All cases
Freshers’ Fair Ban on Church Successfully Challenged
January 24, 2026, United KingdomA Christian church, Grace Church Greenwich, was denied the chance to book a stall at Goldsmiths University’s Freshers’ Fair because the booking contractor, Native, stated it could no longer “facilitate bookings for religious groups at these events.” Grace Church challenged the policy as discriminatory, and the company subsequently suspended the ban, allowing bookings from the church and similar groups.
Vienna Court: Prayer Vigil Outside Abortion Facilities Permitted
January 23, 2026, AustriaIn January 2026, the Vienna Administrative Court ruled that a peaceful prayer vigil held in the proximity of an abortion facility in Vienna falls within the scope of the constitutionally protected freedom of assembly. The decision overturned an earlier prohibition issued by the Vienna police authorities.
UK Police Ban Christian March Over Fear of Muslim Community Reaction
January 23, 2026, United KingdomThe Metropolitan Police blocked a UK Independence Party “Walk With Jesus” march scheduled for 31 January in Whitechapel, east London, citing fears it would provoke a hostile reaction from the local Muslim community and lead to “serious violence and disorder.”
Vandals Damage Religious Statue Inside Church
January 21, 2026, FranceA statue of the Virgin Mary was found to have been deliberately knocked over and damaged on 21 January 2026 inside the Église Saint-Sylve in Toulouse, where the parish priest discovered the overturned figure after the morning Mass.
Graffiti and Damage Reported at Emden Church
January 21, 2026, GermanyBetween 16 and 21 January 2026, the Martin Luther Church in Emden was vandalised with graffiti, and its lightning rod wire was deliberately damaged by unknown individuals.
Nativity Scene Theft Reported at Church in Grone
January 19, 2026, ItalyA theft occurred at the church of Santa Maria Nascente in Grone in mid-January, when two individuals from the Milan area stole a ceramic statuette of the infant Jesus from the church’s nativity scene.
Missal Set Ablaze in Alessandria Chapel
January 19, 2026, ItalyOn the morning of 19 January 2026, an unknown individual set fire to a liturgical missal inside the Chiesa del Monserrato in Alessandria.
Zamora Suffers Another Vandal Attack on Church
January 18, 2026, SpainOn 18 January 2026, vandals defaced the rear façade of the Iglesia de Santiago el Burgo in Zamora with a slogan: “More housing and fewer churches”.
Buncton’s 11th‑Century Church Attacked
January 18, 2026, United KingdomAll Saints Church in Buncton, West Sussex, suffered extensive damage after almost all of its windows were smashed and fixtures vandalised between 13 and 18 January.
Sacred Objects Damaged During Prayer in St Peter Basilica
January 17, 2026, ItalyAn incident took place inside the Cappella del Santissimo Sacramento at the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome, where a man threw several sacred objects from the altar to the ground during Eucharistic adoration.
Profanation at Église Saint-Sever: Theft of Consecrated Hosts
January 16, 2026, FranceAt the Église Saint-Sever in Rouen, France, consecrated hosts were stolen from the tabernacle of the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament on 16 January 2026, an act described as grave profanation.
Golfo Aranci Church Vandalised
January 16, 2026, ItalyVandals targeted the Nostra Signora del Monte church in Golfo Aranci, causing damage to the outdoor altar and destroying surveillance equipment.
Call to Remove Religious Symbols Hits European Court
January 16, 2026, FranceIn July 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) communicated Union of Atheists v. Greece (Application No. 001-244533), a case seeking the removal of Christian icons from Greek courtrooms. The application reflects a broader attempt to eliminate longstanding religious symbols from public institutions across Europe, raising concerns about whether state neutrality is increasingly interpreted as requiring the erasure of religious heritage from public life.
Allershausen Church Targeted in Arson Incident
January 15, 2026, GermanyA deliberate fire was set inside St. Josef church in Allershausen, Bavaria, causing damage to the interior.
Inverted Cross, Scattered Ash and Property Damage in Lutheran Church
January 14, 2026, GermanyVandals targeted the Lutheran Church in Bad Marienberg, Westerwald, Germany, overturning furniture, scattering ash, and inverting a wooden cross, causing damage to both property and religious symbols.
Woman Stole and Burned Church Gospel Book
January 14, 2026, PolandPolice identified and detained a 41‑year‑old woman who stole a Gospel book from a church in Nowy Tomyśl and later burned it, with residents assisting in her identification.
Fifteen Nativity Figures Taken from Church in Doganella di Ninfa
January 12, 2026, ItalyAt a church in Doganella di Ninfa, 15 nativity scene statues, each measuring about 30 centimetres in height, were stolen.
Church in Metz Vandalised Again
January 12, 2026, FranceOn 12 January, a church in Metz was vandalised, marking a repeated attack on the Église de la Sainte-Famille.
Granzette Church Desecrated with Human Waste Near Altar
January 11, 2026, ItalyA small church in the Granzette cemetery was vandalised over the weekend, with human waste found near the altar.
Nativity Display Destroyed in Cordovado
January 11, 2026, ItalyVandals destroyed a nativity scene displayed on the church forecourt in Cordovado, in the province of Pordenone, during the night of 10–11 January 2026, prompting condemnation from local authorities.
Historic Zamora Church Vandalised
January 10, 2026, SpainVandals defaced Zamora’s Church of Santa María la Nueva with slogans accusing the church of being "accomplice" of Franco and anarchist graffiti.
Vandals Damage Agropoli Church
January 10, 2026, ItalyA church in Agropoli was vandalised in a late‑evening incident that left sacred furnishings and a religious statue damaged.
Infant Jesus Statue Decapitated in Church Vandalism
January 8, 2026, FranceA Nativity scene inside a church in Le Passage, France, was vandalised in early January 2026, with the statue of the infant Jesus decapitated and dismembered and other figures broken.
Suspected Arson Targets Catholic Church in Novi Sad
January 7, 2026, SerbiaA suspected arson attack occurred at a Catholic church in Novi Sad, northern Serbia, on Wednesday night.
Altar and Prayer Books Defaced at Catholic Church in Gersfeld
January 7, 2026, GermanyVandals targeted the Catholic church of Mariä Himmelfahrt in Gersfeld between 5 and 6 January, defacing prayer and altar books, in an incident possibly linked to vandalism at the evangelical‑lutheran Baroque church the day before.
Nativity-Scene Float Vandalised in Alcalá Parade
January 7, 2026, SpainA pro-life community group in Alcalá de Henares reported that its nativity-scene parade float was vandalised at the end of the Three Kings Parade and filed an official complaint.
Series of Church Vandalisms in Steyr
January 6, 2026, AustriaAccording to recent reports, several churches in Steyr have been repeatedly vandalised since December, including a confessional set on fire.
Vandals Damage Protestant Baroque Church in Gersfeld
January 5, 2026, GermanyOn January 5, vandals entered the Lutheran Baroque church in Gersfeld on 5 January and caused deliberate damage to the building.
Utrecht Evangelist Assaulted; Video Circulates Online
January 4, 2026, NetherlandsA street preacher in Utrecht was assaulted during an evangelising activity over the weekend, according to a report.
Nativity Statuette Stolen and Damaged in Lerici
January 3, 2026, ItalyA statuette from a Nativity scene was stolen and damaged during an overnight incident outside the church of San Francesco in Lerici on New Year’s Eve.
Suspected Arson at Neunkirchen Church
January 2, 2026, GermanyOn the morning of 2 January 2026, a fire broke out at the Protestant Christuskirche in the centre of Neunkirchen, Saarland. Due to the significant amount of smoke caused by the fire, it took the fire brigade several hours to ventilate the building.
Jeanne d’Arc Statue Vandalised in Paris
January 2, 2026, FranceIn Paris on 2 January, the statue of Jeanne d’Arc on the Place Saint‑Augustin, located in front of the Église Saint‑Augustin, was vandalised in full daylight. An individual climbed the monument and forcibly removed the blade of the saint’s sword in the presence of passers‑by.
Holy Family Statuettes Stolen from Montoro Church
January 1, 2026, ItalyThe Holy Family statuettes were stolen from a Nativity scene at a church in Montoro.
Nativity Scene Burned in Algarrobo Vandalism
December 31, 2025, SpainOn New Year’s Eve in Algarrobo, vandals targeted public festive displays, burning Christian‑themed Christmas decorations, including a nativity scene in Plaza de España.
Vienna Church Repeatedly Targeted by Graffiti Vandalism
December 30, 2025, AustriaSt. Johann Evangelist Church in Vienna was defaced with graffiti on December 30, 2025, including Arabic writing and an Antifa symbol. Police launched an investigation amid political condemnation and reports of repeated targeting of the site.
Nativity Scene Stolen from Brandara Parish Church
December 30, 2025, PortugalThe nativity scene at the Parish Church of Brandara, in Ponte de Lima, was stolen during the night from Monday into Tuesday.
Cuenca Church Vandalised After Restoration
December 30, 2025, SpainVandals targeted the recently restored Church of La Virgen de la Luz in Cuenca, Spain, defacing its walls with graffiti and damaging the historic site.
Theft of Jesus Figurine from Nativity Scene in Sopot
December 29, 2025, PolandPolice released surveillance footage after a figurine depicting Jesus was stolen from a public nativity scene in front of the Church of St George in Sopot on the night of 29 December.
Gunfire and Explosive Device Damaged Church Entrance
December 28, 2025, ItalyUnknown individuals fired gunshots and detonated an explosive device at the secondary entrance of the San Filippo Neri church in Palermo’s Zen neighborhood.
Consecrated Hosts Stolen from a Spanish Church
December 28, 2025, SpainThe tabernacle of a church in Valladolid was forced and consecrated Hosts were stolen. This was the second such incident in the diocese this year, and Archbishop Luis Argüello has announced a public act of reparation.
Arson Damages Crypt of Lourdes Parish Church
December 26, 2025, FranceFirefighters in Lourdes contained a crypt fire at the Sacré‑Cœur parish church after smoke was seen escaping the building, with investigators reporting debris used as ignition material and clear signs of unauthorised entry.
Arson Attempt Inside German Church on Christmas
December 25, 2025, GermanyUnknown individuals ignited torn pages from prayer books on the church gallery in St. Maria, Haßlach, causing scorch marks and wax damage to the pews below. Thankfully, the fire did not spread, but the church suffered property damage.
Statue of Baby Jesus Smashed on Christmas Eve
December 24, 2025, United KingdomOn Christmas Eve vandals smashed a statue of the Infant Jesus and relics in the Lady Chapel desecrated at St. Patrick’s Church in Edinburgh. There was blood left in multiple areas of the sanctuary, and the figure was thrown into a bin during a confrontation between two distressed visitors.
Firecrackers Thrown at Church Nativity Scene
December 24, 2025, ItalyA passing vehicle launched firecrackers at the San Carlo parish nativity in Sezze, damaging the Christian display minutes before midnight Mass.
Masked Intruder Disrupted Christmas Vespers in Cologne Cathedral
December 24, 2025, GermanyA masked man in a black cloak, gold mask, and plush ears disrupted the Christmas Vespers and approached the front of Cologne Cathedral before being escorted out by church security.
Parish Reports Repeated Vandalism in Local Churches
December 24, 2025, ItalyOn 24 December 2025, the parish priest of the church of the Sacro Cuore publicly reported repeated acts of vandalism, including repeated property damage and anti-Christian graffiti, affecting churches in Sant’Egidio.
Paint Attack On Christian Pregnancy Counseling Centre
December 24, 2025, GermanyThe KALEB Family Centre fell victim to politically charged graffiti and paint attacks on Christmas Eve.
Church Nativity Scene Targeted with Theft and Desecration
December 22, 2025, GermanyIn Kahla in the Saale-Holzland district, unknown individuals stole and damaged parts of a Christmas nativity scene displayed outside the Catholic church of St Nikolaus in December 2025.
Christ Child Figure Found Hanging by the Neck
December 21, 2025, PolandOn 21 December, a figure of the Christ Child was found hanging by the neck in a nativity scene in the market square of Bolesławiec. Surveillance footage showed hooded individuals entering the scene and tying the doll to a rope in the manner of a gallows.
Vienna Church Defaced with Arabic and Syrian Nationalist Graffiti
December 21, 2025, AustriaA church in Vienna was repeatedly defaced with Arabic slogans and Syrian nationalist clan codes in December 2025, prompting a police investigation.