All cases
Vandals Pour Sugar From Food Donations Into Holy Water
July 5, 2022, GermanyBetween the evening of July 4 and the morning of July 5, unknown vandals poured a kilo of sugar into the Holy Water font of the Church of St. Joseph. The sugar was taken from the pantry with food donations in Lindlar - the baskets had been put up in the Church for a while so donators can place the food there. This has not been the first distasteful prank taking place in the Church of St. Joseph in recent months. Heinz Otto Höher says, even though nothing was stolen "we want to know who is behind it", now considering installing a surveillance system in the church, to avoid the recurrence of similar cases. Nonetheless, a good thing came out of this bad situation: "After it became known in Kirchdorf, we received numerous food donations that more than compensate for the loss of sugar".
Polish Graves in Belarus Profanated by Belarusian Authorities
July 5, 2022, BelarusThe headquarters of the Home Army Polish soldiers who died in 1944 was destroyed by Belarusian authorities. None of the 22 crosses that stood on the memorial remain standing. Nasz Dziennik, the government plenipotentiary for Polish Diaspora and Poles Abroad, considered this vandalistic act a provocation to escalate the relations between Poland and Belarus, fearing that this might only be a "prelude to further disgusting acts of provocation". He added that the Belarusian regime means to distance itself from the family of European Christian States, but that the desecration of the graves and destruction of the memorial site will be received with equal indignation both by Poles in Belarus and by Belarusians.
Destruction of Another Roadside Shrine in Sowina
July 5, 2022, PolandOn the night of July 5-6, unknown perpetrators destroyed a roadside shrine located in the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Sowina. In the roadside chapel of Przymiarki, the glass of the enclosure in which the statue of the Virgin Mary is placed was broken. Flower pots were also knocked over.
Wipperfürth: Church Vandalised Several Times within Three Months
July 5, 2022, GermanyDuring the night of 4-5 July, a kilo of sugar "taken" from the donations of the faithful to the solidarity grocery shop of St. Joseph's in Wipperfürth, was emptied into one of the church's holy water fonts. Parish members report that this is (at least) the third case of vandalism in a few months, the Easter candle and the church's sound system having been damaged in the past.
News: New EU Commissioner for Religious Freedom Appointed
July 4, 2022, BelgiumThe Italian Mario Mauro was appointed the new EU Commissioner for Religious Freedom after the position was vacant for 9 months, ever since the previous Commissioner, Stylianides, resigned. Before Stylianide's appointment, the post was vacant for 10 months, which indicates that it is not a priority for the European Commission. It only attempted to fill the vacancy after some politicians, and other figures pressed the issue.
Pitsmore Christ Church in Burngreave Fell Victim to Suspected Arson, No Services Available
July 4, 2022, United KingdomPitsmore Christ Church in Burngreave, a district of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, is no longer able to hold services after being damaged in a fire on the night of 3 to 4 July. The authorities and the parish consider the fire to be arson. An investigation has been launched.
Theft of Hosts and Sacred Object from Church in Baigts-de-Béarn
July 3, 2022, FranceThe parish of Baigts-de-Béarn reports the theft of hosts and a monstrance offered by the Empress Eugénie during the reign of Napoleon III (1851-1870) from the parish during a burglary on the night of 2 to 3 July. The door of the sacristy was broken open and "88 hosts in two boxes" were stolen, among other sacred objects. It is important to not that the Hosts are the most holy for Catholics because they embody the real presence of Christ. They are often stolen by Satanists to perform satanic rituals.
Security fencing shall stop church vandals
July 1, 2022, United KingdomDue to repeated vandalism and criminal damage the local council has been forced to install fencing and warning signs around All Saints Church in Ridgmont, Bedfordshire. Furthermore, the area around the church is now patrolled by the police.
Historic Crown Stolen From German Church
June 30, 2022, GermanyUnknown thieves stole a historic 17th-century crown from a church in Weikersheim. According to the information provided by the police, the thieves also stole two cable drums from the church. The total amount of the valuables stolen is in the five-digit range. It was the 3rd reported theft at the church only in the month of June and the police "are examining a connection between the crimes". In the previous thefts, the unknown perpetrators stole construction equipment and building materials.
2,000 Euros of Property Damage in St. Pantaleon Church
June 29, 2022, GermanyOn the 29th of June, between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., unknown people entered the church of St. Pantaleon in Walpertshofen and vandalized it. First, they damaged the entrance door of the church and inside tore a tile out of the wall. Then, they ripped out the pages from the hymn and prayer books and scattered them through the church. The vandals continued to damage the church by lighting candles and spreading the wax on the floor and on the pews, in addition to knocking over chairs and flowers. They fled the scene leaving significant property damage behind, which is estimated to amount to 2,000 euros. The case was reported to the police who started an investigation to find the perpetrators.
Ancient Christian Cemetery Desecrated, Human Remains Scattered
June 29, 2022, TurkeyOn June 29, an ancient Christian cemetery was found desecrated by local Christians. The graves were damaged, human remains were found scattered, and funerary objects were discovered tarnished across the cemetery complex. It is believed that the perpetrators acted with a bad intention, considering that June 29 is a day dedicated to "the liturgical memory of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, to whom the cemetery chapel was dedicated upon its construction in 1967". The fact that this location was targeted specifically at this time appears to be with the aim of maximizing the impact on local Christians. The vandalistic case was reported to the police and the local Christians hope that they find the vandals and bring them to justice.
Calls For Buffer Zone at Abortion Clinic in Bournemouth
June 28, 2022, United KingdomThe abortion clinic in Bournemouth has been calling for a buffer zone around the facility, due to the daily vigils outside the clinic that have been taking place over the years, in order to prevent pro-life protesters from approaching the women going to the clinic, as well as the staff that works there. Rachel Clarke, from the mentioned clinic, said "[Bournemouth] is one of the worst-hit clinics in the country". A buffer zone could undermine the freedom of assembly and freedom of speech of pro-life activists.
Catholic Church in Leubsdorf Sprayed with Graffiti
June 28, 2022, GermanyAccording to the Leubsdorf police, between June 23 and 28, unknown vandals daubed and sprayed the catholic church building with black paint graffiti and by smearing it with rowan berries. The police were alerted and are looking for witnesses to help them identify the perpetrators.
Attempted Arson in the Cathedral of Malaga
June 28, 2022, SpainOn the night of the 28th of June, an unknown person attempted to set a fire in the Cathedral of Malaga, by placing flammable liquid in the corners of the old wooden door. Fortunately, it did not produce the outcome desired and did not cause any significant damages thanks to the rapid action of young people who called the emergency services. The only visible damages were on the door jambs, "in which the stone and wood have been blackened". The police opened an investigation and started analyzing the surveillance cameras to find the perpetrator.
Spain: "Trans Law" Approved, Restricts Parental Rights and Free Speech
June 27, 2022, SpainOn the 27th of June, the Spanish Cabinet approved the so-called 'trans law', despite controversy. Now it goes to the Spanish Parliament "where an intense debate is expected". According to the government, the purpose of this law is "to advance in the depathologisation of transsexuality and gender self-determination". The law has been criticized, as it criminalizes content that questions the trans ideology, including anything that might be understood as "conversion therapy", and it undermines parental rights.
Religious Objects Looted from Church of Caniac-du-Causse
June 26, 2022, FranceBetween June 20 and 26, the Reliquary of St. Namphaise was stolen from the church of Caniac-du-Causse, along with several other valuable objects, such as the ciborium containing the consecrated hosts. Father Michel Cambon, Chancellor of the Diocese of Cahors, was the one who noticed the theft and alerted the police, who started investigating. It is the 14th church of the vicinity reported looted, in only a few months.
Anti-Christian Tags on Church, Statue of the Virgin and War Memorial
June 26, 2022, FranceUnknown vandals tagged the walls of the church of Saint-Martin-duTouch, the statue of the Virgin, and the war memorial with insulting writings. On the wall of the bell tower, they wrote "fuck Jesus", and on the Statue of the Virgin obscene writings and signatures were found. Jean-Jacques Bolzan, the neighborhood mayor and deputy mayor of Toulouse said this was a severe attack and commented: "with our CCTV cameras, I hope we can identify the authors of these tags. Of course, we will not stop there".
Man Sets Fire to Church to Prevent His Wife From Making Donations
June 26, 2022, RussiaIn the city of St. Petersburg, on June 26, a man decided to set a fire to the Church of Saint Basil the Great, after having an argument with his wife about the amount of money she donated to this congregation. According to a Russian newspaper "He always worked, they have four children and his wife works in the church. Everything he earned, she took to the temple. That's why they had a conflict".
Evangelical Christian Preacher, Hatun Tash, arrested again at Speakers’ Corner
June 26, 2022, United KingdomThe evangelical Christian preacher and member of the Free Speech Union, Hatun Tash, was arrested on the 26th of June, at Speakers’ Corner. It was her third arrest in two years. Apparently, she was dragged by a group of police officers, who took her to the police station, "strip-searched, interviewed, kept overnight in a cell and then released without charge". She was released the next day, interestingly, on the 150th anniversary of Speakers’ Corner.
Unknown Perpetrator Destroyed a Shrine in Gogołów
June 26, 2022, PolandOn June 26th, an unknown perpetrator destroyed the chapel of Jesus Crucified in Gogołów. The perpetrator smashed the statue of Christ hanging on the cross and destroyed the fence of the shrine.