All cases
Anti-Christian slogan and satanic symbols on Church in Pesaro
July 27, 2025, ItalyDuring the weekend of July 27, the facade of the Maddalena Church of Pesaro was defaced with the phrase “Clean churches, silent people,” along with a pentagram, which is commonly used as Satanic symbol, and black paint drawings resembling foetuses.
Vandals Destroy Two Crosses in Zawiercie
July 27, 2025, PolandUnknown perpetrators vandalised two roadside crosses in Zawiercie County, Poland, overnight, prompting a call for an expiatory service by Bishop Artur Ważny. In one incident a wooden roadside cross was broken and the figure of Christ on it destroyed and in the other a cross was disfigured and painted pink.
Church Damaged by Stone Throwing in Neustadt
July 27, 2025, GermanyHoly Trinity Church in Neustadt was targeted in an act of vandalism after unknown individuals threw stones at the building, damaging five historic stained-glass windows.
Vandalism of Catholic Academy and Church ahead of Award to Bishop Barron
July 27, 2025, GermanyIn the days leading up to the Josef‑Pieper Prize ceremony in Münster, vandals sprayed slogans on the Franz‑Hitze‑Haus academy and local church and defaced several Christian statues with red paint. State security has since launched an investigation.
Armed Robbery Attempted During Mass
July 27, 2025, ItalyA masked gunman stormed into the chapel of the Dominican Sisters' institute in Sant'Anastasia, near Naples, during Mass. He attempted to rob the congregation and fired a blank shot into the air.
Pro‑Palestinian Protesters Disrupt Mass at La Madeleine in Paris
July 26, 2025, FranceOn the evening of July 26, 2025, pro‑Palestinian activists entered La Madeleine church in Paris during Mass, shouting slogans about the conflict in Gaza, thus interrupting the liturgy. The rector of the church denounced the demonstration as a violation of sacred ritual, stating he intended to press charges.
Cross sawn up and corpus placed upside down
July 25, 2025, GermanyVandals sawed down a roughly two-metre-high cross outside a church in Bann, desecrated the figure of Christ, and urinated in the sacristy—prompting shock in the local community and an ongoing police investigation.
Historic Chapel in Limbiate Vandalized Overnight
July 25, 2025, ItalyVandals broke into the small chapel at Villa Pusterla in Mombello di Limbiate and destroyed interior fixtures, decapitating the statue of Saint Anthony. Officials confirmed the incident as intentional vandalism and urged improved security.
Arson attack on the Notre-Dame-des-Champs Church in Paris
July 24, 2025, FranceThe Church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs in Paris was closed to the public after two fires occurred within 48 hours on July 23 and 24, 2025. One of the fires was confirmed to be of criminal origin. Authorities launched an investigation while restoration has begun on the damaged interior.
Consecrated Hosts Stolen from Church in Campagnola in Suspected Sacrilegious Theft
July 21, 2025, ItalyOn 21 July, unknown perpetrators forced open the tabernacle of a church in Campagnola Emilia and stole consecrated hosts. The deliberate targeting of the Eucharist constitutes a serious act of desecration in the Catholic context. The incident indicates elements beyond financial motivation, as the primary target appears to have been the consecrated hosts rather than valuables.
Arson at Germany's Largest Wooden Church
July 20, 2025, GermanyA fire damaged the facade and roof truss of the Evangelical Marktkirche in Clausthal-Zellerfeld on the night of July 20, 2025, in what officials later determined to be arson.
Arson Attack on Church in Transcarpatia with Anti-Hungarian Threats
July 16, 2025, UkraineOn July 16, 2025, unknown perpetrators set fire to a church in Palad-Komarivtsi, Transcarpatia, and left a threatening message targeting Hungary.
Syrian Christian Asylum Seekers under Threat
July 15, 2025, NetherlandsIn a recent statement, the Interchurch Foundation warned that discrimination against Syrian Christians in Dutch asylum seeker centres had increased sharply over the past six months. For example, a Christian Syrian mother was threatened with death and told that her family would be targeted. Understandably, such threats have caused serious fear among Christian asylum seekers, some of whom are now hiding their religion to avoid being targeted.
Arson and Break-in: Repeated targeting of churches in Sierck-les-Bains
July 13, 2025, FranceOn the night of 13 July, the room adjoining the church in Sierck-les-Bains was vandalised. The white plastic door was completely destroyed. A week earlier, two teenagers had been arrested for setting fire to a chapel in the same municipality.
Vandalism at Evangelical church in Pyskowice
July 13, 2025, PolandOn 13 July , vandals desecrated the grounds of the Evangelical-Augsburg parish, tearing off a rain gutter, damaging a masonry wall, and spraying vulgar graffiti on the bell tower door. The local pastor warned against an erosion of respect for places of worship and the Evangelical community in Pyskowice.
Church desecrated by excrement
July 13, 2025, FranceThe Arudy church was desecrated overnight on 13 July, with a large amount of faeces left inside and outside the building. The parish priest intends to file a complaint. He also found urine on the sacristy door and the tablecloth that usually covers the altar thrown over the stools.
Historic Romford Church Damaged by Apple-Throwing
July 11, 2025, United KingdomIn the early hours of July 11, two boys threw apples at Church House, part of St Edward’s Church in Romford, shattering multiple windows.
Vandalism in Münster church leads to restricted opening hours
July 10, 2025, GermanyAs reported on 10 July, St. Bonifatius Church in Münster will remain closed outside of services due to a series of troubling acts of vandalism. According to the local pastor, Dr Heike Köhler, the building has repeatedly been defiled with faeces and littered with broken beer bottles. There have also been incidents of arson. Most recently, photographs of baptism candidates were deliberately set on fire.
Incitement to burn churches and priests
July 9, 2025, ItalyOn the morning of 9 July, graffiti inciting violence against churches and priests was discovered on a house next to the Basilica of San Domenico in Perugia. The slogan read: "Churches should be burned down, but with the priests inside; otherwise it's not enough". An anarchist and transgender symbol was placed next to the quote.
Wycombe Church Issues Appeal for CCTV Amid Safety Concerns for Clergy and Congregants
July 9, 2025, United KingdomAfter a surge in anti-social behavior—including knife crime and drug activity—All Saints Church in High Wycombe is making a renewed appeal to install CCTV cameras. Reverend Anthony Searle described the situation as a “serious and ongoing threat” to public safety, especially for clergy and congregants.