All cases
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.
Two Orthodox Religious Murdered in Ukraine
July 30, 2015, OtherA priest and a nun, both members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, were murdered within days of each other in the Ukraine.
UK Schools Watchdog Ignores Bullying of Christian Students
July 30, 2015, United KingdomColin Hart, director of the Christian Institute, has said Ofsted and the Department for Education (DfE) have given “inadequate attention” to the “bullying of Christian pupils”.
Student Physically Forced to Attend Sex Education
June 22, 2015, GermanyIn North Rhine-Westphalia, a 10 year old boy was forcefully removed from his home and forced to attend sex education without his parents’ consent.
Santeuil Church Vandalised and Soiled with Faeces in Eure-Et-Loir
June 10, 2015, FranceThe Santeuil church was vandalised by unknown perpetrators who burst into each room of the church, destroyed doors, statues and belfry. Additionally, they soiled the church with faeces. The case was reported to the police and investigation decided to examine the DNA in the neighbourhood to find the culprit.
Arson In The Church Of St. Chrysole in Comines
June 6, 2015, FranceThe doors to the church of St. Chrystole in Comines was burned as a result of the arson. Thanks to the quick reaction of police and firefighters, the flames did not reach the interior of the church. Local faithful and volunteers were terrified and quickly helped to clean the soot.
The Chapel of Sainte-Bathilde Damaged in Seine-et-Marne
June 4, 2015, FranceThe Sainte-Bathilde Chapel was hit by vandals who destroyed statues in the garden behind the shrine. One represented St. Bathilde on which flammable liquid was found. Another statue of St. Therese had been attacked and broken into pieces.
Silent National Christian-Inspired Protest Mocked By Opponents
May 24, 2015, ItalyOn 24th of May 2015, an Italian network called Sentinelle in piedi ("Standing Watchmen“) organized a protest against the proposed draft laws on "homophobia" and same-sex unions and expressed their dissenting views by standing for an hour in silence at over 100 public squares all over Italy. The reason for that is the belief that new laws, if approved, would curtail freedom of speech for Christians. Opponents used offensive slogans and provocative gestures, including simulating homosexual acts. The participants of the Sentinelle in piedi were partly hindered by the protests. Opponents were mostly LGBT activists.
Arson in the Lutheran Church of Altena
May 19, 2015, GermanyA fire caused damages worth thousands of Euros in the Lutheran Church in Altena in Nordhein-Westfalen. Police suspect arson, because all evidences lead to burglary in which the sacristy was broken and ravaged. Without the quick reaction of the firefighters, the church would have been lost. The faithful and local priests felt offended by this horrible act.