All cases

Cartoon Mocked the Church and the Pope

February 23, 2020, Spain

A blasphemous cartoon of the Pope and the Church was published by the Newspaper "El Diario", showing the Pope with a huge bag of money, paying the media.

Satanic Signs At Christ The Redeemer Church

February 23, 2020, Poland

An unknown person profaned the church of Christ The Redeemer in Konskie by writing: "You have god 666" (this number is a symbol of Satan in the bible) on the church walls. The inscription has been removed and a penitential service has been held in the church.

Surveillance System Installed in Church due to Vandalism

February 23, 2020, United Kingdom

Due to repeated vandalism, drug-dealing, and abuse of volunteers in the Holy Trinity Church in Exmouth, a surveillance system with seven cameras will be installed as a "necessary security measure."

Saint Louis Cathedral and Statue of Pierre Belain Vandalized with Tags

February 23, 2020, France

On the night between Sunday, February 24, 2020, to Monday, February 24, 2020, the Saint-Louis Cathedral and the statue of Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc were covered with tags

Charente-Maritime: the Church of Port-d'Envaux desecrated, vandalized, and looted

February 22, 2020, France

Parishioners discovered vandalism, desecration, and theft in the Saint-Saturnin-de-Séchaud church in Port d'Envaux on February 22nd. They found the door of the sacristy broken, the door of the tabernacle forced open, consecrated hosts stolen, and the altar of the Virgin Mary damaged. All objects of value were stolen from the sacristy.

Saint Nicolás Cross Set On Fire

February 22, 2020, Spain

On February 22th , the Saint Nicolás cross from the 17th century in Avilés was set on fire. Young people poured flammable liquid and then stayed to watch the fire, which was stopped by some neighbours. The police was able to identify the perpetrators.

Catholic Church in Vallendar Vandalised

February 21, 2020, Germany

Between noon 21th and the morning of 22th February, the door of the sacristy and a the glass pane of a display case in the church were covered in black paint. The police are investigating.

Thieves Violently Broke the Offertory Box in St.Magarethen

February 21, 2020, Austria

On 21 February, unknown perpetrators used physical force in order to break the door to the sacristy in a church in St. Margarethen near Wolfsberg. Afterwards they tried to break open the sacrificial offerings box of the candle sacrifice. Their attempt was unsuccessful but caused property damage of currently unknown amount. Probably the same perpetrators tried to break open two offering boxes in a church in the district of Völkermarkt in Wolfsberg. Investigations are being conducted in this regard.

St Vincent de Paul Church in Paris Tagged with Red Paint

February 21, 2020, France

The Church of St Vincent de Paul in Paris was vandalized with red tags on February 21st. The images were documented on the "Protégé ton Eglise" Facebook page.

Four Young Women Vandalized Church; Set Fire to the Altar

February 20, 2020, Spain

National Police reviewed the security cameras of the church of San Pedro de La Felguera to try to locate the four young women who caused at least 600 euros in damage inside the church on February 20th. Video recordings revealed that the young women entered the church, used and stole two of the microphones, sat on the altar, burned candles and set fire to books and the altar cloth.

Attempted Burglary In Protestant Church

February 20, 2020, Germany

Between February 20th 12:00 pm and February 24th 09:00 pm, unknown perpetrators tried to break in the Protestant Church in Bahnhofstraße in Wehretal-Reichensachsen without success. The damage amounts to 200 euros and the police is still investigating.

Santa Croce Church Set on Fire

February 20, 2020, Italy

In the church of Santa Croce in Abbadia San Salvatore a fire took place in the chapel of the Sacred Heart (left wing of the building), which was put out by the caretaker of the religious building. The confused woman, who has a history with drug addiction, slammed a crucifix to the ground, turned the pews upside down before starting the fire. She was caught and taken to the hospital for necessary treatment.

Saint Gregory Palamas Holy Metropolitan Church Vandalized in Thessaloniki

February 19, 2020, Greece

Two young men were arrested and charged with vandalism at the Church of St. Gregory Palamas in Thessaloniki. The 24 and 22-year-olds splattered paint and scattered flyers at the busts in the Metropolitan Courtyard. The young men, members of the Thessaloniki Freedom Initiative, claim they acted in protest against “obscurantism and nationalism.”

Pilgrimage Church of Agios Stefanos in Trikala Targeted by Vandals

February 19, 2020, Greece

Unknown vandals wrote slogans with indelible spray on the walls outside the church and on the doors. The graffiti includes an anarchy symbol and the words “No Gods.” The church is a place of pilgrimage because it was where Saint Ephraim of Nea Makri was baptized.

Shots fired at stained-glass windows in the church of Herlies

February 19, 2020, France

On Sunday 16th February, one or more individuals entered the church and, with a pistol or a pellet gun, deliberately shot at the central stained-glass window in the choir of the church, which depicts Jesus Christ, with a pistol or a pellet gun. Three other stained-glass windows were also hit by shotgun pellets.

Broken Church Windows In Dorchester

February 19, 2020, United Kingdom

On February 19th and February 21st an unknown person broke the rear windows of The Storehouse Church in Dorchester by throwing stones at them. The police are investigating and searching for witnesses.

Thieves Violently Broke the Offertory Box in St.Kanzian

February 19, 2020, Austria

In the night of February 19th 2020 to February 20th, unknown perpetrators violently broke open the outer door to the sacristy of the parish church in St. Kanzian. They tore the offertory box violently from the wall anchorage and tried to break it open, but this was not successful. Afterwards they left the church without any stolen goods.

An Evangelical Church Tagged by Anarchists

February 18, 2020, France

Over the Weekend of February 15th, an evangelical church in Toulouse was tagged by anarchists, as reported on the Facebook page of the National Union of Evangelical Christians.

Soldier's grave at Northwich church Vandalized

February 18, 2020, United Kingdom

On February 18th, an unknown person placed traffic cones on a soldier´s grave inside the churchyard of Saint Helen church in Northwick. The traffic cones have been removed from the grave.

The Church Of Mortagne-Au-Perche Desecrated

February 17, 2020, France

On February 17th, the tabernacle in the church of Notre-Dame de Mortagne-au-Perche has been found fractured and the ciborium has been emptied and broken. Since then, the church is closed to the public.