All cases
Church of Buissenal Vandalized with Hateful Message
August 14, 2022, BelgiumThe Church of Buissenal was vandalized on the night of 13. to 14. August by unknown perpetrators. The vandals broke into the building by destroying stained glass windows and left a message on the main altar with the word "EVIL". They also defaced two grave markers in the cemetery.
Church Desecrated With Insulting Tags in Rouen
August 14, 2022, FranceThe doors and several sections of the façade of the Saint-Patrice church in Rouen were tagged with insulting slogans and militant symbols on the night of Saturday 13. August. The Diocese released a statement expressing the sadness due to the desecration and announced that the parish has filed a complaint with the police for damage to property. The tags were removed from the historic Church on the 16. August.
Major Theft of Sacred Objects From Waginger Church Discovered
August 13, 2022, GermanyIn Waging am See, 25 boxes full of stolen sacred objects have been found. This was reported on the 13. of August. The Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (LKA) is currently investigating the stolen goods. It seems that the stolen objects are from the Waging church on the Mühlberg and other churches as well. Ludwig Waldinger, press representative for the LKA commented: "Where did the things come from?" Due to the large number of objects found there, "the whole thing is taking longer than initially thought". A couple of days before it became known that sacred objects were missing from the church in Waching on the Mühlberg. The items were chalices, votive tablets and chasubles.
Church Vandalised in Glodeni
August 13, 2022, MoldovaOn the morning of August 13, the Glodeni police received a call about an act of vandalism in the town's church. Police officers arrived on the scene found that unknown persons had vandalised the building of the chapel property of a church near the old cemetery. According to preliminary information, an icon and a cross with the image of Jesus Christ were damaged.
Vandalism of a Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima in Jablonowo Pomorskie
August 13, 2022, PolandOn the night of August 13-14, 2022, unknown perpetrators vandalised the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, located on the grounds of the parish of Christ the King in Jablonowo Pomorskie. The vandal coated the transparent casing of the statue of Our Lady with heated wax and smashed the candles standing in front of the shrine.
Tags in a Church in Lille
August 13, 2022, FranceTags in English were made during the night of 13 to 14 August on the church of Saint Maurice in Lille. Local media has also expressed indignation with the town hall's silence: "A defaced religious building is always a shock for the religious community attacked. The elected officials of the towns concerned are used to reacting. But for some time now, and particularly in town halls held by left-wing politicians, double standards have been commonplace. A mosque is tagged and the support is immediate. Not so for Catholics.
Anarchist Tags on the Cathedral of Poitiers
August 13, 2022, FranceFor two weeks, the walls of Poitiers centre had been regularly attacked by tags, reported Centre Presse on Saturday 13 August. One of those defacements was also found on the Saint-Pierre cathedral. A phenomenon that annoys many inhabitants, who do not hesitate to express themselves on the issue via social networks or in the street.
55-year-old Man Destroys Icon and Cross in Church
August 13, 2022, MoldovaOn August 13., the police were notified that a 55-year-old man allegedly destroyed two items of the church's. These were an icon and a cross. The Moldovan suspect has been detained and the police are investigating.
Sacred Valuables Stolen From Church in Bad Schönborn
August 12, 2022, GermanyShock at the Catholic Church of St. Lambertus in the Karlsruhe district: thieves stole a safe and valuable sacred objects on 12. August. The priest's personal chalice was also stolen. Estimated amount of damage: 200,000 euros. The theft is specifically tragic because the stolen objects are sacred and necessary to hold religious services. Police are investigating.
Church Windows Repeatedly Smashed in Bargebur
August 12, 2022, GermanyUnknown persons have repeatedly damaged church windows in Bargebur. Already the previous week, a stone was thrown into a window of the church. This time another eight windows were smashed. Police are investigating.
A Statue of a Madonna Mysteriously Disappears on the Border Between Italy and France
August 12, 2022, FranceLocated right on the Italian border, above the lake of Bresses in the Mercantour, the 80 cm high statue of the Virgin installed by the Italians has disappeared or was stolen in early August, reported a hiker on Facebook.
Refuge Denied to Iranian Christian Convert in Germany
August 11, 2022, GermanyGermany rejected the asylum application made in 2018 by Hassan, a 44-year-old Iranian who converted to Christianity in Iran and was prosecuted for the same reason. When he testified before the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Germany, he disclosed that he learned about Christianity in Iran through his brother-in-law, who had been imprisoned for his activities and was then killed for practicing his faith in jail. During the second week of August, the European Court of Human Rights refused to listen to Hassan's case, meaning now he faces the threat of being deported to his home country, where he will likely face imprisonment or death.
Perpetrators Spray-Painted Church of San Benedetto
August 11, 2022, ItalyThe columns and the flower boxes of the Church of San Benedetto in Livorno have been spray-painted with red tags. Some of the inscriptions that defaced the Church said "No Nazi" and "1312". It is presumed that it is the same vandals that have vandalized a statue of Canapone in the Piazza XX Settembre. A concierge hopes that the security cameras might help identify the perpetrator.
Church of Sant'Antonio Abate Vandalised
August 11, 2022, ItalyOn 11. August the church of Sant'Antonio Abate was vandalised by unknown perpetrators. They sprayed writings on the walls of the church and excrements were also left on the ground. According to an investigation by the Carabinieri of the local station, the mirrors of some nearby parked cars were also damaged. There are currently no video surveillance cameras in the area.
Church Window Damaged in Neunkirchen
August 11, 2022, GermanyVandals were on the loose in the district of Neukirchen last week. Unknown perpetrators damaged a round-arched window of the church on Bruchstraße on 15. August.
Plaque Honouring War Hero and Candlesticks Stolen From Church
August 9, 2022, United KingdomFor the third time on the year, the village church of Saint Gregory the Great in Morville has been the target of theft and vandalism. This time, the thieves stole a plaque commemorating a war hero, Thomas Hoblyn-Robins (from WWI). This happened on the 9. of August. On the same day two brass candlesticks, one brass vase and two brass candleholders were stolen. The police are asking for witness information.
Attempt to Steal from Tabernacle in the Church of St. Lazzaro
August 8, 2022, ItalyA 45-year-old man injured his hand while attempting to break into a tabernacle in the church of San Lazzaro in Bologna. The man was identified by the carabinieri thanks to surveillance cameras. On the 8 August, the man tried to open one of the tabernacles of the church of San Lazzaro, but in doing so he injured himself and decided to give up. Returning home, he called the 118 emergency services to get medical attention. After finding the damaged tabernacle, the priest checked the images taken by the church's security cameras.
Church of l'Assumpció Vandalized with Paint Bombs
August 7, 2022, SpainOn the 8th of August, the Municipality of Les Borges del Camp posted on Twitter photos and a video of the vandalistic attack on the church during the night. Unknown perpetrators threw pink paint bombs at the church's walls and wooden door.
Swedish Historian Dick Harrison: "Persecuted Christians get no Headlines"
August 7, 2022, SwedenThe historian Dick Harrison recently wrote a review of a book called "The First Right: Freedom of Religion", written by the deputy secretary general of the Swedish Evangelical Alliance, Jacob Rudenstrand. The historian commented that the book was worth reading and pointed out that the current persecution of Christians "hardly gets any media attention."
Two Men Disrupt Sunday Mass Shouting Obscene Gestures on the Church of San Bartolomé
August 7, 2022, SpainOn Sunday 7. August, tthe police in Murcia arrested two men after they attacked the church of San Bartolomé during the celebration of Mass. The perpetrators, aged 24 and 27, who are originally from Estonia, entered the church shouting and obscene gestures. The parish priest and several parishioners tried to intervene and stop them before they gained access to the tabernacle. The parishioners told the police officers the details of the incident and regretted the lack of respect by these individuals for their faith and the violation of their freedom of worship. The perpetrators have been handed over to the Examining Magistrate's Court on duty.