All cases

Germany: Valuable Candlestick holder and Offerings Stolen from church

October 1, 2022, Germany

in the Catholic "Church of our Lady" in Achern, a candlestick with great sentimental and spiritual value for the community was stolen by an unidentified perpetrator. This happened on the 1st of October and the theft was discovered at the time the church was to be locked (5.45pm). The parish secretary, Bernd Müller said that the candlestick was still there one hour before closing. Apart from the missing piece, the room's carpet was covered with white wax stains from the lit candles. The candlestick is worth around 700 euros, but the sentimental value was much higher for the community, it also contains a small box for 50 cents when someone used a candle - probably only amounting to 5-6 euros. It is hard to believe that the thieve took the candlestick for its material cost or the couple of cents.

Church attacked with stones in Donegal, Ireland

October 1, 2022, Ireland

Several windows were smashed in an attack with stones against a 19th-century church in Donegal. The St. Columba Church of Ireland was damaged between the 30. September and the 1. October. Given that the building is a cultural heritage and dear to the community, the incident has caused upset for people in the area. The police are investigating.

Irish Human Rights Commission Approves bill for "Safe Access Zones" Outside abortion clinics

September 30, 2022, Ireland

During the last week of September, the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHREC) announced its submission on the General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022 and agreed with the government by supporting the controversial law proposal. This decision was taken despite the concerns for Freedom of speech and Freedom of Assembly that these restrictions pose.

Two Crosses Were Stolen from a Church in St. Petersburg

September 30, 2022, Russia

At the end of September, two thieves entered the Church of All Saints of St. Petersburg in Kingisepp, Leningrad oblast, through the bell tower and stole two pectoral crosses placed on the altar. They were arrested. The youngest was also connected with a theft from a florist. A third protagonist who was on the lookout is also wanted.

Two church robbers sentenced to prison in Orenburg, Russia

September 30, 2022, Russia

A 48-year-old woman and her daughter-in-law who were arrested after stealing sacred gold objects from a church store on the night of May 10-11 in Orenburg were tried and sentenced to ten months of "colony life", which is the Russian equivalent of semi-liberty. The loot was returned.

Statue of Mary vandalised and broken in France

September 30, 2022, France

During the night of September 30 to October 1, a recently refurbished statue of the Virgin Mary was broken and placed on a pole a little further away, in La Chapelle Thouarault, a township located west of Rennes, near the Hermitage-Mordelles station. The act aroused the indignation of the town hall and local residents.

Sacristan Brutally Beaten Up While Praying

September 29, 2022, Austria

In the district of Haselbach in Braunau, a sacristan was brutally beaten up during his evening prayers on the 29. September. The perpetrator has been identified as a 26-year-old homeless man from Romania. The perpetrator had asked the 87-year-old sacristan for money, who had given him some help before. This time, the sacristan refused and the young man decided to attack him. The victim was found by witnesses, who saw him severely injured and alerted the police.

Break-in and theft in Church in Speyer

September 28, 2022, Germany

Between September 25 and 28, unknown perpetrators forced open an entrance door of the Dreifaltigkeitskirche (Holy Trinity Church) and thus entered the church building. Inside, cupboards and donation boxes were broken open and an unknown amount of money was stolen from them. The damage to property cannot yet be quantified, reports the local police.

Theft in Church in Montecosaro

September 27, 2022, Italy

On September 27, a number of brass chalices and two big screens were stolen from the basilica of the Santissima Annunziata di Firenze in Montecosaro. The chalices are sacred objects that are used to celebrate Mass.

Church Wall in Zaragoza Defaced with Insulting Graffiti

September 27, 2022, Spain

It was reported on the 27. September that the Municipal Committee of the Aragonese Party (PAR) criticised the vandalism caused to the exterior of the church of La Magdalena in Zaragoza. The exterior wall of the church is covered in graffiti that includes offensive expressions or insults against the clergy.

Belarus: Pentecostal Church Evicted and Worship Banned by Police

September 25, 2022, Belarus

Belarusian Police banned New Life Church from meeting for dominical worship in the parking lot of the church building from which they had been forcibly evicted. On 25 September officials ordered the Belarussian Police to ban the Sunday meeting and detain anyone who did not leave, while pastors Vyacheslav Goncharenko and Antoni Bokun were detained and fined for having organized the 18 September 2022 service.

16th Century Chalice Stolen from St Andrew's Church in Cambridge

September 25, 2022, United Kingdom

Sometime between September 25 and October 1 a 16th-century chalice, engraved with the words “For the Town of Kingston” was stolen from a safe of the All Saints and St Andrew Church in Kingston, Cambridgeshire. A £1,000 reward for information leading to recovery is being offered as the chalice is worth in excess of £10,000 apart from its spiritual value for the community.

Open Letter to Ursula Von Der Leyen: EU Special Envoy of Religious Freedom Position Still Vacant

September 23, 2022, European Institutions (EU, ECHR, et.al.)

The position of an EU Envoy of Religious Freedom is still vacant. The position was left vacant for 2 years, until it was briefly held by Christos Stylianides from May to September 2021. He left the role, as he was offered a different position only 5 months later. In 2022, it was communicated that Mario Mauro would be confirmed as a new Envoy, but there has not been any further confirmation. On the 23. September 2022, Marco Gombacci wrote an Open Letter to Ursula von der Leyen questioning why the EU is not making the safeguarding of Religious Freedom a priority, given its "indispensable value for defining democracies and states under the rule of law".

Parishioners of the Cathedral of Pskov, Russia, evacuated during service because of a bomb threat

September 23, 2022, Russia

On September 23, during a solemn mass with the ostension and adoration of the relics of St. Sergei of Radonezh, the Pskov cathedral had to be evacuated after a bomb threat. The Metropolitan Tikhon of Pskov announced the evacuation after his homily and after the faithful kissed the relics as it had been reported that the cathedral had been mined. "Dear brothers and sisters, did everyone lay hands on the relics? Well done. We have been informed that the cathedral has been mined. Quietly, everyone comes out... I bless you with the cross, go quickly with God, everyone come out, the Emergencies Ministry is there," said Metropolitan Tikhon.

A man disrupts the mass and intimidates the faithful in Italy

September 23, 2022, Italy

A man of foreign origin, and known to the local police for numerous acts of theft, was arrested on September 23 at the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in the Madonna Alta district of Perugia, while threatening the faithful and shouting in the place of worship, during mass. The man is also known for robberies against a church in the city. He has been referred to the police.

Desecration and vandalism of a chapel of the Virgin in Italy

September 22, 2022, Italy

During the night of September 22-23, individuals broke the bottom of the door of the Chapel of the Virgin, in Via della Riotta in Novara, in the Italian Piedmont, and removed the Stations of the Cross from the wall to throw the stations into the garden of the chapel. The parish priest, Fr. Massimo Volpatti, filed a complaint and reported the incident on social networks - this small 17th-century chapel has no video surveillance. He also celebrated a mass of reparation and strongly denounced "a profane, serious, sacrilegious act" in the local press.

Two Teenagers Smear The Walls and Door of a Historic Chapel in Konz

September 22, 2022, Germany

Two 13-year-olds vandalised and spray-painted a Chapel in Jeuchental, near Konz, on the 20th of September. As quoted by the police "The chapel had been heavily damaged with graffiti on three sides and on the entrance door. Facebook users raised their concerns and commented on the situation. The police has identified the vandals.

Religious building arsonist jailed in Russia

September 21, 2022, Russia

On September 21, a building belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church was set on fire in the Lomonosovo district of St. Petersburg. It turned out that the fire was arson. A 20-year-old man was arrested and admitted to the crime - he said that he wanted to set fire to a nearby building where the registers of those who could be mobilized were kept - Russia had decreed a partial mobilization, which has since been completed, to call back 300,000 people who had done their military service - but he was in the wrong building. He was put in jail for two months while awaiting trial.

28-year-old Woman Arrested after Looting Cathedral's Sacristy in Gorizia for Non-Valuable but Scared Objects

September 21, 2022, Italy

On September 21, a woman broke into the sacristy of the cathedral of Gorizia, an Italian city in Friuli on the border with Slovenia, with keys stolen last week, and looted it. Nevertheless she was detected by the cathedral's video surveillance and arrested a few hundred meters away. In her bag were chalices, patens, a custode, a baptismal shell and other consecrated objects - but all in non-precious metal. As well as a bag with other keys of the cathedral.

New: Study Reveals 61% people feel Media Perpetrates Faith-Based Stereotypes

September 20, 2022, International

On the 20. September, a large-scale study was published by the Faith and Media Initiative (FAMI), which looks at the portrayal of faith and religion in the media. The study revealed there is a strong demand across the world for more news and media coverage about faith. It also shows that journalists and editors admit coverage of faith-related topics is rarely encouraged in the industry. The study had 9,000 respondents, including citizens, journalists, and editors from 18 countries and major religions. An important finding was that the general population feels that "media coverage can perpetuate faith-related stereotypes rather than protect against them."