All cases
Vandalism and Theft in Grosseto Cathedral
April 19, 2022, ItalyThe Grosseto Cathedral was raided by a masked man with a hat and gloves who fled with several items. On April 19th, he entered the Cathedral and took a brass candlestick from the altar, and then smashed the glass of the shrine that holds the ex-votos that people offer to Madonna with an awl. Some policemen, who were nearby, ran after him so he dropped the candlestick but held on to the votive offerings of devotional value.
Russian Orthodox Church in Laa an der Thaya Vandalized
April 19, 2022, AustriaA Russian Orthodox Church in Laa an der Thaya was graffitied with the tags "Putin Stop" and "No! War" on the 19th of April. This appeared on the entrance pillars to the church which is no place to express political feelings. The Russian Embassy called it a "cowardly action" of "particularly cynical contempt" and said, "We are outraged to the depths of our souls by an act of vandalism in relation to the Orthodox Church."
Picture of Santa Rita Burned by Teenagers in Alassio
April 18, 2022, ItalyTwo young boys entered the church in Alassio and started a fire in the votive candle box on April 18th. They also burned a picture of Sant Rita and the parish priest who intervened, was at risk of getting burnt.
Statue of Christ Smashed in San Salvo
April 18, 2022, ItalyA Statue of Christ in the church of Addolorata in San Salvo, was thrown to the ground and smashed on April 18th. The author of this act of vandalism appeared to use an object to break the statue into tiny pieces. The parish lodged a complaint.
Church Door Graffitied Among other incidents of Vandalism
April 18, 2022, ItalyOn Easter Monday, the door of the Saints Philip and James Church was smeared with inscriptions. but the author is unknown. Mayor, Daniele Biada, put forth a social complaint due to the increased amount of attacks of this nature.
Teenagers Vandalise St. Helen's Church in Cliffe
April 18, 2022, United KingdomTeenager, thought to be between 11 and 12 years old, broke 7 stained glass windows in St. Helen's church in Cliffe and damaged several roof tiles around the 18 of April. The cost of the damage was extensive and could be in the thousands since the kind of roof tile used was particularly expensive. The children's parents said the actions were "inexcusable" and some even made them apologize to the churchwarden.
Church Near Dieppe Closed after Repeated Acts of Vandalism
April 17, 2022, FranceThe church in Arques la Bataille, near Dieppe in the Seine Maritime region, which is open during the day, was closed during the Easter school holidays after two vandalistic incidents, in which young people scattered and lighted candles in the church and climbed up the rostrum, then threw music scores and songbooks from up there. It will still be decided when the church will b opened again.
Brass Crosses and other Items Stolen From Wleń Cemetery
April 16, 2022, PolandPolice were informed of the theft of a brass cross from the cemetery of Wleń on the 16th of April. Upon investigation, they found that surrounding graves were also missing letters, crosses, and other elements. They began an investigation and were looking for witnesses.
Drunken Men Ruin Church Service in Kłodzko
April 16, 2022, PolandTwo drunken men entered a church service in Kłodzko and are now facing five years in prison for offending religious feelings. They threw a cross to the ground, tore a stoup off the wall, and pointed their middle fingers at the priest. The shocked worshipers quickly notified the police who detained the men and found them to be intoxicate.
Children: Insults and Destruction in Potenza Church
April 16, 2022, ItalyThree children entered the church of San Michelle on the eve of Easter and while shouting curese, destroyed the brazier intended for the religious service the next day. President of the Basilicata Region, Vito Bardi, addressed the several acts of vandalizm to the historic city center of which this was included. He said, "It is within the family environment that the first and basic rules of civil coexistence are learned, whose value system based on respect, education and responsibility contributes to forming the person."
Man Disrupts Easter Church Service in Athens
April 16, 2022, GreeceOn Saturday the 16th of April, a man entered an Easter church service in the Church of St Panteleimon and shouted Arabic phrases into a microphone. Video footage showed the priest trying to calm the congregation and the offender was later arrested by the police in Athens.
Swastika Tagged on Façade of Evangelical Church
April 16, 2022, FranceOn April 16th, it was discovered that the façade of an Evangelical church in Reims was painted with a swastika and the word "HITLER" in orange spray paint. Pastor Philippe Rosa filed a complaint but was not sure of the reason for the tags. He said: "The prefecture had warned us ... against possible incivility and actions against the churches during this Easter period. Bad luck it fell on us."
Theft of Hosts at Church in Via Monte Massico
April 15, 2022, ItalyOn April 15th, a 27-year-old broke into the parish of Santa Maria Assunta in Via Monte Massico with the intent of stealing a gold-coloured metal host holder. He was unsuccessful since the parish priest called the carabinieri who blocked the man and retrieved the item.
Theft of Sacred Object in Montesacro Church
April 15, 2022, ItalyA 27-year-old man was arrested by the Carabinieri for stealing a gold-coloured host holder from a church in the Montesacro district. The theft happened shortly before the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.
Repeated Vandalism to Hartlepool Church
April 15, 2022, United KingdomOver four consecutive nights, ending on April 15th, vandals have visited the St Patrick’s Church in Hartlepool and caused thousand of pounds of damage. They broke around a dozen stained glass windows and left the inside fo the church covered with masonry ruble.
Statue of Mary Destroyed in Krosno
April 15, 2022, PolandA figure of Mary was torn of its pedestal and destroyed at an intersection in the district of Krosno on April 16th. The statue dates back to 1959 and is in the Municipal Heritage Register but it was not known who completed the act.
Tabernacle Door Stolen in Schiavonia
April 15, 2022, ItalyOn Good Friday, someone broke into the church of Schiavonia and stole the wooden door off the tabernacle in the altar of San Gaetano. The door was made between 1700 and 1800 and of cultural heritage. The church was greatly disappointed by this sacrilegious theft.
Valuable Relics Stolen from Church During Holy Week
April 15, 2022, GermanyDuring the Holy Week, anonymous intruders entered Neukirchen beim Heiligen Blut church and broke the glass on a case that contained some relics. They then took a cloth with brooches that contained bones from the saints as well as an angel sculpture from the high alter. The police were looking for witnesses and described the relics as having "inestimable immaterial value."
Crucifix Stolen from San Francesco Church
April 15, 2022, ItalyIt was discovered on April 20th that the crucifix from the chapel of Sant'Antonio in San Francesco was missing. Upon further investigation, it was realized that the brass item, which is about 70 cm tall, must have been stolen as it could not be found. The parish priest Fr. Gabriele Monnanni lodged a complaint.
Hateful Anti-Christian Tags Found on Church in Foix
April 15, 2022, FranceOn April 15th, hateful inscriptions were painted on the Saint-Volusien Church in Foix. Phrases such as, "A good church is a church on fire," could be seen. Father Edouard de Laportalière said about the author who was not yet identified, "I recognised this writing already affixed to buildings in the parish that incited people not to believe in the Church. I invite this person to come and meet me, so that we can talk rather than write it on the church because it costs money to erase these messages." The Father said this was the third time the church has been targeted.
Way of the Cross Devastated in Jerzmanowice
April 15, 2022, PolandThe Way of the Cross on Mount Kalwaria in Jerzmanowice was completely destroyed by unknown persons on April 16th. The larger crosses were cut down with a saw. Their supporting ropes were cut while the smaller ones were smashed with an ax. The head and feet of the Mother of God figure were broken and statues of saints were destroyed. This was only part of the damage which the mayor, Tomasz Gwizdała, described as a profanation.
Windows in Shrewsbury Church Smashed During Service
April 15, 2022, United KingdomDuring an evensong service in the Shrewsbury church of St. Chad's, vandals smashed the stained glass widows of the church causing £8,000 in damage, and endangered those inside. The incident happened on the 15th of May at a church which often holds large events. Church warden Joanna Hepper said: "This was extremely upsetting for the congregation and could have caused injury."
Artifact Stolen from Church Restoration Sight in Fiuggi
April 14, 2022, ItalyWhile the Collegiate Church of San Pietro was being repaired, a marked truss, that was intended for a museum, was found to be missing. Stills from a webcam were being viewed and Felice D'Amico who was in charge of the work, said they had many clues. The faithful were quite dismayed by this gesture.
Statue of Virgin Mary Beheaded and Head Stolen in Badajoz
April 14, 2022, SpainIn Badajoz, municipality of Los Santos de Maimona, thieves cut the head off the Virgin saint in a sanctuary and took it along with her crown. This occurred halfway through the Holy Week and the Guardia Civil and the Police were investigating the "serious act." The chapel was forced to close until the necessary repairs and investigations had been done.
Offensive Graffiti Appeared on Sant Cugat Monastery
April 14, 2022, SpainThe Police were investigating the offensive words written on the church of Sant Cugat del Vallès on April 14th. Images showed two men who had written the words "F*** Moses" in Spanish on the wall of the historic building. Work had begun to remove the deeply offensive comments but the police were still uncertain of who committed the act.
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.
Severe Vandalism at Poggio Torriana Church
April 10, 2022, ItalyVandals destroyed multiple objects of the San Vicinio parish in Poggio Torriana on April 10th. They smashed heavy marble benches, broke some glass doors, and cut up several gutters reported parish priest Don Emanuele Giunchi. The church did not have the enough finances to pay for the replacement of the violently broken property which was probably done by people linked to some sect.
Priest and Parish People Attacked in Rome
April 9, 2022, ItalyDon Guido Panella, the priest at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Marsala, was physically and verbally attacked by a homeless woman on April 9th. Before this, a homeless man had entered the church and was yelling at everyone until the priest gave him a euro and he left. He then returned with two others, including the woman, and they began shouting at people and the woman even slapped the priest. Two police officers then arrived on the scene at which point the men left but the woman remained and was taken by the carabinieri.
Decorations in Tauberbischofsheim Stolen
April 9, 2022, GermanyShortly before Easter, around the 9. April, decorations for the first communion were stolen in the Tauberbischofsheim church of St. Martin. Those attending the event were shocked when the decorations, which had been placed in front of the altar, were gone. The decorations had a symbolic value for the celebration and the parents were confused as why to these were taken.
Tabernacle Stolen from Church in Leipzig
April 8, 2022, GermanyThe tabernacle was stolen from the Provost Church in Leipzig on April 8th. The shrine was found a short distance from the church with its lock damaged and some of the hosts within were missing or broken. The police were investigating the incident and the leader of the church, Gregor Giele, described the theft as a "bitter experience."
Man Plants Explosive Device during Mass in Toulouse
April 8, 2022, FranceA man was arrested on April 8th for planting an explosive device at the Saint-Etienne cathedral in Toulouse during Mass. The man, who has a criminal record, dropped a package in front of the altar then pushed the sacristan, said something, and left. The explosive was never fired but the congregation was evacuated to make sure no one got injured.