All cases

London Police Abruptly Interrupts Easter Service - Church Complains

April 2, 2021, United Kingdom

On charges of violating COVID-19 rules, police in the UK have interrupted up a Good Friday service celebrated at the Roman Catholic Christ the King Church in London. Police also threatened to fine each person sitting in the pews $280. According to the British Independent newspaper, churches are allowed to hold services during the lockdown in England with no limit on the number of parishioners as long as the congregation adheres to social distancing and wears masks. The church rejected the police claims, saying in a statement, "We believe, however, that the police brutally exceeded their powers by issuing their warrant for no good reason, as all government requirements were met."

Vandalism Leaves Statue of 'Extraordinary Historical Value' at Chapel Destroyed

April 1, 2021, Poland

A statue of the Virgin Mary of historical value has been destroyed at the Holy Spirit Church in Koszalin in Poland on 1 April. The statue was of exceptional value since it was given to the Parish by a survivor of the Dachau concentration camp and was seen as a shrine of memorial for the ones who did not survive the camp. The chapel in which the statue was standing was also vandalised. Police are investigating.

Vandalism in Diersheim Churches

April 1, 2021, Germany

On the first of April, the Diersheim church was found with hymn books thrown around and paper lying on the floor with some of it burnt. It was not known who committed the crime.

Offensive Tags Hanged on Churches in León

April 1, 2021, Spain

The churches in León of El Salvador, San Juan, San Pedro de Renueva, Santa Marina and in the Collegiate Church of San Isidoro were all targeted with hateful messages. This included posters put on them with the words "Closed for sexist", "Closed for homophobes", "Expropriators", or "Closed for misogynists." The churches were also taped shut an the police opened an investigation into the matter as it was not known who did it.

Polish Anarchists Hung A Vulgar Banner On A Church In Warsaw

March 31, 2021, Poland

Far-left groups in Poland are proud to show themselves profaning the Church of the Holy Saviour in the centre of Warsaw on social media. Local anarchists lit flares in front of the entrance to the temple and hung a banner with vulgar inscription on the scaffolding. The assault took place on the afternoon of March 31st. The far-left in Poland seems to enjoys an impunity. This is evidenced by the minimal reaction of the judiciary to the series of provocations, desecrations and attacks carried out against Catholic churches since October 2020. According to the TVP Info portal, the recent attack did not cause any material losses, and no one was physically harmed. Nevertheless, the series of incidents strongly accentuated the symbolic dimension of these acts.

Servite Church in Innsbruck Heavily Vandalised

March 31, 2021, Austria

Unknown perpetrators vandalized the Servite Church in Tirol's capital Innsbruck. The damage caused has been estimated to be several thousand Euros. According to police reports, the perpetrators destroyed several statues, sacred objects, and contaminated the premises. It is thought to have occurred sometime between 11.25 and 11.55 on the 31st of March. Police were investigating and witnesses were asked to come forward.

Altar Statue Smashed and Parish Documents Burned in Romilly-sur-Seine

March 31, 2021, France

In the Saint-Martin Church in Romilly-sur-Seine, a plaster statue of the Virgin Mary, located behind the altar, was smashed on the floor on March 31st. Earlier in the week, some parish documents from a display had been burned at the altar. Father Richard Lukaszewski filed a complaint about this vandalism and requested that the local police make more frequent rounds in that area.

Arson at St.Peter Church in Linz

March 28, 2021, Austria

On March 28th, the church of St. Peter in Linz was severely damaged by a fire. According to the church's parish priest, the fire was set inside a chapel near the wooden altar. Despite early attempts to extinguish the fire, the wooden altar was destroyed and a statue of the Virgin Mary was damaged. The next day the police reported that a book commemorating the dead, which was lying on a side table, had been purposefully set on fire. Since the fire did not pose a serious threat to any person, the police stated they would only investigating for damage to property. The damage amounts to around €80,000.

Man Sets Fire To Church In Wokingham

March 26, 2021, United Kingdom

After a fire broke out at a church in Wokingham on 26 March, the police arrested a 28-year-old man suspected of arson. The police was called at around 3pm after the fire was reported.

Attempted Theft of Sacred Objects from via Catalani Church

March 26, 2021, Italy

On March 26th, 34-year-old Moroccan Mohamed Laafar, attempted to steal a chalice, a pyx, and a throne, from the parish of Peata maria Vergine della Pieta, in via Catalani. He would have succeeded, had the carabinieri not been alerted to the suspicious activity at which point they intervened and arrested him. On May 24th of 2022, he was sentenced by the Court of Sciacca Dino Toscano, to 5 months and 10 days imprisonment and a fine of 200 euros.

Church of the Crosses in Foggia Desecrated with Obscene Symbol

March 25, 2021, Italy

One of the five chapels of the Church of the Crosses in Foggia was smeared with blue paint. One pillar was defaced with a phallic symbol, now covered by a white cloth. The other pillars were sprayed with conspicuous and incomprehensible signs. Other writings were found on the ground of the chapel and on the pavement. The police is investigating.

Orthodox Pastor's Car Smashed with Stones By Vandals In Magenta

March 25, 2021, Italy

During the night of March 25th, several young people threw stones at Father Ioan's car. The car was parked in Via Melzi in Magenta, near the church of San Rocco, where the Orthodox community is based. There are yet no clear indicators for the motivation of this crime. The police is investigating.

Church in Baden Baden Set on Fire and Smeared with Paint

March 25, 2021, Germany

Unknown perpetrators threw a flammable object through a smashed window of a side door into the St. Bernhard Church in Baden-Baden during the night of 25 March. According to the police, heavy smoke developed and spread into the church interior. In addition, the perpetrators smeared a two-by-two-metre sign on the side wall of the church, which, according to the parish priest's interpretation, could represent a Jewish Star of David. The police are investigating.

Three Churches Broken into in Val-Doré, Nogent-le-Sec and Jumelles, Statues, Vases and Candlesticks Disappeared

March 25, 2021, France

During the night of 24-25 March, three churches in the region of Eure, particularly in Val-Doré, Nogent-le-Sec and Jumelles, have been targeted by thieves. Several religious objects such as statues, vases, candleholders, 16th century statue of Saint Christine were stolen. The churches were broken into probably with a crowbar. Police are investigating.

201 Gravestones Destroyed At Olsztyn Cemetery - Perpetrator Caught

March 23, 2021, Poland

On March 23rd, the municipal police received a report that gravestones had been damaged at the cemetery in Olsztyn. A total of 201 graves were vandalised. A few hours after the report, the police arrested a 38-year-old man. The man confessed the crime of insulting a gravesite in connection with damage to property.

Relic Of St Thérèse Stolen In Clarens

March 23, 2021, Switzerland

On 23 March, the caretaker of the Catholic church in Clarens discovered broken glass and noticed that the piece of cartilage of the parish's patron saint, Saint Theresa of Lisieux, had been stolen from a statue. The chairman of the parish council says: "Materially, there's a bit of a market for relics, but I'm more inclined to think it was sacrilege." The police is investigating.

The Church of Notre Dame du Cierge Vandalized

March 23, 2021, France

On the 23rd of March, a message on a fire extinguisher was found in order to warn the two teenager perpetrators who set fire to the church of Notre Dame du Cierge in Épinal and emptied the fire extinguishers. One of them has been recognized on the 31st of March and the other on 18th April. The first perpetrator was seen in the church, while the other has been seen while entering the church. The police are investigating.

Vandalism and Desecration Of Hospital Chapel In La Rochelle

March 22, 2021, France

On March 22, the chapel of the Saint-Louis Hospital in La Rochelle got severely vandalised and desecrated. "When I knelt down at the altar to begin my prayer, I noticed that something was wrong," explained the chaplain. He noticed that the altar cloths were stained with a yellow liquid and that in front of one of the side chapels an imposing plaster statue of Christ was "pulverised". Matches and a cigarette butts that were found at the scene indicate that the perpetrators tried to set fire to the chapel. The police is investigating.

Catholic Priest in Ireland Fined for Not Restricting Access to Mass

March 22, 2021, Ireland

A Catholic priest in Ireland has been fined 500 Euros because he did not close the doors to his church while we was celebrating mass, so people would not be able join the church service. Due to government health measures, public religious services in the country have been suspended since 7 October 2020. In a parish newsletter, Father P.J. Hughes wrote: “Next Sunday marks the journey of Holy Week. It is hard to believe that for a second year people cannot come to take part in the ceremonies of Holy Week. Despite the size of the church and the holy place that it is because of the presence of Jesus in the Holy Tabernacle, the church has been deemed a hot spot for the spread of the virus by the gardaí.”

Rioters Vandalize Church in Bad Rappenau

March 22, 2021, Germany

Unknown persons rioted inside a church in Bad Rappenau on Monday, 22nd of March between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The perpetrators entered the Protestant church on Kirchplatz and knocked over disinfection dispensers, tore up prayer texts and smashed an altar candle, among other things. They also tore down a picture and threw it on the floor. The damage is amounting to several hundred euros, according to the police. The police called for witnesses testimonies for the investigation.

Vandals Smash Window Of A Church In Catanzaro

March 21, 2021, Italy

During the night of March 20th, unknown perpetrators smashed a window of the Church of Santa Maria della Speranza in Catanzaro by throwing stones against it. According to Mayor Sergio Abraham, the vandalism "strikes directly at the heart of the neighbourhood church, which is a landmark for all residents". The police is investigating.

Vandalism At The Sacred Heart Church In Singen

March 21, 2021, Germany

Unknown persons destroyed windows at the Sacred Heart Church in Singen probably on the weekend of 19-21 March. Since the windows are leaded glass windows, the destruction causes much more financial damage than normal windows. According to the church's pastor, the vandalism is not an isolated case, as the church has been the victim of repeated attacks recently. The police is investigating.

Lazaretto Church Vandalized in Golasseca

March 21, 2021, Italy

On the 21st of March, unknown persons entered the small Church of Lazaretto and vandalized its interior. the Parish priest, Fr. Hervé Simeoni, filed a complaint at the police. The Church was attacked a second time in April.

Two Anti-Christian Attacks In Churches In Nice

March 20, 2021, France

On march 20th, two perpetrators vandalised the interior of a small church in the Saint Isidore district, they also stole several consecrated objects. A few hours later the police arrested the perpetrators with the help of public video recordings. Another incident occurred in parallel at the Basilica of Notre Dame, the church where three Christians were killed by an Islamic Terrorist in October 2020. During this incident a perpetrator, who was later identified and arrested by the police, had praised the terrorist massacre during holy mass.

Rave Party In An Abandoned Armenian Monastery In Cyprus

March 20, 2021, Cyprus

On 20 March, a rave party took place in the Armenian monastery of Sourp Magar in northern Cyprus, which was founded in the 11th century and has been empty since 1974. Although the rave party took place several weeks ago, it only became known this week through a video. The US Ambassador to Cyprus, Judith Garber, condemned the rave party: "The US Embassy strongly condemns the abuse of the Armenian Monastery of Saint Magar. Freedom of worship is a fundamental value and we join religious leaders in calling for all places of worship, whether in use or not, to be protected from abuse, vandalism and desecration."

Perpetrators Rioted Inside Church and Damaged the Organ

March 20, 2021, Germany

Unknown perpetrators rioted in St George's Church in Freistett and damaged the valuable organ. On 20 March, unknown persons entered the open church unnoticed and caused damage amounting to several thousand Euros. Individual church brochures, hymn books and pens were scattered on the floor, the lid from the baptismal font was placed on the altar, the permanent candles extinguished, electricity plugs pulled and the confirmation and baptism fish for good wishes torn. "The perpetrators have (also) wilfully damaged the organ," regretted the church's pastor. CCTV was now installed. The police are investigating.

Forty Religious Objects Recovered After Theft in Ile de France Region

March 20, 2021, France

Numerous religious objects such as statues, altar crosses, Stations of the Cross, reliquaries have been stolen between June and November. The police of Seine et Marne found around 40 objects linked to 26 thefts. The statues of St Joseph were found by an elected representative of the commune on an advertisement website. He contacted the seller and informed the police who went to his home in Montreuil and traced the other stolen religious objects.

Attempted Arson In Protestant Church In Glonn

March 19, 2021, Germany

During the night of March 19th, unknown persons attempted to set fire to the vestibule of the Protestant church in Glonn. According to the police, flyers and other informational leaflets were set on fire. The entrance door, a side table and a carpet were burnt, but the fire did not spread to the whole church. The caused property damage is estimated at about 2.500 Euros.

Church of Saint-Denis de la Croix Rousse Damaged and Vandalized

March 19, 2021, France

On the 19th of March, a forty-three-year-old man, known for fifty previous convictions, vandalized the church of Saint Denis in Croix-Rousse in the district of Lyon. The perpetrator climbed on the altar and knocked down the cross. Three days later, he returned to the church and stole the candlestick. The perpetrator was arrested in Place Tobie-Robatel and brought before the public prosecutor’s office.

Saint-Louis Church in La Roche-sur-Yon Tagged by Anarchists

March 19, 2021, France

On 19 March, the Saint-Louis Church in La Roche-sur-Yon has been tagged by Anarchists. The sentence of ‘’Vive la commune de 1971’’ (long live the 1871 commune) has been tagged in red and signed with an A circled, which is the symbol of the Anarchists. This is not the first time that the church has been targeted. Last March, Saint-Louis Church and the visitation monastery have also been a victim of vandalism with the same anarchist symbol on their wall. An investigation has been opened.

Icons and Walls of Church in Titan Smeared by Radical Left Group

March 18, 2021, Romania

The wooden church in Titan, Bucharest was vandalised by a radical Left group during the night of March 18th. Volunteers from the congregation discovered the damage when they opened the church the next morning. The outside walls of the wooden church were tagged with inscriptions such as "BLM" and "Be Gay do crime", which also covered the icons. BLM is short for Black Lives Matter, the movement in the United States. According to spokesperson of the Romanian Patriarchate, Vasile Bănescus, the act is just the latest example in a long line of violent acts dictated and perpetuated by neo-Marxism.

Perpetrators Vandalise Church Facade in Kożuchów with Threatening Slogans

March 17, 2021, Poland

Unknown perpetrators have vandalised the facade of the parish church in Kożuchów. A threatening slogan in Spanish was tagged on the wall "The only church that lights up is the one that burns". The perpetrators face a sentence of up to five years in prison for destroying property. The police is investigating.

Arson and Vandalism In Church In Gödöllő

March 15, 2021, Hungary

On the evening of March 15th, unknown perpetrators broke into the Greek Orthodox Church of Gödöllő. The perpetrators then set fire to the pews and sprayed an icon with flammable material. Neighbours noticed the fire and immediately alerted the fire brigade. The parish priest described the vandalism as a clearly anti-Christian act and said that damage the vandals caused is estimated to be around 2.5 million HUF. The police is investigating.

Church Window Smashed With Beer Bottles In Bielefeld

March 14, 2021, Germany

On March 14th, unknown persons smashed a church window and knocked over a barrel of gravel in Bielefeld. Police officers were informed and found a broken window and an overturned barrel with gravel. According to current information, the window was broken with two beer bottles. The police is now looking for witnesses.

Vandalism and Theft in the Liebfrau Church in Karlsruhe

March 13, 2021, Germany

An unknown perpetrator entered the Church of Our Lady in Karlsruhe, on the morning of March 13, and stole the condolence book of the pastor, who had recently passed away. Inside the church, as the police reported, the unidentified vandal threw the holy water kettle, candles, glasses, and other objects on the ground. Afterward, the perpetrator disappeared from the church without being recognized.

Disturbing Act of Vandalism At Cork Cemetery

March 13, 2021, Ireland

In the early hours of March 13th, vandals smeared gravestones at a cemetery in Cork. The perpetrators sprayed headstones at St Mary and St John Church in Ballincollig with grafitti. In addition, stones were moved and knocked over. Fianna Fáil councillor Colm Kelleher described the scenes at the cemetery as: "This is someone's family member and for their final resting place to be desecrated in a way like this, it is absolutely disgusting," he said. The police is investigating and confirmed to the Irish Examiner that no arrests have yet been made.

Desecration of 1000-year-old Graveyard on Gorey

March 13, 2021, Ireland

Police are investigating a startling case concerning the 1000-year-old Clonattin graveyard on the outskirts of Gorey. Various headstones were damaged and graffitied with spray paint by currently unknown perpetrators. The spray paint used is a blue paint commonly used to mark roads. Some of the vandalized headstones are important for the Town's history. The damage may be irreversible.

LGBT Activists Vandalise Church and Insult Virgin Mary

March 12, 2021, Slovenia

A group of LGBT activists is said to have graffitied a Churchwall insulting the Virgin Mary. The occurrence happened on 12 March, at the Franciscan Church at the Prešeren square in Ljubljana. The vandals accused God of raping the Virgin Mary. The Spokesperson of the Slovanian Episcopal Conference Dr Tadej Jakopič said in a statement that they do not tolerate any form of intolerance and defamation of churches and requested the authorities to investigate in that case and to take appropriate action. 

Break In to St. John the Baptist Church and Theft of Sacred Objects

March 12, 2021, Germany

The Catholic church of St. John the Baptist in Spahnharrenstätte has been the target of burglars. They stole sacred objects and cash.

Stain Glass Windows of Church in Evreux Broken

March 12, 2021, France

The stain glass windows of the Notre-Dame de Sacquenville church in Evreux (Eure) were broken by unknown vandals. Three of the windows were damaged by rocks and the crime was being investigated. Richard Finix, the mayor of the town, has asked for witnesses to identify the vandals.

Controversial Hate Crime Bill In Scotland Ratified By Parliament

March 11, 2021, United Kingdom

On March 11th, the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood resolved the new Hate Crime Bill with the consent of 82 to 32 votes. The bill intends to "make provision about an offense of racially aggravated harassment, to make provision about offenses relating to stir up hatred against a group of persons, to abolish the common law offense of blasphemy and for connected purposes." Critics now fear that due to the new legislation many who do not intend hate speech could be reported to the police because of it. Moreover, it contradicts the freedom of expression which fundamentally belongs to a free democracy.

Feminists Desecrate And Vandalise Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles Church In Paris

March 10, 2021, France

On March 10th, a group of anti-capitalist feminists sprayed the church of St. Leu-Saint-Gilles in Paris with the following inscriptions: "Nik tout", "Macron in the middle", "Prisons in flames", "anti-capitalist feminists" or "eat my period on your bolo noodle". The anarchist symbol (a circled A) has also been spray-painted on the walls. The Federation of Young Catholics FIDE commented on their Twitter account: "We will never be silent in the face of the attack, the desecration." This case is one in a series of increased vandalistic attacks against churches and Christian buildings in France.

Unknown Perpetrators Vandalise Church Cemetery In London

March 10, 2021, United Kingdom

On 10 March, unknown perpetrators vandalised the cemetery of a church in Barnet, knocking over gravestones and breaking them apart. Now additional surveillance cameras are to be installed to deter future perpetrators. The police is investigating.

A 46-old-man Urinated on the Altar, Stole the Donation, and Emptied the Communion Wine and Holy Water

March 10, 2021, France

On the 10th of March, the church of Notre-Dame in Larmot-Plage in Morbihan has been a victim of theft and vandalism. A 46-old-man broke into the door of the sacristy, moved the crucifix, stole the collection money and the keys of the building, emptied the mass wine as well as the holy water, and urinated at the foot of the altar. The town hall filled a complain to the police and the perpetrator has been identified through his DNA and will appear before the court.

Church Walls In Opole Smeared With Satanist Inscriptions

March 9, 2021, Poland

On the evening of March 9th, a masked vandal scrawled the words "won" and three sixes on the walls of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Opole-Gosławice. The parish is asking for help in identifying the perpetrators and informs that it will hand the case over to the police.

Debate On Banning "Conversion Therapies" In Westminster Hall

March 8, 2021, United Kingdom

MPs in Westminster Hall debated a petition calling for the criminalisation of "conversion therapy" in England and Wales on March 8th. The government has indicated that it considers "conversion therapy" to be extremism. Christians in the UK fear that the criminalisation could restrict religious freedom, which is why the Evangelical Alliance now wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, saying that the ban could "place church leaders at risk of prosecution" but also limit the freedom of people seeking pastoral advise in this matter. It is possible that the LGBT activists deliberately chose a small format in Westminster Hall to avoid opposition in parliament.

Radical Feminists Smear Church In Wuppertal On International Women's Day

March 8, 2021, Germany

In reference to International Women's Day on 8 March, unknown perpetrators spray painted the main portal of the Catholic Church of St. Mary's Conception in Wuppertal, criticising the "patriarchal system" and the "unequal treatment of women". Some of the symbols used in the left-wing extremist scene are also found on house fronts and garages in the surroundings. Chaplain Tobias Menke of the Catholic parish community Wuppertaler Westen commented: "Since the wooden parts and fittings of our portal were also sprayed, the removal will be very costly." "This is quite massive damage to property." The police is investigating.

Extreme Feminists Vandalize Churches in Berga

March 8, 2021, Spain

On the night of March 8th, the feminist group "Xarxa de les Bruixes" went about the town of Berga, lighting fires and spraying purple paint on various churches. Besides this, they also chanted anti-clerical slogans and even sprayed the word "guilty" on a religious images store which was particularly offensive.

Paint Attack to St Martini's Church by Feminist Activists

March 7, 2021, Germany

On the night of the 6th to the 7th of March, vandals painted large parts of the outside walls of St. Martini's church and of the community centre with blue, purple and pink paint. According to the police, images recovered from a surveillance camera show four masked people spraying the exterior walls of the church with fire extinguishers. A feminist group claimed responsibility for the attack, sending an alleged letter of confession, which states that "as long as evangelicals threaten the beautiful life, we will continue to attack them aggressively".

Perpetrators Vandalise Cemetery and Steal Crosses in Dryżykowa

March 5, 2021, Poland

Last Friday, March 5th, unknown perpetrators vandalised a cemetery in Dryżykowa, Zawiercie. Decorative crosses from about 30 gravestones and images of Jesus Christ were stolen. According to the spokeswoman of the Zawiercie district police, they have received three reports of vandalism and theft so far. The police is investigating.