All cases
Easter Procession Attacked in Granada
April 14, 2022, SpainAn Easter procession on Holy Thursday had been going for about an hour and a half when objects began to fall on those attending. This occurred while the procession was going through Cuesta del Chapiz but luckily the police were quick to take action and a disaster was prevented. This was the second attack on Easter processions in Spain during the Easter week, both of which showed targeted discrimination of Christians.
Public Cross Vandalized With The Colors of The Republican Flag
April 14, 2022, SpainOn the morning of April 14, the cross in Ribalta Park was found vandalized, painted with the colors of the Republican flag. The vandalistic act was perpetrated by the far-left group Antifascist Brigades of Castellón, on the anniversary of the proclamation of the Second Republic in Spain. In July 2021, the City Council of Castellón wanted to remove the cross due to its "Francoist Past", applying the Historical Memory Law, but the Christian Lawyers appealed and the judge of the Contentious- Administrative number 2 of Castellón ruled that no action was to be taken against the monument until the appeal was resolved.
Severe Vandalism at Waldkraiburger Church
April 13, 2022, GermanyA number of items were destroyed at the church in Waldkraiburger on April 13th. The vandals, who were not identified, crushed candles, burned hymn books and lit microphones on fire. They even threw sand around the church from a candle bowl but since the incident was still being investigated, the extent of the damage was not known.
Sacrificial Canes Taken from Church in Reichenbach
April 13, 2022, GermanyOn April 13th, anonymous people broke into the St. Michael Church in Reichenbach and stole several items from the church. They took two large candlesticks that had sacrificial canes attached to them as well as money from a victims box which they had to pry open. Ludwigsstadt police station was requesting information from anyone who knew about the crime.
Blasphemous Writings on Wall of Donoratico Church
April 13, 2022, ItalyThe walls of the Santa Maria church of Donoratico were defaced with blasphemous writings on April 13th. Words such as "Don't pray to a Lord, shoot the banker" were written along with various skulls and masks. The priest Don Antony, reported the crime to the Carabinieri but did not know who did it.
Stations of Cross Destroyed in Wintersweiler
April 13, 2022, GermanyHarald Hofmann, chairman of the parish council, was shocked to find several stations of the Cross destroyed on April 13th. He was not sure who did it but a cross was torn out, the devotional board was knocked over, and boards were taken off a resting bench. The parish had been working on them for months so this was very disappointing.
76-year-old Grandmother Arrested for Praying Outside during Lockdown
April 13, 2022, United Kingdom76-year-old Rosa Lalor was arrested on February 24th, 2021 as she did not have a "reasonable excuse" to be outside at the time. This was despite her explaining to the police officer that she was "walking and praying," and daily exercise was allowed. The officer accused her of not praying in a house of worship and fined her £200 after detaining her in a police car. She challenged this fine and has taken it to court with the help of ADF UK.
Baptists and Other Religious Minorities Face Persecution in Russian - Occupied Ukraine
April 13, 2022, UkraineAs predicted, religious minorities have experienced increasing persecution in the Russian occupied areas of Ukraine. According to reports, Baptists seemed to be especially targeted by Russian forces. Elijah Brown, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, said that in his most recent visit to Ukraine, he was informed that "Baptist leaders needed to evacuate as the security officers had credible information that the invaders intentionally intended to target Baptist pastors in those areas."
Several Sacred Objects Stolen from Aragona Church
April 12, 2022, ItalyAt some point between last November and March of 2022, chalices, copes, pyxes and stoles were taken from the church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Piazza Umberto I in Aragona. The theft of these sacred objects was investigated by the police but there was little information which makes it difficult to discover who may be the thief and where the items are.
Anti-Catholic Graffiti on Sant Joan Church
April 12, 2022, SpainAnti-Catholic tags appeared on a church in Gràcia, Barcelona on the 12th of April. This time, the Sant Joan Church received the abuse which was, among other things, the words "Church and patriarchy, criminal alliance 8M" scrawled on the wall in black. Councilor of Valents in Gràcia, Jordi Daura, wrote on Twitter: "It is an absolute disgrace the constant lack of respect for the Church by bigots. We will demand that the insults are cleaned up."
St. Mary's Church in Parchim Vandalized
April 12, 2022, GermanyThe St. Mary's church in Parchim was targeted by an act of vandalism on April 12th. Unknown malefactors broke the organ, smeared the floor with a chalky substance, stole two door keys, and damaged a prayer table. The police investigated the incident.
Three Teenagers Extinguish Arson Fire in Holland
April 12, 2022, NetherlandsThree teenagers aged around 14 discovered a fire at the church on the Brink in Sint Anthonis on the 12th of April. They noticed the smoke when they were passing by the church of Antonius Abbot and went to raise the alarm at a cafe nearby. The boys managed to put out the fire themselves with water buckets before the firebrigade arrived.
Four Figures of Mary Destroyed in Lewniowa
April 11, 2022, DenmarkTo the shock of all, four statues of Mary were destroyed on the 11th of April, three in Lewniowa and one in the neighboring Gnojnik. The statues were quite near the Church of Our Lady and made of concrete so it definitely took considerable force to break them. Artur Seniuk, the mayor of Lewniowa, said: "It is sad, especially that it happened before Easter."
Halstenbek Church Vandalized Again after 3 Days
April 11, 2022, GermanyOn Friday the 8th of April, the Halstenbek Redeemer Church was vandalized by unknown people who burned pages of the alter Bible, scattered sand everywhere, and stole metal digits from the "song display." Now, just three days later on April 11th, the pastor, Malte Lei, found the church in a similar state. The police were looking for witnesses to to give more details about the incidents.
Pro-Abortion and Disrespectful Tags Found on Sarriá Church
April 11, 2022, SpainThe façade of the Sant Vicenç de Sarriá church in Barcelona was graffitied with pro-abortion phrases on April 11th. In specific, the words, "out rosaries of our ovaries" were written by the unknown author. Eva Parera, mayor of the Catalan capital said, referring to the perpetrator, "They do not respect anything. Neither life, nor faith, nor public space." and, "These attacks not only do not scare us but reaffirm us in our defense of freedom and truth."
Sacrilegious Theft at Church in Cortona
April 11, 2022, ItalyA thief, whose identity remains unknown, stole a rosary held in the hands of a statue of Madonna and took a cross above the statue's head. This took place in the Lower Church of San Marco in Cortona which has no money to replace the stolen items. Andrea Rossi, who is the custodian of the church, hopes that people will leave donations so that the sacred objects can be bought again.
Destructive Church Theft in Siegen-Niederschelden.
April 11, 2022, GermanyBetween Sunday the 10th of April and Tuesday the 12th, two churches were robbed in Siegen and Niederschelden. It was not known who did it but in both cases, the intruders gained access with force and once inside, searched through drawers and cupboards. The police were investigating the crime to see if anything was stolen and wanted witnesses.
Perpetrators Try to Stop Palm Sunday Procession in El Vendrell
April 11, 2022, SpainFive young North Africans in El Vendrell were bothering people during a Palm Sunday procession in hopes that they could prevent the religious event from happening. The local police were notified of the attacks and arrested two 24-year-old individuals who were accused of an attack against the law. The police were searching for the other three.
Statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Smashed in Kietrz
April 11, 2022, PolandA statue of the Virgin Mary, and another of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, were destroyed around the the 11th of April. They were from a chapel in Kietrz and Marek Czechowicz, who found them, said it appeared that the Statue of Mary was entirely smashed and that the other one had a brick thrown at it. The police began an investigation and the perpetrator could face up to 2 years in prison.
Finnish Prosecutors Appealed Päivi Räsänen Case
April 10, 2022, FinlandAfter the Helsinki District Court disregarded all charges against the Finnish politician Päivi Räsänen on March 30th, the prosecutor has filed an appeal. Räsänen said “I had hoped that the prosecutors would have settled for this ruling … [But] I am ready to defend freedom of speech and religion in all necessary courts, also in the European Court of Human Rights.” Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland was also prosecuted for distributing a pamphlet that Räsänen wrote regarding the Bible's views on gender and marriage.