All cases
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.
Stained Glass Window in Saint-Cadou's Chapel Vandalised
August 1, 2020, FranceThe chapel, which dates back to the XVI century ,has been vandalised. The perpetrators smash a stained glass window, which was already damaged and restored again in 2018. The costs for another restoration of the ancient window are estimated at 900€.
Window Facade of Saint-Paul Church in Saint-Nazaire Damaged
July 31, 2020, FranceDuring the night of July 31st the window facade of Saint Paul Church in Saint-Nazaire was severely damaged, apparently collateral damage of a wider outbreak of gun violence occurring throughout the city. Despite the extensive damage the church community gathered to celebrate Mass on Saturday evening.
Vandalism and Theft in Two Schwieberdingen Churches
July 31, 2020, GermanyDuring the night of July 31st, an unknown perpetrator gained access to the Protestant Georgskirche in Schwieberdingen through the sacristy, stole an antique chalice, and went on to smash a crystal window of the main building of the church. Only a few days earlier, the Catholic Church of St. Peter and Paul had been attacked. An unknown person broke open the offertory box as well as the cash box of the prayer candles and stole the small amount of cash contained in it. A police spokeswoman said that no clues to the perpetrator have been found so far. However, she said, one could assume a possible connection between the two crimes.
Priests Not Allowed to Give The Sacraments to the Elderly in Residential Homes
July 31, 2020, SpainThe Bishop Lopez of Salamanca expressed his concern that the priests were not allowed to entry residential homes of elderly in residential homes. The elders requested the sacraments in the final stage of their lives. The bishop calls for the respect of the Organic Law of Religious Liberty that guarantees religious assistance for every person. He also argues that there are no regulations during the pandemic that impede the exercise of the right to religious assistance in the vicinity of death. Using the example of the Hospitals in Salamanca, he believes with the proper hygienic standards, religious assistance should be allowed.
Politically-Motivated Vandalism of Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth
July 28, 2020, FranceOn the morning of July 28th parishioners discovered graffiti sprayed on the walls of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth in Vaison-la-Romaine. One tag read "vaut mieux une paire de mères qu’un père de merde" ("better a pair of mothers than a shitty father"). On another side of the cathedral, the word "sorcellerie" ("witchcraft") was painted. The vandalism appeared a day after Monsignor Cattenoz, Archbishop of Avignon, wrote an open letter to the deputies and senators of Vaucluse as well as to the local press denouncing the pending bioethics legislation in France. In his letter (in full below), he noted that if the law passes, "a woman will be able to give one of her fertilized oocytes to her partner, it will be implanted in her uterus so that they will both be mothers, erasing any reference to the importance of a father ... for the growth and life of a child."
Activists Hang Rainbow Flag and Anarchist Bandana on Statue of Christ in front of Warsaw Basilica
July 28, 2020, PolandDuring the night of July 28th activists from the self-described "anarchist-queer" community launched what they termed a "rainbow assault" across Warsaw. They placed a rainbow flag on the statue of Jesus Christ carrying the Cross in front of the Basilica and attached a purple anarchist bandana over Christ's face. Several of Warsaw's other famous monuments were similarly targeted. The activists left cards with a "manifesto" beginning with the phrases "This is an assault! It's a rainbow. It's an attack! We've decided to act." The message went on to say their provocative actions would continue until Polish society accepted them.
Theft and Vandalism in a Cemetery in Thionville
July 27, 2020, FranceBetween the 26th and 27th of July, about 21 bronze statuettes of Christ or the Virgin Mary were torn off and stolen from the Saint-François de Thionville communal cemetery (Moselle). Official said this was "a targeted, premeditated and large-scale operation."
Repeated Vandalism of Virgin and Child Statue in Noirmoutier-en-l'Île
July 27, 2020, FranceUnknown perpetrators vandalized the statue of the Virgin Mary and Jesus during the night of July 27th for the third time -- this time, decapitating the head of the Christ child. In 2018, vandals beheaded both figures on the statue; and in mid-July, (see link below) the pedestal of the statue was vandalized with graffiti.
UPDATE: Volunteer Charged with Nantes Arson
July 26, 2020, FranceOn Sunday, July 26th, the diocesan volunteer who had been questioned and released last week was indicted for the arson of the Nantes cathedral and placed in pre-trial detention.