All cases
Theft of consecrated hosts in Porto Recanati
August 5, 2024, ItalyOn the evening of August 5, unknown persons entered the church of the Most Precious Blood in Porto Recanati and, after forcing the tabernacle, took the hosts that had already been consecrated and were kept inside. During their escape, the thieves abandoned a chalice on the street. The parish priest alerted the police. Nothing else was stolen from the church.
Christian Activists unlawfully arrested in Paris
August 5, 2024, FranceOn August 5, Parisian police arrested six Christians who were on a bus labelled with “Stop attacks on Christians” driving around Paris to bring attention to the Last Supper parody at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony and its anti-Christian message.
French Church vandalised: Tabernacle set on fire
August 4, 2024, FranceIn the church of Saint-Pierre in Lège-Cap-Ferret, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the tabernacle was set on fire during the night of August 4. Furthermore, religious materials were smashed on the ground. The church will remain closed during the restoration. The police have started an investigation.
Pastor attacked while praying for protestors
August 4, 2024, United KingdomA member of the Baptist church in Middlesborough was attacked by far-right protesters as he prayed alongside a rally on 4 August.
Man sets fire to door of Birštonas church
August 3, 2024, LithuaniaA 22-year-old man poured flammable liquid on the door of the church on the night of 4 August, set fire to it and smashed the glass above the main entrance door with a stone.
Immaculate Conception Statue Destroyed
August 3, 2024, SpainA statue of the Immaculate Conception was found shattered outside a school in Los Palacios just hours before the town’s major religious celebration.
Concerns over Application of French "Abuse of Weakness" Law
August 1, 2024, FranceThe trial for “abuse of weakness” of the Catholic Missionary Family of Notre-Dame (FMND) raises concerns about the application of the recently amended French “anti-cult” law. At the trail, the experts solicited by the investigators presented some of basic principles of religious communities, such as the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, or silence and parts of the Catholic catechism, as “means of submission”.
Elderly woman attacked and robbed while praying in church
August 1, 2024, GermanyOn August 1, a 40-year-old man violently pushed an elderly woman who was praying in St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church to the ground, kicked her and took her bag. As a result of the attack, the woman suffered a laceration to her head and was taken to hospital where she was stitched up.
Rengsdorf church vandalised with stones
August 1, 2024, GermanyAs reported in September 2024, the Catholic Church of St Kastor in Rengsdorf, Rhineland-Palatinate, was again the target of vandalism in early August. In a recent incident, unknown persons threw stones at the church, breaking three large stained glass windows facing the street. A window to the sacristy and a display case were also damaged.
"Distressing" vandalism to church roof
August 1, 2024, United KingdomThe Church of the Holy Trinity and All Saints in Winterton has been badly damaged in what the parish has described as a "disturbing" case of vandalism. Vandals climbed onto the roof and removed parts of it, leaving the stones beside the church. Some services had to be disrupted because of the damage.
Desecration in Lege
August 1, 2024, FranceThis summer in Lège, a parish was desecrated. The tabernacle was broken and the Blessed Sacrament was targeted.
Volunteers Detained for Peaceful Pro-Life Leafleting
August 1, 2024, NetherlandsVolunteers from the Christian pro-life group Kies Leven have repeatedly been detained while peacefully distributing leaflets outside abortion clinics in the Netherlands. The group insists their presence is non-confrontational and aimed at offering support to women.
Mayor Break-In Causes Severe Damage to Church
July 31, 2024, PolandOn July 31, three men broke into a church in Szydłów and caused €700 worth of damage.
Religious statue beheaded inside Scalini church
July 31, 2024, ItalyOn July 31, vandals partially forced open the front and outer doors of the sacristy of the church of Scalini, a hamlet of Arsiero, destroyed a plaster statue of St. Anthony holding the Infant Jesus, decapitated both figures, threw furniture on the ground, attempted break into the donation box, broke a stained glass window in the apse, and tore down a microphone.
19 Cemeteries vandalised: Crosses broken off and stolen
July 31, 2024, SpainBetween May and July, a gang stole crucifixes and images from 19 cemeteries in the province of Toledo. Those responsible have been arrested.
NI Court Prosecutes Man and Woman for Praying in Coleraine "Buffer Zone"
July 30, 2024, United KingdomIn Northern Ireland, a court is set to rule on the case of a woman and a man who were arrested for praying inside an abortion "buffer zone" in October 2023. If found guilty in the current hearing, the woman who pleaded not guilty faces up to six months in prison. The police arrested them without any prior complaints about their presence on the street.
Theft and vandalism in Sant'Antonio Abate
July 30, 2024, ItalyOn the night of July 30, four young people broke into the Sant'Antonio Abate Church in Incisa Scapaccino, Asti. They broke into the entrance door, destroyed the cribs and sacred furniture, smeared the walls with spray cans and damaged the sound system for the services.
Vandals cut off hands and destroy face of statue
July 28, 2024, PolandOn the night of 27-28 July, vandals severely damaged a statue of Mary located at the entrance to the village of Kościuk. The statue's hands were cut off, a hole was punched in its head, its eyes were gouged out and its face destroyed. This was not the first act of vandalism against a religious object in the region.
Arson Suspected Delmenhorst Church: Confessional on Fire
July 26, 2024, GermanyOn 25 July 2024, a fire was discovered inside the Church of All Saints in Delmenhorst, which the parish priest suspects to be a deliberate act of arson. The fire caused damage in the confessional and forced the temporary closure of the church.
UPDATE: Christian teacher loses High Court appeal after being banned for ‘misgendering’
July 25, 2024, United KingdomJoshua Sutcliffe, a Christian maths teacher, lost his High Court appeal case after being banned from teaching for "misgendering" a pupil. The judge said that “just because misgendering a transgender pupil might not be unlawful does not mean that it is appropriate conduct for a teacher.”
SCOTLAND: MOST EXTREME BUFFER ZONE LAW COMES INTO FORCE
July 25, 2024, United KingdomOn 22 July 2024, Scotland's highly restrictive abortion 'buffer zone' law came into force, creating a 200-metre zone around abortion facilities where it will be an offence to 'influence' the decision of anyone entering the facility. Offences include acts committed on private property if the act “is capable of being seen or heard by another person who is within the safe access zone“.
Vandalism in a historic altar in the St. Andreas Church in Offenburg.
July 24, 2024, GermanyOn 24 July, a 57-year-old man knocked over a historic altar in the Catholic St Andrew's Church on Fischmarkt. The damage is estimated at tens of thousands of euros. Investigators are still trying to establish the background to the crime.
New Survey finds Christians in Scotland under pressure
July 23, 2024, United KingdomAccording to an opinion poll by the think tank “Logos” published in The Herald on July 23, Christians in Scotland feel “excluded”. More than 70% feel the Scottish Government does not support them and 75% were concerned about abuse against Christian politicians.
Teenagers Mocked Catholicism Inside a Church
July 22, 2024, SpainA group of teenagers entered a Catholic Church, disturbed the mass by mocking parts of the liturgy and yelling inside the church, and made fun of hosts, which are sacred objects for Catholics. They recorded everything and uploaded it to social media.
Church of Saint-Paul in Orne defaced with satanic graffiti
July 21, 2024, FranceIn the night of Saturday, July 20 to Sunday, July 21, vandals defaced the façade of the church of Saint-Paul in Orne, France, with satanist graffiti. The tags included inverted crosses, pentagrams, and writings such as ‘False God’, ‘Liar’, and the number ‘666’, symbolising the devil. The statues on the façade were also sprayed with red paint, adding to the seriousness of the damage.
Woman threatens priest with a cutter during mass
July 21, 2024, SpainOn Sunday, July 21, a 46-year-old woman was arrested in Tudela, Navarra, after threatening the priest who was officiating the Sunday mass and the congregation with a cutter. According to the Municipal Police of Tudela, the woman not only threatened with the cutter, but also broke the glass of the entrance door of the church by throwing a stone. This act of vandalism increased the level of alarm among those present, who quickly called the authorities.
Repeated vandalism Serres church
July 20, 2024, GreeceOn Saturday, July 20, unknown vandals desecrated the Agios Georgios church in Kato Mitrousi, Serres. The walls, door, windows and the image of Saint George at the gate of the church were desecrated with mud and coffee.
Desecration of the Icon at Tomb of Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte
July 20, 2024, BulgariaOn July 20, an unknown perpetrator desecrated the icon of the Resurrection of Christ on the tomb of the late Bulgarian Patriarch and Sofia Metropolitan Neophyte. Pictures of the icon show severe damages.
Vandalism at St Mary's Church and cemetery in Baldock
July 19, 2024, United KingdomOn 19 July, St Mary's Church and Cemetery in Baldock was vandalised by an unknown offender, with the Rector, Rev Phillipa Maddox, reporting that 'all the windows and doors' of the church hall had been smashed. Several gravestones in the churchyard were also damaged. Police are searching for the culprits.
Damaged of Memorial lamp at the church in Delbrück-Westenholz
July 16, 2024, GermanyBetween June 28 and July 16, unknown persons destroyed the window of the memorial lamp for the dead in the shadow of the church tower of St Joseph in Delbrück-Westenholz. The parish assumes the destruction was willful and has filed a complaint with the police. This is not the first incident.
Daughter Taken Away After Parents Object to Puberty Blockers
July 15, 2024, SwitzerlandA Swiss couple is taking legal action after their 16-year-old daughter was taken away from the parents and put into a government shelter due to the parents' objection to the daughter's "gender transitioning". The parents also said that doctors have been trying to administer puberty blockers to their daughter without their consent. The case has sent shockwaves around the world and raises severe concerns over the protection of parental rights, including for Christians objecting to the transitioning of their children.
Islamic tags and vandalism in Parisian Notre-Dame-du-Travail Church
July 15, 2024, FranceBetween Sunday, July 14 and Monday, July 15, vandals broke into the Parisian Notre-Dame-du-Travail Church, vandalised the building and left a number of Islamic anti-Christian graffiti, like "Submit yourselves to Allah infidels" and a knife planted in the throat of a statue of Mary.
Historic Cross Destroyed on Medieval Bridge in Le Monastère
July 14, 2024, FranceA centuries-old Christian cross atop a bridge in Le Monastère, France, was broken by an unidentified vandal.
Thieves behead Statue of Jesus and Steal Money from Shrine
July 13, 2024, ItalyOn Saturday, July 13, unknown perpetrators broke into the sanctuary of the Madonna della Grotta, stole over 500 euro and beheaded the statue of the infant Jesus.
Repeated Arson Attack on St. Benedikt church in Eisenharz
July 13, 2024, GermanyOn July 13, fire was set to the church of St. Benedikt in the Allgäu community of Argenbühl-Eisenharz (close to Isny, Ravensburg district). This is already the second arson attack on the church this year. When the fire brigade arrived three pews were burning brightly, but the fire brigade was able to extinguish the fire quickly. However, according to initial estimates by the Catholic parish, severe damage was caused. The church is completely covered in soot.
Young Christians attacked on Lake Constance while preaching
July 12, 2024, GermanyOn Wednesday afternoon, July 12, a group of young Christians aged between 16 and 23 were attacked on Lake Constance while they were reading bible verses over a megaphone on a rental boat.
Damage church window in Marktstrasse
July 11, 2024, GermanyBetween July 7th and 11th, unknown persons damaged a window pane at the church in Marktstrasse. The window was apparently wilfully smashed. A witness noticed the damage, estimated at 300 euros, and called the police.
Man drives a truck into Austrian free church
July 8, 2024, AustriaOn Monday evening, July 8, a man drove a truck into the Pentecostal Elim Church in Brunn am Gebirge, Austria. According to the police, this was a deliberate attack. The man confessed that he had acted out of anger, the perpetrator, however, is not known to the church.
Outdoor Cross Vandalised with Graffiti
July 5, 2024, SpainThe legal group "Abogados Cristianos" announced they may pursue legal action after the Ribalta cross in Castellón was attacked again.
Vandalism in the First Parish Unitarian Church
July 4, 2024, United KingdomOn 4 July, a 43-year-old man vandalised a church in Kingston, causing damage estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Police subsequently arrested the man without bail.
"Death to Jews and Christians" graffiti in Croissy-sur-Seine
July 3, 2024, FranceOn July 3 at around 11 am, the police discovered anti-police, anti-Semitic and anti-Christian tags in Croissy-sur-Seine (Yvelines, west of Paris). The writings were found on the wall of the Canotiers' underground car park. According to the news, the following slogans are written in metre-high letters: "ACAB", "FLIC = TUEUR", "FREE PALESTINE", and "À MORT LES JUIFS ET LES CHRÉTIENS", inciting to killing police, Jews and Christians.
Act of Vandalism in the church of Markgröningen
July 1, 2024, GermanyOn Monday, July 1, unknown persons damaged the glass elements of a church window in Markgroeningen (Ludwigsburg district). A witness heard loud glass noises on Monday. According to a statement today, the damage is estimated at around 1,000 euros. An artistically designed window panel was destroyed at the same church in May.
The window of the Church of St. Paul's in Neuötting was damaged with apples
July 1, 2024, GermanyBetween Friday evening and Monday morning, a previously unknown perpetrator smashed a window pane of St Paul's Abbey Church in Neuötting with apples. "The perpetrator must have entered the garden belonging to the church grounds to do this, as the church was locked at the time," says the police report.
Profanation of a statue of Mary in Żary
June 30, 2024, PolandOn the night of June 29 to June 30, an unknown perpetrator damaged both hands of a statue of the Mary, which is located on Zielona Góra Street in Żary. The police are investigating the incident.
Tear gas attack during evangelical church service
June 30, 2024, FranceOn Sunday, June 30, a disturbing event shook took place during a church service in Dijon. During the Seventh-Day Adventist Sunday service, which assembled about a hundred faithful at around 11:00 a.m., an unidentified individual entered the building and sprayed the assembly with tear gas. This unexpected attack caused panic and dismay among the participants, nine of whom were injured.
Vandalism of Saint Nizier Church During a Far-Left Protest
June 30, 2024, FranceSeveral graffitied slogans appeared on the facade of Saint Nizier church in Lyon during a large antifa protest.
Minors set on fire the church hall in Wishaw
June 28, 2024, United KingdomOn June 28, three minors set on fire the church hall in Wishaw. However, firefighters were called immediately, and they managed to extinguish the fire. The parish community is shaken by the incident and the local Bishop expressed his shock.
Secular Belgian court fines Catholic prelates for denying a woman access to deacon training
June 27, 2024, BelgiumBelgian prelates Archbishop Luc Terlinden of Mechelen-Brussels and former archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels Cardinal Jozef De Kesel were convicted by a Belgian court after they denied a woman entry into a diaconate formation program and ordered to pay compensation.
Arson at Methodist church in Doncaster
June 26, 2024, United KingdomAs reported on 26th June, 100 year old Rossington Methodist church in Doncaster has been destroyed due to fire. It is believed to be an arson attack. The church was added to the Local Heritage List last year. It has been closed for worship since 2019.
Consecrated Host Theft
June 26, 2024, SpainIntruders broke into the Sant Oleguer parish church, opened the tabernacle, and stole consecrated hosts in a targeted act of sacrilege.