All cases
Church in Aisch Vandalized
October 3, 2023, GermanyThe church of St. Johannes in Neustadt an der Aisch was vandalized on October 3. Presumably three young teenagers left a trail of destruction. Pastor Daniel Bittel of the parish of St. Johannes said he encountered the three vandals, but only later realized that they were probably responsible for the destruction. Bottles of wine and beer and flour from the thanksgiving altar had been scattered, nearly all the offering candles had been thrown to the ground, and praise books had been torn to pieces in the front of the church.
Armed raid on Krasnodar church and arrest of clergy following anti-war sermon
October 3, 2023, RussiaOn 3 October special police units raided the premises of the Holy Intercession Tikhonite Church, a non-Moscow Patriarchate Russian Orthodox Church in Krasnodar Krai, southern Russia. Electronic devices and documents were seized, and the agents, armed with machine guns, arrested and threatened to criminally prosecute Archbishop Viktor Pivovarov and Hieromonk Iona Sigida with "discrediting the Russian Armed Forces" for their anti-war stance.
Church on Isle of Portland, Dorset Set on Fire
October 2, 2023, United KingdomEmergency services were called to St. Peter's Church on Portland on the evening of October 2, 2023 due to a fire in the church. Police have said a local youth is assisting them with enquiries about how the fire began. The fire at the historic site, which is more than 150 years old, is believed to be deliberate. According to the police, security measures will be needed to prevent this kind of anti-social behaviour.
Statue of Mary "hanged"
October 2, 2023, PolandOn the night of October 1-2, 2023, a statue of Mary was stolen from the monastic cave on the premises of the House of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth in Strzegom and hung on a nearby scaffold like a hanged man.
Live Broadcast Camera Stolen from Church in Dublin
October 1, 2023, IrelandOn October 1, the camera used for live broadcasts in St. Ann's Church in Dublin was stolen. The camera has not been found, but a hat with a name written on the inside was left at the scene. The vicar of the church, Father Arbuthnot, said "Of course, we completely forgive the man who took the camera - we just want it back." The church uses the camera to stream their services so that the elderly and infirm parishioners can stay connected with the parish life and not become too isolated.
Man Broke into 26 Churches in Austria
September 30, 2023, AustriaA man who broke into 26 churches in Austria has been tracked down in Hungary. The man is said to have broken doors and windows of churches. He also broke into sacristies and sacrificial boxes to steal cash.
Priest's car set on fire
September 30, 2023, FranceOn the night of 30 September, an arson attack destroyed the car of a priest of the French Institut du Christ Roi Souverain Prêtre in the centre of Orleans. The car was reduced to ashes. According to the police, the priest was personally targeted, as reported by the ICRSP.
Swastikas sprayed on the Outside Walls of Church in Sechshelden
September 29, 2023, GermanyIn the early hours of September 29th somebody sprayed swastikas and other slogans on the outside walls and the door of the Church of Sechshelden. The Police has started an investigation.
Pro-abortion activists defame and vandalise church
September 28, 2023, SpainOn 28 September, a group of pro-abortion protesters smeared the walls of Santa Maria del Remei Church in Barcelona with graffiti and placed their protest signs on the windows of the church, with messages such as "trash church, you are the dictatorship". On October 30, another graffiti was smeared at the church wall (see image).
Pro-Abortion Demonstrators Vandalize Church in Barcelona with Offensive Graffiti and Harass Churchgoers
September 28, 2023, SpainThe Spanish Christian Lawyers Foundation has filed a complaint against a pro-abortion organization whose members allegedly harassed people attending Mass and spray-painted offensive slogans on the walls of the church. According to the lawyers, the organization responsible for the harassment and vandalism was the Association of Sexual and Reproductive Rights. On September 28, during a march through the streets of Barcelona, protestors "attacked the parish of Santa María del Remei in the Las Corts neighborhood," according to a statement posted on October 17 on the lawyers' website. The complaint to the judge specifies that "the attackers reproached the parishioners who attended Mass in addition to painting graffiti with statements such as "(piece of) trash church you are a dictatorship" or "abuser priests prohibit abortion."
Update: Removal of statue in France
September 28, 2023, FranceIn September 2023, the State Council of France (administrative court) ruled that the statue of the Archangel Saint-Michel in front of the Saint-Michel church in Sables-d'Olonne had to be removed since it was a public square and it violated the 1905 French law on secularism. The parish purchased a plot of land from the town hall near the church building for about 3000 EUR and moved the statue to that private property 13 metres away, with an additional cost of 16000 EUR.
Metal cross blown up in Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijani troops
September 27, 2023, ArmeniaThe second tallest metal cross in Europe, a 50-meter cross overlooking Stepanakert, the capital of the ethnic-Armenian Republic of Artsakh, was destroyed during the Azerbaijani military offensive that began on 19 September. This is only one of many attacks on the Christian religion of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, who are suffering an ethnic cleansing from their native land since the Azerbaijani military offensive.
Azerbaijani soldiers shooting at 13th century Charektar Monastery
September 26, 2023, ArmeniaOn 26 September a video released on the internet showed Azerbaijani soldiers shooting at the 13th century Armenian monastery of Charektar in Nagorno-Karabakh. The shots were fired from an armoured personnel carrier and sniper rifles. The attack comes in the context of the ethnic cleansing and military offensive launched on 19 September by Azerbaijan against the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh which is also targeting Armenian Christianity in the region.
Christian Family Faces Prosecution for Homeschooling if Deported Back to Germany
September 25, 2023, GermanyA Christian family is asking the Biden administration to intervene in their deportation after they lived in the USA for 15 years seeking asylum from prosecution in Germany. The Romeikes had fled Bissingen, Germany in 2008 after being threatened with prosecution for homeschooling their five children. Homeschooling in Germany is tightly regulated and only allowed under certain circumstances.
Vandals deface church with blasphemous writings
September 25, 2023, ItalyDuring the night of September 25, a group of youth defaced the walls of the parish church Santi Giovanni e Agostino and some facades in la Spezia. According to the media, the slogans included blasphemous writings.
Desecration of the Virgin of Flores Convent Church
September 19, 2023, SpainThe Virgen de las Flores Convent Church in Malaga was vandalised. The attack happened in the morning of September 19. In the sanctuary of the Virgen de las Flores Convent they scattered the consecrated hosts on the floor, took the mantle of Mary and the image of Baby Jesus.
Posters defame pro-life campaigners as "religious fundamentalists"
September 17, 2023, SpainIn Madrid, around the Isadora center, located in the university district, abortion supporters have placed signs on the streetlights that read: “Attention: Dangerous religious fundamentalists on the loose,” “STOP fanaticism,” “40 Days hating women” or “40 days against human rights”. The slogans were directed against the 40 Days for Life prayer initiative.
Fire in Laupersdorfs church - arsonist charged
September 16, 2023, SwitzerlandA 36-year-old Swiss man has been charged with the arson of St Martin's Church in Laupersdorf on 16 September and the burning of several vehicles in Grellingen. The church fire caused immense damage.
Two Cases of Desecration in Hospital Chapel in Puerto Real
September 14, 2023, SpainOn the 14th of September, CNA reported that a hospital chapel in the town of Puerto Real, in the Diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta, had recently been desecrated twice. The first time, nothing was stolen but someone moved the tabernacle so that it was out of joint and left a dirty glass in it. The second time, the consecrated hosts were stolen and the veil of the tabernacle was torn off. The police were notified.
Hateful Graffiti On Residence of Cardinal of Cologne
September 13, 2023, GermanyThe official residence of the Cardinal of Cologne, Rainer Maria Woelki, was smeared with hateful graffiti on the September 19. The entrance gate to the archbishop's house was also sprayed with powder from a fire extinguisher.