All cases

Church closed after robbery and damage

During the night of 1 April, the Sainte-Thérèse church in Metz (France) was robbed and damaged. The Sunday morning service the following day was cancelled. The rector filed a complaint.

Two People arrested for having stolen 14 Skulls in a Church Ossuary

On the 1. April, two German men were arrested after a random police control for having stolen 14 skulls in a Church Ossuary in Mölbling, Austria. The men said they had taken the skulls because they were interested in mourning and funeral cultures. The 43-year-old driver and his 35-year-old passenger from the Regensburg area said they had never stolen skulls before. The police seized the objects and stated that the two death cult fans would be charged with disturbing the peace of the dead after the investigation was completed.

Catholic School Students and Teachers Receive Online Death Threats

On the 31. March 2023, pupils and teachers from the Catholic School "Saint-Pierre", in the southern city of Montrond-les-Bains, received a threatening message in the school's intern e-mail box. An unknown person, probably an outsider, threatened pupils of with death with the words "I'm going to cut your throat". An investigation has been opened by the police.

Destruction of John Paul II Image

On the night of March 31, 2023, unknown perpetrators destroyed the mural of St. John Paul II in Wrocław on Ostrów Tumski. The Pope's face was covered in red paint, while the rest of the image was not damaged.

Thugs who vandalised seven churches caught

The thugs who vandalised six churches in Ile-de-France and another in Grenoble in January 2022 have been charged by a French court. The defendants had stolen money from churches and even consecrated hosts.

Parish cemetery vandalised

On 27 March 2023, an unknown offender damaged 8 monuments in the necropolis of the cemetery of the parish of St. Andrew the Apostle in Brody Poznańskie.

Nuns Leave Nantes City Centre After Constant Insecurity

On 3 March, the newspaper "Le Figaro" published an interview with two nuns who were forced to leave the centre of Nantes because of hostility and insecurity. They are called Sister Agathe and Sister Marie-Anne and they are moving to another place called Reims. The sisters argue that they are exhausted by the insecurity and have been subjected to "blows, spitting and insults".

Church in Cambrai closed due to repeated vandalism

The church of Saint-Géry in Cambrai, France, will remain closed to the public Due to repeated vandalism in recent weeks. The volunteers who look after the church are helpless and very shocked by this situation, no longer knowing how to protect this cultural and religious heritage.

Theft Poland 2023

TV-Channel Prohibits News Presenter from Wearing A Cross Pendant

The Swiss TV sender SRF has prohibited the moderator Wasiliki Goutziomitros to wear a cross necklace during the program. Ms. Goutziomitros is a presenter on the news program "10 vor 10", and was seen wearing a small cross pendant. Now, the SRF has decided that it violates journalistic guidelines. This has caused a great discussion in Switzerland regarding religious freedom. This news was reported around the 24th of March.

Couple arrested after stealing from eight churches

As reported on March 23, a couple was arrested for stealing religious figures in eight churches. They are accused of nine crimes of robbery with force inside churches. According to reports from the region, burglaries in churches are a problem in many small towns.

Minors set fire inside church

On the afternoon of 23 March, witnesses found minors attacking the furniture in the church of Saint-Briac, France. The youths had even set fire to some posters on a pillar next to the collection box. The fire brigade and police intervened and the damage was limited.

Religious Objects Stolen

On 22 March, religious objects including furnitures and silk liturgical clothes were stolen in a church in Lincolnshire.

A Painting of Jesus in the Church of Aléria Has been Stolen

On March 21, the City Council of Aléria (Corsica), stated that a painting representing Jesus Christ and exposed in the Village Church had been stolen. The town hall of Aleria posted on its Facebook page about the theft. The municipality of Plaine orientale wrote: "It is a shock in the parish of Aleria, (...) a sacred object has been stolen." A complaint has been filled.

Vienna: Increased Secutity Cameras in Churches

A terrorist alert in the city of Vienna on 15. March made it particularly obvious, that religious buildings and communities live in fear of attacks or vandalism. During the 15. March, the police guarded several religious sites and churches in the city, according to possible threats of an Islamist attack identified by the intelligence office. Security cameras have been dispatched in many Viennese churches. Jewish and Muslim communities also have such protections.

Theft and Degradations in a Church in Sádaba

On March 21, intruders broke in the church of Sadaba for the second time in the week. The mayor pointed out that the stolen money only had a total amount of under 10 euros. However, the perpetrators made several degradations, including destroying the sacristy's door and throwing several items to the floor, including the clothes from the priests. The mayor expressed his support to the local priest.

Legal Proceedings Opened For Posters in San Sebastian Insulting Catholics

"If you abort now, what are we going to f**k in 5 or 6 years?" This is what was depicted in the posters that appeared in March in several bus shelters in San Sebastián, Spain. Apart from the hateful sentence that attacks religious feelings and discriminates Catholics, the posters included the image of an unborn child and the logo of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. The Organisation "Abogados Cristianos" filed a complaint regarding the events and now the courts have asked the Ertaintza (Basque Police) to investigate the authorship of the posters.

Anti-Christian Tags Painted on Cardinal Saliège's Statue in Toulouse

On March 19, unknown vandals wrote the anarchist motto "Ni Dieu ni maître" (No God nor master) on the pedestal of Cardinal Saliège's statue in Toulouse. The Cardinal served as archbishop of the city during World War 2 and used all his power to rescue Jews from persecution and later received the title of Righteous Among the Nations. The current archbishop, Guy de Kerimel strongly condemned this degradation which "hurts both Christians and Jews". The degradation occurred precisely eleven years after Mohammed Merah's mass shooting at a Jewish school.

Valuable Silver Sacred Objects stolen from a Rural Church

On the night of March 19th, burglars stole valuable silver items in a church from a rural parish in East Devon in Sidmouth. The police are looking for witnesses. On Twitter, pictures show that the objects were chalices, host holders and other tools for the celebration of Mass.

Municipality prevents commemoration prayer in cemetery

The City Council of Moncada, near Barcelona, has prevented a religious act in memory of the "Carlists of Valls" from being celebrated in the cemetery. The congregation had to hold the memorial act outside of the cemetery wall, thus breaking a mass tradition that has been celebrated for almost a century.