All cases

Thousands Stolen from Church During Mass in Ferentino

July 30, 2023, Italy

On the 30th of July, a group of thieves targeted the church of San Giuseppe in Ferentino (Frosinone), seizing several thousand euros from the sacristy while the parish priest, Don Fabio, was celebrating mass. The perpetrators forcefully entered the sacristy, breaking down its door, and escaped with an estimated loot of three thousand euros.

Chapel of San Vicente Vandalised Again

July 30, 2023, Spain

On the 30th of July, the chapel of San Vicente de O Grove was vandalised once more. Its door was forcibly opened, all the windows in the sacristy were shattered, and a broken flower pot, which did not belong to the chapel, was left there. Parish priest Juan Ventura Martínez filed a complaint with the Civil Guard following the incident.

63-Year-Old Sets two Bibles on Fire on Church Altar

July 30, 2023, Germany

On the 30th of July, a 63-year-old man set fire to two Bibles on the altar of a church in the Ravensburg district. Firefighters intervened to restrain the man before the police arrived and arrested him. Due to the firefighter's prompt intervention, the fire did not spread to the church or its furniture.

Cross broken off a chapel

July 30, 2023, France

The cross of the Saint Maur chapel, a 17th-century building located in the Brotonne forest in Vatteville-la-Rue, was broken by vandals at the end of July 2023. The roof was damaged and the cross broken, probably ‘by stones being thrown’, said Jacques Charron, the local mayor.

Patostreamer livestreams criminal action in church

July 30, 2023, Poland

On July 30, 2023, Szymon Besser, a well-known live broadcaster broke into the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint John Paul II in Toruń. He recorded the whole incident live and broadcast it on the internet.

Monstrance and Money stolen from Church

July 29, 2023, Germany

On July 29, unknown perpetrators broke into the parish church in Fulda and stole the monstrance. They also stole some money.

Severe Vandalism in the Church of Notre-Dame in Lencloitre

July 29, 2023, France

On July 29, the church of Notre-Dame de Lencloître was the target of acts of vandalism by unknown perpetrators. The vandals broke into the tabernacle, threw the ciborium and hosts to the ground and broke the candles. They also left tendentious drawings on dusty chairs. The parish priest has reported the incident to the police.

Vandalism to Cemetery and Church

July 28, 2023, Germany

On July 27, the cemetery in Rimbach has been vandalised. Grave lights were knocked over, holy water containers tore out, flowers were bent over, etc. According to the media, there have already been repeated acts of vandalism and damage to property in the church in Rimbach throughout 2023. Coat hooks were also torn from the church benches, books were thrown into the holy water, wax was poured into the holy water and similar acts were carried out.

Monstrance with Host Stolen from Fulda Parish Church

July 28, 2023, Germany

Unknown perpetrators stole a monstrance with a consecrated host from the city parish church. The theft, discovered by the sexton during the church's closing on July 28, involved the breaking of a pane glass to access the sacred item. The case was reported to the police who started investigating it as a serious case of theft.

Church of the Madonna dei Farauli Targeted by Vandals

July 28, 2023, Italy

On the 28 of July, the Church of the Madonna dei Farauli in Sternatia was attacked by vandals. An unknown perpetrator(s) threw stones at the window on the entrance door of the church, destroying the glass.

Several religious statues stolen

July 28, 2023, France

A recent and rather large statue of Mary of Fatima was stolen from the Notre Dame church in Niort, in the Deux-Sèvres diocese of Poitiers, on 28 July. However, this is not an isolated case.

6th Vandalism incident at church in Høvik

July 28, 2023, Norway

Høvik Church in Bærum has been damaged by vandals several times. Many stones have been thrown at the church windows and there has also been a break-in at the parish house opposite the church.

Hermitage in Puente de Génave desecrated

July 27, 2023, Spain

One July 27, the San Juan Bautista hermitage in Peñolite, Puente de Génave, was broken into and desecrated.

Man uses stolen cross to injure another man

July 27, 2023, Germany

On July 27, a man stole a cross and a priest stole from St. Joseph church in Ebersberg, Bavaria. Wearing the stole, he then used the cross to attack another man.

Sweden: Christian Bakery Reported After Declining To do a Homosexual Wedding Cake

July 26, 2023, Sweden

At the end of July, it was communicated that a Swedish bakery has been reported to the Discrimination Ombudsman after they declined to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. The Christian bakers believe that the person who ordered the cake already knew their religious beliefs and intentionally generated this case.

Vandalism at Mariengrotte of St. Martin Church

July 26, 2023, Germany

Between July 26 and 28, unknown vandals damaged a statue in Mariengrotte, between the Church of St. Martin and the parish office. A flower vase was also found destroyed and sacrificially candles were found smeared in the church. The police were notified and opened an investigation to find the culprits.

Theft and Vandalism at St. Catherine Church

July 26, 2023, Poland

On the night of the 26th of July, unknown perpetrators broke into the Church of St. Catherine in Rożnów, robbing and damaging the property. Offerings from two donation boxes were stolen, and damage was caused to the stained glass window of St. Maksymilian and the baptismal font.

Human excrements left in sacristy after theft

July 26, 2023, Austria

On July 29, a thief broke into the Romanian Orthodox church of Stegersbach, Austria, after the evening prayers. Next to stealing 150-200 euros from the donation box, the thief also left human excrements in the sacristy.

Fire at the Church of Santa Maria di Gesù

July 25, 2023, Italy

The Maredolce Castle and Park Association in Palermo have taken legal action, filing a complaint for arson in response to the fire at the fifteenth-century Santa Maria di Gesù church, while investigations of the origin of the fire are still ongoing. The blaze, which occurred on July 25th, resulted in the partial destruction of the church, including the loss of its Renaissance ceiling, a fifteenth-century wooden sculpture of Mary and Jesus, and several other artworks. Moreover, the body of Saint Benedict the Moor, venerated in the church, disappeared in the flames.

30 Graves Vandalised in Beringen

July 25, 2023, Belgium

In July 2023, unknown persons vandalized at least thirty graves in a cemetery in the center of Koersel, in the municipality of Beringen. Objects were also set alight and taken away.