All cases
A Church Vandalized with Graffiti in Marseille
August 7, 2020, FranceOn the 7th August, graffiti were found on the facade of the former church of the Mission de France in rue du Tapis-Vert in Marseille. The Graffiti were probably made at different times.
Three Statues of The Church of Saint-André Destroyed
August 7, 2020, FranceDuring the last weeks before the 7th August, there were three acts of vandalism in St. Andrew Church in the historic center of Niort. It is suspected that the vandals came during the nights from Thursday to Friday and destroyed several statues of the church. The Statue of the infant Jesus, carried in the arms of St. Anthony was left in a thousand pieces. Some pieces were thrown in a trash can near the monument. The Church remained closed for safety, and the parish filed a complaint to the police.
‘Weapon’ Used to Target Staveley Church
August 7, 2020, United KingdomBetween the night of 7th to 8th August, the windows of the Methodist Church in Staveley were attacked. Small holes were found in the windows. The size indicates that a sort of weapon was used, and witnesses reported sounds of gunfire. Similar holes were also found in the stained-glass windows at St. John the Baptist Church.The Police are investigating.
The Aravaca Hermitage Spray-Painted With Satanic Graffiti on Its Exterior and Church Vandalized
August 6, 2020, SpainOn the 6th August, the hermitage of Our Lady of the Good Way in Aravaca spray-painted with satanic graffiti and insults to the Church on its exterior walls. There were poorly painted pentagrams and graffiti with the number 666, associated with the devil in the Bible, and other insults.
Church Windows Damaged by Fire
August 6, 2020, GermanyOn the 6th August, particularly in the period from Tuesday 8pm to Wednesday 11am, unknown perpetrators damaged the windows of St. Laurentius in Neuenkirchen. In addition, they had set fire to an object.
Excrements found inside Saint-Maclou Cathedral
August 6, 2020, FranceThe Saint-Maclou Cathedral in Pontoise was soiled by human excrements three times within a week, French newspaper Le Parisien reported on August 6. The town council and the team responsible for the maintenance of the church began to look for solutions.
Image of the Madonna and Crosses Vandalized in A Shrine
August 6, 2020, ItalyOn the 6th August, in the village of Pescina, the Sactuary was found vandalized. The image of the Madonna was torn to pieces and the crosses were damaged. All along the path to the Shrine, the symbols and flowers were torn off. The police was notified.
Christ Decapitated on Wayside Crucifix in Durlangen
August 5, 2020, GermanyUnknown perpetrators decapitated a statue of Christ on a large wayside cross standing in Durlangen. The police are uncertain when the incident occurred and have not identified the perpetrators. Damage is estimated to be around 2,000 Euros.
Vandalism of Christ Statue in Velbert
August 5, 2020, GermanyRed paint was discovered sprayed on a statue of Christ on the Cross in front of the Kirche St. Joseph in Velbert on August 5, 2020.
Vandalized Graves in Cemetery of Saveuse
August 4, 2020, FranceAbout fifteen graves were vandalized on 4th August in the cemetery of the town Saveuse. Vandalism was discovered by a woman who was visiting the cemetery. The police started investigating the scene. Many plaques were broken, the decorations were smashed, and crosses were damaged or displaced.
Church Windows Damaged by Arson Attack
August 4, 2020, GermanyOn the night of 4th to 5th August, the Church St. Laurentius in Neuenkirchen suffered an arson attack. Through the fire, a wooden window was damaged. The perpetrators placed an object between the window grille and the frame and set fire to it. The police is asking for clues from witnesses.
Vandalism and Theft in Pavignano Parish House
August 3, 2020, ItalyUnknown perpetrator(s) ransacked two rooms in the parish house of Pavignano, cut open mattresses and stole two TVs and an image of the Virgin Mary. The inside of the rooms left an image of complete destruction. The police opened an investigation and suspected a person from the Biella region to be the perpetrator, as the same person is suspected to have vandalized the church walls with insulting inscriptions against the police only a few days earlier.
Feminists Interrupted a Prayer in Parish Two Days in a Row and Threatened with Death
August 3, 2020, SpainOn Monday 3th and Tuesday 4th August, the Parish of San Francisco de Paula was attacked by a group of uniformed teenage girls of extremist ideology. They interrupted the prayers for the victims of Covid-19 and insulted, threatened the parishioners with death and shouted at the ones present, asking them to leave the country. The most present were elderly citizens. They tried to climb up to the altar. The parish priest tried to file a complaint to the police for hate crime, but he was ignored by the agents. Being ignored by the police, he contacted the mother of one of the girls who attacked the parish, who also showed rejection but accepted to talk to her daughter. After media pressure, the police started investigating and filed the case.
Monument Of a Cross in Front Of The Cemetery Partly Destroyed
August 3, 2020, FranceBetween the 3rd and 4th August, in Pujaut, the monument of a cross in front of the cemetery was partly destroyed. A part of the stone pedestal and the cross, that was on top, were destroyed. The mayor of Pujaut wants an explanation for the degradation.
Under Investigation: Fire Severely Damages the 13th Century Church of San Martín de Plasencia
August 2, 2020, SpainA large fire caused serious damage during the night of August 2nd inside the iglesia de San Martín de Plasencia, the oldest in the city, and affected a valuable altarpiece by the painter Luis de Morales 'El Divino' from the 16th century and which presides over the main nave.
Severe Arson Attack in St. Martin Church
August 2, 2020, SpainOn the 2nd August, Saint Martin Church in Plasencia was severely set on fire. The perpetrators have not yet been identified. The costs of the damage were around 9,000 euros for the drafting of the project and 400,000 for the restoration.
Vandalism of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gallipoli
August 1, 2020, ItalyDuring the night of August 1st vandals toppled over and smashed a stone holy water stoup in the small arena where religious masses are celebrated outdoors in the summer at the church of the Chiesa della Beata Vergine Maria Regina in Baia Verde di Gallipoli. The priest of the parish, Don Salvatore Leopizzi was immediately informed and saddened by the incident, which was not the first one to happen in his church. A police report was filed.
Under Investigation: Fire in Front of Church Saint Maximin in Wülfrath
August 1, 2020, GermanyIn the early morning hours of August 1st, the Wülfrath fire brigade was called because of a fire on the premises of Saint Maximin Catholic Church endangering the church building, which is currently under construction. The fire was contained after 45 minutes and did not cause any damage to the church. The cause of the fire is unknown and arson has not been ruled out. The police are investigating.
Open Air Church Vandalized and Urinated
August 1, 2020, ItalyOn the 1st to 2nd August, in the small village of Porto San Paolo, the Open-Air Chapel was vandalized. A group of people urinated in the stoup and threw the Statue of the Madonna to the ground. They also damaged a rear window of a car parked nearby.
Arson in Church in Spain Caceres Caused 420,000 Euros Damage
August 1, 2020, SpainIn August 2020 some reckless minors set fire to the church of San Martín de Plasencia in Cáceres, Spain. After analysing the damage caused by the fire to the church's roof and altarpiece bishop José Luis Retana, bishop of Plasencia, announced that the restoration will cost 420,000 Euros. Four Spanish institutions have agreed on collaborating to repair the church. The elements most damaged by the fire were the roof and the altarpiece, which was a 16th-century Mannerist style piece by Luis de Morales. Bishop Retana hopes for the restoration to begin as soon as possible so that the church can be reopened in time for a sacred exhibition of Castilla y León in Spring of 2022. It is unknown whether or not the culprits have faced legal consequences.