All cases
Cross from Tabernacle Stolen in St Gudula's Church
February 10, 2021, GermanyOn February 10, between 5 pm and 6 pm, thieves stole the tabernacle cross from the high altar of St. Gudula's Church in Rhede. The case was reported to the police, which started searching for information regarding the theft.
Arson at Fulda Cathedral
February 10, 2021, GermanyPeople witnessed a fire at Fulda Cathedral and alerted the police, on the 10th of February. The authorities started to conduct an investigation searching for a suspect. Fortunately, no one was injured but there is no information about the amount of damage caused by the fire.
Radical Feminists Attacked Austrian Platform For Christian Democracy With Paint
February 8, 2021, AustriaOn February 8th, radical feminist groups disrupted a solidarity rally, in front of the Polish embassy in Vienna, of the Platform for Christian Democracy. The Platform demands an end to the discrimination against people with disabilities and therefore wanted to demonstrate its support for the new amendment of the Polish abortion law, which denies abortion on the ground of eugenics. After interrupting the march, the perpetrators smeared the Platforms' office walls with radical feminists and insulting slogans, reading "fundamentalists abort them". The Platform filed a complaint at the police who is investigating.
Vandals Smash Windows Of Four East Cambridgeshire Churches
February 7, 2021, United KingdomBetween 6-7 February, unknown perpetrators broke into St Peter's Church in Wentworth, St Michael and All Angels Church in Chettisham, St Mary's Church in Ely and St Andrew's Church in Witchford, smashing stained glass windows and breaking vases. Michael Ritcher, churchwarden of Chettisham Parish, said, "They broke two windows to get in - one in the vestry and another in the main church. They've done quite a bit of damage." The police is investigating.
Car of a Priest Severely Vandalised in Glasgow
February 6, 2021, United KingdomOn February 6th, vandals demolished the car of a priest of St James the Great Church in Crookston, Glasgow. In addition to a completely smashed windscreen the car's wing mirrors were also severely damaged. According to a post in the church's Facebook group 2-3 youths have been seen vandalising the car. The police is investigating.
Exhibition On John Paul II Vandalised
February 5, 2021, GermanyOn February 5th, unknown perpetrators destroyed the panels of the exhibition "John Paul II - Pope of Dialogue", prepared by the John Paul II Memorial Centre in Warsaw in cooperation with the Polish Embassy at the Basilica of St John the Baptist in Berlin. John Paul II's face was painted over with red paint. A red lightning bolt - the symbol of the so-called women's strike - was painted on the fence of the neighbouring headquarters of the papal nunciature. The police is investigating.
ADF International and Pro-Life Prayer Group Challenge Public Prayer Prohibition at Court
February 3, 2021, GermanyIn 2019, the local authority of Pforzheim, Germany, prohibited the assemblies of the "40 Days for Life" group that was peacefully and silently praying in front of an abortion advisory center. The group's concern is to pray for women struggling with abortion and for their unborn children and to offer them support. The legal human rights organization ADF International is now challenging the prohibition in court, in order to ensure that the group's fundamental rights to freedom of religion, assembly, and speech will be reinstalled.
Devastation Of Church In Oborniki
February 2, 2021, PolandOn February 2nd vandals smeared the walls of the church in Oborniki. The graffiti contained slogans like "Blood on my hands" and accusations against the priest of the parish Father Rydzyk. The local police is investigating and trying to identify the perpetrator(s) by analyzing the surveillance recordings.
Unknown Perpetrators Set Fire in Church in Bischofsreut Twice
February 2, 2021, GermanyThe first arson attack was on February 2nd, as unknown persons tried start a fire in the gallery of the church in Bischofsreut using paper. This was discovered 3 days later, on February 5th, when unknown perpetrators attacked a second time, this time setting fire to the same place. This resulted in a damage of around 100 Euros. According to the police, between 2.15 and 3.15 p.m., the arsonist(s) were in the church and set fire to a sheet on the floor and several pieces of paper they had found in the building. Before any major damage was done, the perpetrators put out the fire with disinfectant.
Church Closed After Vandals Set Fire to the Pedestal of the Statue of San Vincenzo Next to the Church
February 2, 2021, ItalyOn February 2nd, unknown persons set fire to the pedestal of the statue of San Vincenzo next to the San Vincenzo Church. San Vincenzo is the patron saint of the San Vincenzo Church in Cremnago. Some of the parish members saw the flames and other witnesses say they saw some boys running away from the church at the time of the crime. The damage to the statue, which was immediately taken to the sacristy, is fortunately not severe. After the incident the church decided to close its doors for a couple of days and only reopen during liturgical celebrations.
Christian Conservative Institution in Slovenia Vandalised
February 2, 2021, SloveniaVandals graffitied the facade of the Christian conservative institution Zavod Iskreni in Slovenia on the night of 2 February. The perpetrators broke the windows and smeared the entrance door of the institute with swastikas and wrote the word "corruption" on it. Minister of Defence Matej Tonin condemns this vandalism as a "systematic attack on Christian values". The police are investigating.
Parish Office in Bochum devastated by Vandals
February 2, 2021, GermanyIn February, the parish office behind the church of St. Mary was devastated in Bochum-Langendreer. The Catholic community has been target from vandals repeatedly during 2021.
Church Window Damaged in Schweinheim
February 1, 2021, GermanyOn February 1st, unknown perpetrators damaged a church window in Schweinheim. Several thousands of Euros of damage are expected. Police is investigating.
Burglary Leaves Church Unable To Play Music At Funerals
January 31, 2021, United KingdomOn January 31st, a break-in at the St Thomas's Church in Dudley in the Black Country has left the church unable to play music at funerals. There were no historical items taken from the church, but a computer tablet was stolen that implied that the church would no be able to amplify voices or play recorded music at funerals. The police is investigating.
Suspect Arrested After Investigation for Vandalism in Church
January 31, 2021, United KingdomJanuary 31st , a church in the Derry County was vandalised and the police started an investigation. Sectarian slogans and initials of loyalist paramilitary organisations were written on the walls of St Mary's Church in Limavady. According to details provided by the police they were looking for a man during the week of February 7th, when they finally arrested him on that date.
Hate Crime Against St Mary's Church In Limavady
January 30, 2021, United KingdomOn January 31st, the St Mary's Church in Limavady was target of a hate crime. Vandals sprayed the acronyms "UVP" and "UFF" onto the church walls on Irish Green Street and moreover damaged a statue. The Ulster Freedom Fighter (UFF) is known to be a cover name for the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), an umbrella group of various loyalist groups. The UFF is suspected to have killed more than 250 people.
Graffiti and Damage On A Newly Restored Church In Arcisate
January 30, 2021, ItalyOn January 30th, after finishing restoration works of several months, the restorers of the San Vittore Martire Church in Arcisate discovered a graffiti on the side wall of the church. Additionally, the vandals urinated on the church wall and in the corners. The work was halted for two days over the weekend, but it is likely that these acts took place the night before the weekend because the plaster was still fresh. Measures must now be taken to restore it.
Baby Jesus Stolen from Nativity in Riedlingen
January 28, 2021, GermanyThe wooden Baby Jesus figure was stolen from the nativity scene at the St. Georg church in Riedlingen on September 28th. It was not know who stole the figure which is of great value to the church.
Church in Bellevue Defaced with Anti-Christian Tags
January 28, 2021, FranceA Bellevue church was tagged with Anti-Chritian slogans, as discovered by the police on the 28th of January. The walls and doors of the Bellevue parish were covered with inscriptions.
Attempted Arson On Saint-Paul Church In Montpellier
January 25, 2021, FranceOn January 25th, unknown perpetrators attempted to set fire to the Saint-Paul Church located in the district of Mosson. The priest discovered thick smoke coming out of the worship room, which emerged from a wooden table. Ash was found on the table coming from a pile of papers, which indicates that the table was deliberately set on fire. Another indication for a case of arson is an obscene graffiti on a figure of Jesus Christ which was found on the walls of the building. Fire fighters were able to put out the fire but still damage was caused.