All cases
Rave Party In An Abandoned Armenian Monastery In Cyprus
March 20, 2021, CyprusOn 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, GermanyUnknown 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, FranceNumerous 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, GermanyDuring 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, FranceOn 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, FranceOn 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, RomaniaThe 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, PolandUnknown 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, HungaryOn 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, GermanyOn 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, GermanyAn 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, IrelandIn 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, IrelandPolice 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, SloveniaA 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, GermanyThe 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, FranceThe 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 KingdomOn 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, FranceOn 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 KingdomOn 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, FranceOn 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, PolandOn 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 KingdomMPs 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, GermanyIn 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, SpainOn 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, GermanyOn 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, PolandLast 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.
A Bronze Statue of Saint-Mary Stolen from the Cemetery of Allériot
March 5, 2021, FranceOn 5 May, the 19th century bronze statue of the virgin has been stollen from the cemetery of Allériot. Last April, two angels and other statues in the same area have also been stolen.
Easter Services Still Banned In Ireland
March 4, 2021, IrelandWhile supermarkets and hardware stores remained open under security measures during Easter, Christians in Ireland were unable to attend religious services for their biggest celebration, as churches, unlike public transport, were deemed dangerous. The restrictions on religious freedom adopted by the Irish government are those of the greatest magnitude compared to other European states. For violating the ban on worship or visiting churches, believers can be fined or imprisoned for up to six months. ADF International has now challenged the worship ban in court, following a successful challenge to a similar ban in Scotland.
Church in Krakow Profaned and Damaged
March 3, 2021, PolandOn the evening of March 2nd, a group of youths attempted to break into the church and desecrate the shrine of Our Lady of Myślenice. After failing to do so, they began vandalising the area around the shrine and damaging the epitaph on the façade with a bottle, which was recorded by CCTV cameras. The spokesman for the Krakow Curia, Father Łukasz Michalczewski, explained that the attack was not random, as the perpetrators recorded the incident with a mobile phone. The case is being investigated by the police.
Repeated Paint Attacks by Pro-Choice Group on Church in Berlin
March 3, 2021, GermanyOn the night of March 3rd, St Elisabeth's Church in Berlin-Schöneberg was attacked with paint for the third time by pro-choice activists. The perpetrators sprayed slogans with "My body, My choice" on the church walls to the right and left of the main portal. Although the perpetrators are not yet known, the attack is in line with two very similar attacks last year, after which there were letters of confession from a left-wing extremist pro-choice group. For this reason it is assumed that the same group is responsible for the crime occurring this year. The damage amounts to about 4000€, which the parish has to pay for itself. The police is investigating.
Intruders Vandalize Church and Attack Priest
March 3, 2021, PolandPaweł S., 21, and Mikołaj K., 19, organized an alcoholic binge on March 3rd, in an old church in Budziwoj. They entered the temple by breaking three windows and while they were there, smashed chairs, benches, and the main and side altars causing damage of 10,000 zloty. Priest, Fr. Mieczysław Lignowski, was alerted by parishioners of the activity, and then tried to prevent the vandals from escaping by blocking the entrance. He was hit several times by Mikołaj, but the police arrived in time to catch the perpetrators.
Vandals Set Fire to Church Door in Corleone
March 1, 2021, ItalyOn the morning of March 1st, the Church of Sant'Agostino in Corleone was attacked by unknown vandals. The perpetrators set fire to the entrance door of the church. The fire brigade immediately intervened and extinguished the fire to prevent greater damage to the 15th century church. The police is investigating.
Perpetrator Filmed Himself Smashing The Statue of Notre-Dame-des-Marais
February 28, 2021, FranceThe statue of Notre-Dame-des-Marais in the church of Saint-Sulpice in Fougères was a victim of an act of vandalism. The 62-Kilogram statue, which stands more than three meters high, was thrown to the ground by a man, aged around 50 and believed to be a local resident. He filmed his act in a fifteen-minute video entitled "Divine Justice." He made remarks before the act of vandalism. He said: "No nudity and no idols, we are in the church of Jesus Christ here, so this is all a joke, this statue does not belong in my church." The police in Fougères have opened an investigation.
Unknown Perpetrators Steal Monstrances and Paten From Church In Freiburg
February 27, 2021, GermanyUnknown perpetrators stole two monstrances and a paten from the parish church of St. Konrad and Elisabeth in Freiburg during the night of February 26th. According to the police, the perpetrators broke open the outer door and got inside the church, where three religious objects, two valuable monstrances and a gold-plated paten, were stolen. The damage caused by the theft amounts to about 7,000 euros. According to Father Frank Prestel, the theft of the monstrances and the paten had damaged "the heart of the Eucharist" and the crime was part of a series of recent burglaries in churches in the area. The police is investigating.
Majority of Hate Crime Victims (42%) Are Catholics
February 26, 2021, United KingdomRecent figures show that Catholics are the most common victims of religious prejudice and hate crime in Scotland. 42% of religiously motivated hate crimes are perpetrated against Catholics, compared to 26% against Muslims and 10% against Protestants. In contrast, Scottish Government figures show that racially-motivated hate crimes have fallen by 20% between 2014-15 and 2019-20. At the same time, the hate crime rate against transgender persons doubled in number. Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie expressed that hate crime is an "under-reported offence", which means that victims "can be targeted on numerous occasions before they report to our officers".
Arson at the Church of Aranova
February 26, 2021, ItalyOn February 26th, three youths vandalised the Church of Our Lady of Fatima in Aranova. The three perpetrators entered the church, set fire to the canopy and damaged the lectern. Local politicians described this as a very serious act that desecrated a sacred place of great value for all people who profess the Catholic faith and all those who believe in freedom of worship.
Spain Permits Feminist Marches, While Still Restricting All Forms of Worship Including Easter Celebrations
February 26, 2021, SpainThe Spanish authorities still maintain severe restrictions on public meetings and also religious services. In late February it was officially announced that public marches with up to 500 participants will be allowed on the International Women's Day, March 8th, which was demanded by feminist groups. At the same time, restrictions have already been announced for Holy Week celebrations and other church-related festivals, on the grounds that Holy Week processions are riskier than Women's Day marches. Fr Francisco José Delgado criticised the official decisions, saying that they were not primarily a matter of health policy: "The Ministry of Health advises against these marches, showing this is more about the political confrontation between the political parties in the government than from a real concern for the health of the people, which has been missing in the decisions that have been made since the pandemic started".
Christian NHS Director and Judge Loses His Appeal Against Being Fired Over Expressing His Traditional View On Family
February 26, 2021, United KingdomRichard Page, NHS director and judge, has lost his appeal after being dismissed and now wants to take his case to the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeal had ruled last Friday that his dismissals were lawful after Page said in a television interview in 2016 that children grow up best with a mother and a father. At the time, Page, who is now 74 and from Kent, was presiding over an adoption case and said he was discriminated against because of his Christian beliefs on parenthood. Since then, he has been fighting decisions to remove him from his positions and is supported by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC).
'No-Protest-Zones' Around Abortion Clinics Demanded in Edinburgh
February 24, 2021, United Kingdom"Buffer zones" around abortion clinics are to be introduced in Edinburgh to prohibit pro-life activists from standing and praying around the clinics. The buffer zones are initiated by a campaign of university students called "Back off Scotland", who got supported by the city council's policy committee. The campaign group repeatedly called for 150-meter "no protest zones" outside the entrance to Chalmers Street Sexual Health Centre after a survey showed that pro-life protests outside the clinic made the majority of women feel uncomfortable. The pro-life activists say their aim is to support women to make a different choice and the wrong allegations towards them are neither supported by Police Scotland, NHS Lothian nor the council itself.
Saint Joseph Chapel In Lille Demolished For New University Building
February 24, 2021, FranceThe chapel of the former Jesuit college Saint-Joseph in Lille, which dates back to the 19th century but was not classified as a historical monument, was demolished on 24 February. Previously, the association 'Urgences Patrimoine' had appealed against the decision before the Lille Administrative Court, but was not successful. The chapel is part of a complex that is to be completely redesigned as part of a campus project led by Junia, a major engineering school and member of the university. It envisages 40,000 m2 of teaching space, including 22,000 new rooms and an investment of almost 128 million euros. As part of this, the chapel, which is desanctified, had to be demolished.
Fire Broke out in the Holy Cross Church
February 24, 2021, FranceOn 24th February, a fire broke out in the Sainte-Croix church and burnt around 20 square meters. Stained glass windows were also blown out. There were damage to the side entrance and the chapel. The parish suspected arson since neither electricity was installed nor the stored candles were used.
Baeza: Phrases Against Priest Written on Church
February 24, 2021, SpainIn February, The facade of the parish church in Baeza was targeted with graffiti that said "priest, you and your bells are worse than the Covid". The priest, Juan Quiles, was surprised by the inscriptions and explained how the bells had always rung without complaints and said "they only ring when necessary." The police of Baeza was notified of the incident and commented, "I think this is something more than an (act of) hooliganism."
Irish Bishop Banned By Twitter For Criticising Euthanasia
February 20, 2021, IrelandAfter criticising the Irish government's plans to legalise euthanasia, Twitter has banned the Irish bishop Kevin Doran on February 20th. In his tweet, he spoke out about the Christian dignity in dying, paradoxically Twitter argues "he violated their rules by promoting (..) suicide or self-harm" because the tweet mentioned the term "Assisted Suicide" in it, which he opposes. According to writer David Quinn, Twitter has turned the bishop down on appeal.
Vandals Smear Church in Warsaw With Red Paint
February 19, 2021, PolandDuring the night of February 19th, unknown perpetrators sprayed red paint on the doors and walls of the historic St Augustine's Church in Wola, Warsaw. After the police started an investigation in which they also released a video showing the suspect, the police arrested two men in connection with the case.
Christian Actress Sues After being Fired for Biblical Facebook Post, Court Rules Against Her
February 18, 2021, United KingdomIn March 2019, Christian West End actress, Seyi Omooba, was removed from a leading role in a musical and dropped from her agency for a Facebook post about homosexuality citing the Bible over four years earlier. With representation by the Christian Legal Centre, she launched a legal challenge on September 30th against Leicester Curve Theatre and her agency, Global Artists, for breach of contract and anti-Christian discrimination.On November 25th, the judge rejected arguments from Seyi Omoobas lawyers that the theatre critic, Lloyd Evans should be allowed to give evidence in her claim. The trail of Omooba's religious discrimination and breach of contract claim is scheduled to run for 11 days next February. After the last ruling of the court she was offered a compensation which she reclined arguing that it was disproportional. In its latest decision the court ruled against the actress.
Facebook Page of Core Issues Trust (CIT) Taken Down
February 18, 2021, United KingdomIn February, Facebook permanently deleted the page of Core Issues Trust (CIT) on the grounds that the charity is in breach of its community standards. Since June 2020, LGBT activists have viciously attacked the site and refused to recognise people who previously identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. During this time, Facebook did not respond to the attacks against CIT and its employees, even though their personal safety was at risk. Now Dr. Mike Davidson, CEO of CIT, wrote a statement on the case in which he makes clear to continue to platform "the voices of those who with free conscience express the transformation they experience and the Christian convictions that are important to them and protected by Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights".
Polish Musician on Trial for Desecrating the Virgin Mary
February 18, 2021, PolandFrontman of the extreme metal band 'Behemoth' Nergal is accused of having offended religious sentiment in Poland. He posted a picture in 2019 on his Facebook account where he is stepping on a picture of the Virgin Mary. The case came to court after the conservative groups 'Ordo Iuris' and 'The Patriotic Society' claimed that some people including a Polish politician felt offended by the published photo. In a first hearing earlier this year an unnamed religious expert testified that "treading with a shoe on the image of the Mother of God is an offence against religious feelings". Adam Darski, Nergals formal name, has been found guilty and has to pay a fine of €2.900 plus an additionally €678 as court costs. "The Satanist of Warsaw" as he is named on YouTube, is challenging the guilty verdict and the fine. The case is now expected to proceed to a full trial. According to article 196 of Poland's penal code, Darski is now facing a prison sentence of up to two years, if found guilty in the trial.
Vandals Destroy Statue Of Virgin Mary In Czestochowa
February 17, 2021, PolandDuring the night of February 17th, unknown perpetrators destroyed the statue of the Virgin Mary in the parish of the first Martyrs of Poland, Czestochowa. The statue which represents the Virgin Mary had its hands cut off and the surrounding area vandalised, flowers and candles were scattered. According to the parish priest, Father Jasionek, the incident was not reported to the police: "I did not report it to the police because I think it is not a material loss but a moral loss and the police will not help us in this matter."
Attempted Arson in Church in Piedimonte Matese
February 17, 2021, ItalyOn February 17th, three unknown young men tried so set fire to the Madonna delle Grazie church in Piedimonte Matese. The young men were supposedly noticed by a resident who immediately alerted the police. However, the vandals managed to escape. The case is being investigated by the police.
Church in Sligo Attacked With Red Graffiti
February 17, 2021, IrelandOn February 16th unknown perpetrators attacked a catholic church in Sligo with red graffiti. The incident occurred after politician Tánaiste Leo Varadkar appeared on the Irish RTE programme "Prime Time" in which he claimed that dead babies were buried in a tank in Tuam. Varadkar referred to the mother and child home in Tuam that was run by the church and were it was recently discovered that mothers and babies have been severely abused and even a mass grave for babies were found. Sligo is about a 50-minute drive from Tuam. According to the Irish government, there is no evidence that babies are buried in a tank in Tuam. So far it is not known whether the two cases are related.