All cases
Freedom of Conscience endangered by Belgium's Expansion of Euthanasia Law
February 17, 2022, BelgiumOn 17. February, Belgium's Constitutional Court in Brussels advanced amendments that made it illegal for health care institutions to withhold euthanasia on the grounds of faith. This has adversely affected Christian doctors whose faith does not permit this practice. Human Rights experts have expressed concerns over this challenge to freedom of religion and conscience.
TikTok Influencers Desecrate French Church on Viral Video
February 16, 2022, FranceTwo TikTok influencers, Benjamin Ledig and "Queen Paul", filmed themselves wearing a crop-top and twerking (dancing sexually) in front of a crucifix at the Parisian church of Saint Paul on February 16th. They later posted this video on social media where it received some 20 million views despite it being repeatedly removed. Ledig claims he did it to protest the "homophobia" of the church while "Queen Paul" apologized for his behaviour.
Anti - Christians Graffiti on Church in Velten
February 16, 2022, GermanyThe façade of a Protestant church in Velten, was defaced with large amounts of graffiti. Although most of it seemed to be contentless, some phrases read "Satan" or the "Devil is here," giving the act a definite anti - Christian bias. Pastor Reimers has reported the incident and several volunteers have offered to assist with the removal of the paint.
Thrown Rocks Broke Churches Stained Glass Windows Landéda
February 16, 2022, FranceThe rose stained glass windows of the Saint-Laurent de Tromenec chapel in Landéda were broken by vandals for the second time. Rocks were used to inflict the damage and the openings had to be covered with plexiglass until the glassmaker came. The police compiled a file of these incidents.
Crypt of Church in Flers Covered with Red Paint
February 15, 2022, FranceThe inside and outside of the Saint-Germain church crypt in Flers, was tagged with red paint and crosses were drawn on 15. February. This was done by an unknown perpetrator who also broke a window to get in, smashed a wheelchair, and knocked a cross to the ground. The sacrilegious crime has been reported and the police are investigating.
Arson at Entrance of Church in Wangen
February 15, 2022, GermanyThe wooden staircase in the Evangelical church in Wangen was set on fire by a stranger on February 2nd. It was thought that the arsonist used disinfectant to facilitate the fire but it was still relatively unsuccessful. Pastor Martin Sauer could only shake his head as the material damage, which was manageable, but the emotional damage was devastating. Police were investigating the crime.
Update: 18 Year Old Accused of Arson Attacks on Several Churches in Derby
February 14, 2022, United KingdomJohnny Brady, an 18 year old, has been accused of several acts of arson committed in 2020 to several churches and school buildings in Derby, England. The historic church of All Saints was damaged and some schools, including St Mary’s Catholic School, were burned entirely to the ground. He is due to appear in court on March 31.
Teenagers Try to Set fire to a Church
February 13, 2022, ItalyIn Pesaro, on the 13. February, two teenagers were caught on camera as they tried to cause a fire in the church of San Luigi Gonzaga. They spread hand sanitiser on the ground in front of the altar and then started a fire with a lighter. Luckily the fire went out after around 10 minutes. The parish priest left a sign on the door saying he forgives the boys who did it.
A Man Dismantles the Statue of the Madonna
February 13, 2022, ItalyA man dismantled the statue of the Madonna in Via di Ponte Galeria, Rome, on the 13. February. The residents who heard the noise alerted the police, who were able to arrest the man on the spot. The man threatened the police and tried to attack them, he was allegedly under the influence of alcohol.
Unknown Vandals Destroy Holy Water bottles in Laives Church
February 13, 2022, ItalyAbout 20 bottles of holy water, at the Laives parish church, were emptied and scattered around the churchyard on November 13th. These bottles were at the entrance of the nave for people to pick up and leave a donation. The perpetrators of the crime did not only destroy. the bottles, but they also showed complete disrespect for something of religious sentiment and then left a mess at the church property.
Extensive Fire Caused by Arson at Church in Glasgow
February 13, 2022, United KingdomThe Jackson Church of Scotland in Airdrie, a North Lanarkshire town near Glasgow, was deliberately set on fire on the morning of the 13. February. An investigation has been launched by the police, who are treating the fire as arson. According to the police, the fire was started around 3 am and the fire brigade was called around 4 am. The church building will remain closed and services have been suspended, as Kay Gilchrist, the church's reverend announced on the Twitter account of the church.
Statue Outside Church in Boitzenburg Vandalized
February 13, 2022, GermanyFor the 750th anniversary of the church in Boitzenburg, a woman, with her own money, had a wooden statue of a nun made for outside the church. The figure, which was 1.3 meters high, was found knocked over on February 2nd with its base broken. At first, the culprit was thought to be the recent storm but on further investigation, a white sticky substance was found on it which confirmed the act was done by vandals.
35 Graves Desecrated in the Ciempozuelos Cemetery in Madrid
February 13, 2022, SpainIn the beginning of February 2022, 35 graves were desecrated in the Ciempozuelos municipal cemetery. The perpetrators stole status of Christ, crucifixes and other metal and copper funerary elements that adorned the tombstones, while some of them were found broken and trampled.
Swedish Christian Teacher Fired Over Pronoun Dispute
February 11, 2022, SwedenA Swedish Christian teacher, Selma Gamaleldin, faced accusations of discrimination for refusing to address a student identifying as 'non-binary' with the gender-neutral pronoun 'hen', due to her personal belief.
Church in Königsbrunn Tagged by Unknown Vandals
February 10, 2022, GermanyUnknown perpetrators defaced the courtyard of the church "Maria Unterm Kreuz" in Königsbrunn with several tags on the 10. February. The incident was reported by the police at the weekend, they have estimated the damage caused by the graffiti at about 3,000 euros.
France: Report finds 38% Rise in Anti-Religious Violence
February 10, 2022, FranceInitial findings of a report were presented on the 10. February by French MPs Ludovic Mendes and Isabelle Florennes. They were ordered by the French Prime Minister Jean Castex to conduct a report on anti-religious attacks in France. The report found a 38% rise in anti-religious violence since 2019. Of the 1.659 anti-religious incidents in 2021, 857 were against Christians, which makes them the most targeted religion in France.
3 People Charged with Terrorist Attack Against Orthodox Church
February 10, 2022, GreeceTwo men and one women were charged with terrorism, endangering life, and damage to property after they threw a Molotov cocktail into the entrance of a Greek Orthodox church. They were expected to be part of a group called Organization Anarchist Action who have done similar attacks in the past. Thankfully this targeted attack caused little damage.
Crucifix and Commemorative Plaques Stolen from Grave in Gouvix
February 9, 2022, FranceFour commemorative plaques, a funeral medallion, and a crucifix were stolen from the La Fosse-à-Terre cemetery in Gouvix. It was the grave of a young man who's father, Georges Delannée, found the theft and was heartbroken. He said "this rekindles the pain of a father who lost a child who left too early, in the prime of life." The father has filed a complaint.
Repeated Vandalism on Eight Churches in Vicinity of Péronne
February 9, 2022, FranceEight village churches in the vicinity of Péronne were tagged in February and March 2022 - four of them on the night of 9-10 February alone - by an individual who appeared to be blaming the priest for personal reasons.The latter was finally identified and arrested, according to the local press.
Money Stolen and Organ Smashed in Church
February 8, 2022, United KingdomUnknown vandals broke into St. Mary's Church in Higham Ferres where they stole money from a large glass jar, scattered the prayer candles, and smashed the organ alter. A crowbar found in a hedge the next day was thought to be used for the ransacking. The act showed a complete disregard for the religious objects in the church.