All cases
Desecration and Suspected Theft in Saint-Antoine Chapel in Bourg-en-Bresse
May 6, 2020, FranceIn the night of May 6 to 7 during the confinement, unknown perpetrators broke into the Saint-Antoine chapel in Bourg-en-Bresse. The parish priest found consecrated hosts scattered across the floor on the following morning. It was suspected that at least one chalice had been stolen as well.
Desecrated Tombs in the Eastern Cemetery, Crosses Torn Off And Thrown To The Ground
May 6, 2020, FranceOn 6. May, the eastern cemetery was found desecrated. Twenty-one wooden crosses were torn down and thrown to the ground. The cemetery was closed due to the Pandemic, which gave the opportunity for the perpetrators to vandalize it. The mayor condemned the desecration and announced that Nice would file a complaint to the police.
Abortion Images Banned After Pro-Life Campaign in Town Square
May 6, 2020, United KingdomOn 6th May, a judge ruled that the display of abortion images was a visual equivalent of "shouting into a person's face", and was, therefore, right to ban it. The pro-life organizer Mr. Hacking was given a community protection notice forbidding him the display of large photos of a fetus. The reasons were that people felt distressed and emotionally, mentally or even physically harmed through the images of the aborted fetus. Mr. Hacking said, that the real victim isn't the viewer who is negatively impacted by the visualization, but rather the unborn child.
Salzburg Catholic Organization Targeted with "Pro Choice" Vandalism
May 5, 2020, AustriaThe cars belonging to the Catholic initiative, HOME Mission Base Salzburg, were sprayed with "Pro Choice" and the windows were smashed by unknown vandals.
Wooden Cross in Church Courtyard Set on Fire
May 5, 2020, GermanyUnknown persons set fire to a three-meter-high wooden cross in the inner courtyard of the parish hall of the Catholic parish Edith Stein in Ludwigshafen during the night from May 4th to 5th. The main pillar was scorched by the fire. The police estimate the damage at 200 euros.
Three Meter Cross is Set on Fire in a Parish House in Ludwigshafen
May 5, 2020, GermanyBetween Monday 4th May and Tuesday 5th May, unknown individuals set fire to a wooden cross in the courtyard of the parish house of the Catholic parish of Edith-Stein in Ludwigshafen. The cross was three meters high, which was completely burnt and caused damage of around 200 Euro. The police started the investigations.
Mayor Decided to Close the Church and Forbids Entry
May 5, 2020, FranceOn Sunday 5th April,in the church of Saint-Martin in Menetou Ratel an anti-Catholic incident occurred. A family who wished to enter the church for meditation and prayer was forbidden the entry, as the mayor decided to close the church until further notice .
Graffiti About Burning the Church on The Parish of Santa María Magdalena
May 5, 2020, SpainOn 5ht May, the façade of the church of St. Mary Magdalene was painted with some graffitis: ''The only Church that illuminates is the one that burns" and an anarchist symbol.'' The priest Fr. Lozano found this painting on the wall next morning and posted a video to share his reflection on what happened and the readings that we can extract from them.
Cemetery Devastated Several Times in Martinique
May 5, 2020, FranceThe days before 5th May, the Riviere-Salée cemetery was repeatedly devastated by unknown vandals. Several vaults were damaged, the locks were forced, the doors were displaced, and the flowers were overturned. There were also bottles and garbage on the ground. The fence surrounding the cemetery was gaping. Therefore, there is a high probability that the perpetrators came during the night. The police are investigating.
The Olárizu Cross Painted with Graffiti in Vitoria
May 3, 2020, SpainOn the 3rd of May, the Cross of Olarizu was sighted with Graffitis of the symbol of the left political party, the words "feminism", "socialism" and "independence". The Cross had also been severely damaged in 2018, the perpetrators said it belonged to the past.
Theft of All Equipment for Online Church Service in Wermelskirchen
May 3, 2020, GermanyUnknown perpetrators stole all of the technical equipment of the Protestant Free Church in Dabringhausen on May 4th, which was vital in times of COVID-19 in order to be able to provide Sunday service online to the church community. The police presumed that the perpetrator must have had a car to transport all of the equipment and probably let him- or herself lock in, in the church on the evening before because no indication for a break-in was found. It is difficult for the church to quickly organize and finance new equipment, so that the online-service is not stopped for too long and also the re-opening of the church for small groups is halted due to police investigations at the church venue.
Arson with Gasoline at Village Church Caused Serious Damage
May 3, 2020, FranceIn the village Marais-la-Chapelle, during the night of 2nd to 3rd May, an arson attack took place in the entrance of the Church. The firefighters were called by a resident. There were traces of fuel detected in the findings. The oak door was destroyed and the flower pots melted, the interior of the church was blackened by the smoke, and the electrical structure was damaged.
Statue of Our Lady of Lourdes Destroyed
May 3, 2020, FranceOn the 3rd of May, in Munster, some vandals destroyed the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. A cross has already been vandalised in this town in 2018.
Evangelicals Harassed and workers Discriminated Against
May 3, 2020, SpainThe Federation of Evangelical Entities of Spain (FEREDE) has denounced a ‘fierce media harassment’ on faithful as well as pastors in the churches in Torrejón de Ardoz. It has also denounced all forms of discrimination that the workers have been facing for their confession. The data provided by Health on the coronavirus had also denied that the COVID-19 cases are linked to evangelical churches in Torrejón.
Burglary at the Secours Catholique in Vallée-du-Tir
May 2, 2020, FranceIn New Caledonia, the Headquarters of the Charity of catholic organization Secours Catholique, was raided during the weekend of 2. and 3. May. The thieves broke down the doors, smashed the walls and ceiling. They stole computers, food and clothing. The attack destroyed 10 years of the association's work. The organization's headquarters were also ransacked for the first time in September 2019.
Chapel of Calvary Burned Down in Hautmont
May 2, 2020, FranceThe Chapel of Calvary was burned down during the night of 1st and 2nd May by unknown perpetrators. The same chapel was already vandalized in August 2016.
Smashed Windows of the Church in Frankenau
May 2, 2020, GermanyIn Frankenau, unknown perpetrators smashed the windows of the Church. The windows were discovered on 2nd May by the women who worked in the herb garden. This was the first case of vandalism in this church. The police is looking for the perpetrators and asking for clues. They suspect that the damage was made by a slingshot and a thick stone.
Crimes Against Churches in Austria
May 2, 2020, AustriaThe recent attack in December to Church St. Andrä in Graz brought questions about the hostility towards churches in Austria. The Minister of the Interior, Karl Nehammer, affirmed that between 2015 to 2019, 4657 crimes have been committed against religious buildings in Austria. In Styria alone, there have been 608 cases of attacks against churches.
Vandalism and Theft of Sacred Historical Objects
May 1, 2020, ItalyBetween end of April and the beginning of May, unknown perpetrators entered the small Church of San Francesco d'Assisi in Martirano. They ripped off two sacred objects from the walls and escaped. The sacred objects were of green stone and carved by an unknown sculptor. They weigh around 30 to 40 kilograms each, and dated back to the period between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The carabinieri started investigating the crime. The perpetrators may have placed the stolen objects on the black market. To date, in the area of Martirano, this is the first theft against a sacred building.
Statue of the Virgin Mary Decapitated
April 30, 2020, FranceOn the 30. April in Bonnieux, a statue of the Virgin Mary was destroyed. Its head was taken off and placed on a metal bar on the fence of the sanctuary.