I am a Christian, but not a religion teacher."
Desecration in Gex and Colloges Churches in Pays de l'Ain France
August 16, 2015, FranceOn Sunday, August 16, 2015, a ciborium containing consecrated hosts and chalice were stolen from the church of Gex. The same day, a ciborium, a chalice, and a reliquary, registered in the inventory of Historical Monuments, were stolen from the church of Collonges.
Chapel Vandalized in Nantes, France
August 16, 2015, FranceThe outside wall of a chapel of Christ Roi in Nantes was spray painted during the night of the 15th/16th of August. The tag says : "Don't open. Integriste. Inside". The wrongdoers remain unknown. http://www.christianophobie.fr/breves/nantes-precisions-dun-lecteur-sur-la-chapelle-taguee
Attempted Arson in Chapel Saint-François of Rennes
August 14, 2015, FranceThe chapel Saint-François of Rennes was the victim of an attempted arson during night between August 13 and 14th.
Haute-Loire Churches Hit with Burglaries
August 14, 2015, FranceA burglary was committed in the sacristy of the church Sainte-Foy de Bains (Haute-Loire) on August 14, 2015. The criminals stole sacred objects: a chalice and a ciborium.
Anti-Christian Hate Crimes on the Rise in Sweden
August 5, 2015, SwedenThe sharpest rise is seen among crimes with christianophobic motives, which have tripled in the past five years, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brottsförebyggande rådet – Brå).
40 Christian Tombs Desecrated in French Cemetery
August 3, 2015, FranceOn the 3rd of August, local policemen found that 40 graves had been desecrated in a cemetery in the town of Labry, in northeastern France. 35 funeral ornaments, mostly crucifixes and plaques were displaced, and 4 were broken.
Chapel Vandalized in Walloon Brabant
August 3, 2015, BelgiumDuring the week of the 3rd of August 2015, the small chapel Notre-Dame de Walcourt, which had been restored for free a few years ago by a volunteer, was vandalized with spray paint. The tag represented a person giving a finger to what seems to be a crown. The perpetrators remain unknown.