All cases
20 graves ransacked in Orcenais cemetery
July 14, 2023, FranceOn 14 July 2023, some unidentified youths vandalised around twenty graves in the old part the cemetery of Orcenais, in the French Cher department. At least two crosses were smashed, as well as plaques and other objects.
Germany: Arson Damages Cloth and Bible in Steinfeld, Second Case This Year
July 13, 2023, GermanyOn the 13th of July, 2023, an unknown vandal set fire to a cloth laying on a stand in the Roman Catholic church in Steinfeld, Germany. The cloth was completely burned and a Bible damaged, amounting to 300 euros in damage. This is the second case of arson in this church in the last three months.
Paving Slabs Stolen from Historic Church in Llandovery
July 13, 2023, United KingdomPaving slabs, including a distinctive large blue piece of slate, have been stolen from St. Mary's Church in Llanfair-ar-y-Brun. The church warden discovered the theft on July 13. The vicar, Paul Pritchard, said that replacing the slabs would be difficult, given they already did not have sufficient funds to repair a collapsed wall at the church.
Two Acts of Vandalisation in Ticino Canton, Italy
July 12, 2023, ItalyOn the night of Wednesday the 12th of July, the Lourdes-Grotto in the Italian town of Fescoggia was vandalised, with the flowerpots overturned. Giorgio Bazurri, of the parish Fescoggia: "Popular faith is being attacked here, the cultural tradition of those who built these chapels." This is not the only case of vandalism in the area: the face of a statue of Mary the Greina region was also found smeared with black paint recently.
Suspected Arson In Bavarian Church: Altar Cloth Goes Up In Flames
July 11, 2023, GermanyOn Tuesday afternoon, the 11th of July, an altar cloth on a side altar in the St. Laurentius church was found in flames, with a damage amounting to around 5000 euros. The police have started an investigation. According to their findings, arson cannot be ruled out.
Multiple Crosses Vandalised near Königsbach
July 11, 2023, GermanyOn the night of July 11 to 12, a cross northeast of Königsbach was taken completely off its socket and broken into three pieces. The cross had already been vandalised earlier in September 2022. Furthermore, another penitential cross in the same area was damaged twice in March 2023.
Christian Activist In Belarus Jailed Again
July 11, 2023, BelarusOn the 11th of July 2023, Dmitry Dashkevich, a Christian political activist in Belarus who was imprisoned last year, was supposed to be released. However, the authorities unexpectedly arrested him again. Dmitry Dashkevich is a Belarusian activist, he was the leader of the Belarusian democratic movement "Young Front" in 2004-2015. He has been repeatedly detained by the authorities since the early 2000's, already serving two years in prison from 2011-2013.
Repeated Urination in German Church Over The Past 18 Months
July 10, 2023, GermanyIn the past year, the door of the Saint Joseph church in Stadthagen was smeared with faeces, the holy water font was filled with urine, and now the sanctuary was found urinated as well. Due to these attacks, the church has decided to close its doors to the public during the day, says Father Markus Grabowski: "For months our church has been urinated in, multiple times. We're tired and don't know what else to do but to close."
Far-left activists hinder entrance to church and disrupt mass
July 9, 2023, FranceAccording to reports by local media and religious groups, 40 far-left activists gathered in front of the church of Saint Pierre de Colombier on Sunday, July 9, shouting anti-Christian slogans and hindering the faithful to attend the morning mass. They furthermore disturbed the mass by playing loud music and shouting in front of the door.
Vandals Smear Seed Oil on Entrance of Church and Convent
July 7, 2023, ItalyOn the 7th of July, seed oil, which was supposed to be distributed to assisted families by Caritas was found smeared on the entrance of the Purgatoria al Castello church and convent in Carini, near Palermo. The vandals have not been identified.
Crucifix Stolen From Altar of Nürnberg Church
July 7, 2023, GermanyOn Friday,July 7 2023, in Nürnberg, Bavaria, a crucifix worth 200 euros placed on the altar of the Herz-Jesu church was stolen. The robbery happened around 1.30 PM in the afternoon. The police have started an investigation.
Perpetrators Vandalize German Church: Bible Pages Torn Up
July 7, 2023, GermanyIn the afternoon of the 7th of July, 2023, the Liebfrauenkirche in Waldshut-Tiengen was found vandalised: the Bible was torn and the Easter candle was damaged. It was used to hit the piano, which damaged the paintwork. The police have started an investigation.
Man tries to stab priest during mass
July 7, 2023, SpainA middle-aged man assaulted a priest who was distributing communion during mass in the Cathedral of Santiago. He tried to stab him in the neck with a sharp object and punched him with a fist.
Priest attacked while giving communion in Santiago Cathedral
July 7, 2023, SpainOn 7 July 2023, a Catholic priest was attacked while giving communion in Santiago de Compostela’s Cathedral.
Two Churches Desecrated in France And Religious Items Stolen
July 5, 2023, FranceThe Saint-Martin Church in Avallon was found vandalised on the 5th of July, 2023. The tabernacle which contains the consecrated hosts was damaged and a monstrance and two ciboria (chalices which contain the hosts) were stolen. This is not the first incident of its kind in Avallon: on June 28th, the St-Lazare church was targeted and a pyx containing hosts was stolen. Two complaints have been filed.
Hateful Grafitti Damages Church in Germany
July 5, 2023, GermanyUnknown vandals smeared the walls of a church in Kirchberg, Böbingen an der Rems, with unreadable graffiti and two Nazi swastikas. The damage was found on the 7th of July, the police are still searching for witnesses.
High Court Reinstates Christian Governor Dismissed for Questioning School's Sex-Education Policy
July 5, 2023, United KingdomA Christian governor and mother who was dismissed for raising concerns with the trans-affirming sex-education policy at her children's primary school has been reinstated by the High Court. The mother, who was granted anonymity by the Court in order to protect her children, reached a legal settlement with the school after being kicked off its Governing Body for pointing to legal errors in its Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) policy. She first raised her concerns with fellow governors in March 2021. She pointed out that the Gateshead School's RSE policy could be unlawful, and shortly later, she was accused by the school managers of opposing their "collective decision." She was removed as governor in June 2022. The High Court recognized that the decision to remove her was unlawful and she was reinstated in August 2023.
Statue vandalised in Rabastens Church
July 5, 2023, FranceOn July 5, a statue of Mary was found vandalised in the Notre-Dame-du-Bourg Church in Rabastens. The statue has been sprayed with red paint. According to France 3, a local resident criticised the lack of reaction from the town's mayor.
Arson to Church Damages Altar in France
July 4, 2023, FranceIn the early morning of July 4th 2023, a man set fire to the altar of the church Notre Dame de Kerdro in Locmariaquer, France. The fire was quickly brought under control by firefighters and only damaged the altar and some religious furniture. A complaint was filed to the police who arrested a 35-year-old man in connection to the fire. The man is set to be brought before the court in November.
Arson attack on Church in Colle Cannuccio
July 4, 2023, ItalyOn July 4, the door of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Colle Cannuccio, Italy, was splattered with gasoline and lit on fire. Luckily, the fire did not spread and only the door was damaged as a result. Blasphemous writings and swear words were also painted on the parking lot.