All cases

Church and Adjoining Building Vandalised in Latvia

November 8, 2012, Latvia

On November 8th 2012, the windows of a church in Cesvaine were broken and the doors to the adjoining building demolished. The information stand was knocked over and the some lights pulled down.

Caricature of Holy Trinity in Journal Hurts Feelings of Christians

November 7, 2012, France

In an attempt to support a bill legalising same-sex “marriage” the journal Charlie Hebdo published the 7th of November a front page image that depicted the three persons of the Holy Trinity engaging in homosexual intercourse. The caricature transcends any standards of decency. It does not respect religious feelings in a way that one might speak of hate incident.

Secularists Condemn Churches Involvement in Public Life

November 5, 2012, France

The Grand Society of France (the largest among Masonic organizations in France) declared that "... churches are restricted only to the spiritual sphere, and not to interfere legitimate public debate leading to evolution and progress of civil rights."

Catholic Church in Heilbronn Defiled

November 5, 2012, Germany

In Schöntal (Heilbronn) the sacred space of the Catholic Church was defiled and there was an attempted burglary in the sacristy.

Chapel Spraypainted with Insults in Haßfurt

November 2, 2012, Germany

A gothic chapel, a protected heritage monument which had just been renovated, was vandalised by graffiti in Haßfurt. The words which were spraypainted onto the chapels walls read things like "F...king sick child abusers" and "I serve Satan".

(Scotland) National Secular Society Pressured Highlands Council to Drop Prayers

October 31, 2012, United Kingdom

The Highlands Council Scotland had the tradition of incorporating a prayer in its agenda before each meeting. However, during the summer the National Secular Society wrote a letter to the Council demanding it remove prayer from its formal agenda or it would face legal action. The Council has now dropped prayer from its formal agenda.

Church Burglarized in Saint–Lys

October 28, 2012, France

Unidentified individuals broke into the parish church in Saint-Lys on the 28th of October. The incident was discovered by the parish priest when opening the church for church services. Upon initial investigation it has been reported that the priest's chair, two stools, a desk, a lectern, and an altar cloth were stolen. In addition, the pews in the church were dislocated.

House Owner Sentenced For Not Selling to a Homosexual Couple

October 27, 2012, France

A man was condemned because he refused to sell a house to a same-sex couple. The 69-year-old was sentenced to pay 800 Euro to the court and 300 Euro each to the same-sex-couple in damages, plus the legal fees.

Left Wing Politicial Youth Insults Jesus

October 26, 2012, Austria

In a newspaper of the "Young Greens" of Austrian region Vorarlberger depicts Jesus with a funny smile as a gay man holding a sign "gay Jesus". While the magazine gives explicit instructions for sexual behaviour of youth, it also recommends to wear three knotes in a belt, signifying "wealth, unchastity and disobedience" mocking the evangelical counsels of Christian tradition.

Desecration of Graves in Duisburg

October 26, 2012, Slovakia

On the 26th of October 2012, thieves in Duisburg (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Germany, desecrated over one hundred graves and scavenged for metal. This was reported by the Apostolic Nunciature of Germany.

Two Churches Desecrated in the Bretagne

October 24, 2012, France

At St. Cornelcy the crucifix that sits above the Tabernacle was broken in half. In August, the altar at Locmaria-Plage had been painted with satanic symbols.

Christian B&B Owners Fined for Denying a Room to a Homosexual Couple

October 22, 2012, United Kingdom

Christian bed and breakfast owners Mike and Susanne Wilkinson lost a lawsuit on their married-couples-only policy and were fined over 3.500 pounds for denying a double room to a homosexual couple. The Wilkinson's Bed&Breakfast is located in their own house where they live with their children. The courts apply a "zero tolerance" policy on grounds of "unlawful discrimination".

Reported Attacks Against Places of Worship in Hungary

October 22, 2012, Hungary

in 2012 the Holy See reported on attacks against places of worship in the following places: 23 March 2012 Szakadát 20 April 2012 Tatabánya-Bánhida 21 May 2012 Kápolnásnyék 02 July 2012 Pécs, Rácváros 21 August 2012 Pusztaszabolcs 25 August 2012 Pécs –Postavölgy 06 October 2012 Kékesd 06 October 2012 Szabadbattyán

A Fire in the Church of Notre-Dame-aux-Neiges

October 19, 2012, France

On October 19 the sacristy of the Church of Notre-Dame-auy-Neiges was vandalised. The damages were extensive as the fires were lit inside the church after the sacristy was vandalised.

Burglars Concentrate on Churches in Thüringen

October 18, 2012, Germany

In many counties of Thüringen churches have been broken into by burglars who have caused damage while trying to steal money and religious images and statues.

Green Party Parliamentary Group Seeks to Disestablish Christian Institute for Youth and Society

October 17, 2012, Germany

The Christian community The Reichenberg Fellowship and its German Institute for Youth and Society have become the object of a parliamentary inquiry that the parliamentary group of the Green Party has directed at the state government of the German state of Hessen on October 19.

Mourners Insulted at Catholic Cemetery in Sarajevo

October 16, 2012, Bosnia and Herzegovina

On the 16th of October, 2012, a group of mourners were blocked from putting down a gravestone at a Catholic cemetery in Sarajevo. The perpetrators did not let them pass and insulted them.

Russian Orthodox Cathedral Vandalised in Geneva

October 14, 2012, Switzerland

Between the hours of 23 and 6 between the 13th and 14th of October unidentified individuals spray painted the facade of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Geneva. This was discovered at 10 Monday morning when Archbishop Michel arrived to open the church for the day. He said that is was the first time in the churches 150 year history that it was attacked.

Disturbance in Cologne Cathedral by Supporters of the Russian Punk-Band “Pussy Riot”

October 13, 2012, Germany

Three masked fans of the Russian punk-band “Pussy Riot” disrupted the Sunday Mass in Cologne’s Cathedral as a sign of solidarity to members of the punk-band who had been convicted of causing disturbances in a church in earlier this year.

Parish Church of St. Francis of Sales, Marseille, Set on Fire

October 11, 2012, France

In the neighbourhood of Vaudan two arsonist entered the Church of St Francis of Sales and set the altar vestments on fire causing considerable damage. The two unnamed individual have been detained.